Panis praises the talents of Pic
Charles Pic has been managed by Olivier Panis for several months, and the former F1 driver is full of praise for his driver, who will debut in F1 in 2012 with Marussia.
Olivier Panis has been the advisor of Charles Pic for several months, ever since the native of Montélimar joined the Lagardère Unlimited structure. It is thanks to the support of this organization that Charles Pic was able to see his dream come true: driving a Formula 1 single-seater.
Panis was chosen by Lagardère Unlimited to find a driver capable of being in F1. He decided to choose Pic because he was starting his family. Panis had been attracted by the young man’s performances but first had to work with him to see if a move to F1 could be possible by continuing to work and being well-advised.
I was hired by Lagardère to take care of the motorsport division. Arnaud (Lagardère) had a real desire to bring a French driver to Formula 1. I chose Charles because I know his family well. His mother came to see me and I told her that if I clicked with Charles and found he had talent, it would be a pleasure, Olivier Panis shared on RMC.
In the end, the chemistry worked well between the two men, and Charles Pic has been benefiting from Olivier Panis’s advice and experience for several months. But if Panis chose to help, it’s also because he detected potential in Pic.
« That is what happened. He is a talented driver, very endearing humanly, and has incredible driving qualities. I went ahead with the negotiations for Charles who managed to get a seat at Marussia. »
2012 will be Charles Pic’s first year in Formula 1, like his fellow drivers Jean-Eric Vergne and, to a lesser extent, Romain Grosjean – as he already raced in 2009 with Renault F1. The Marussia driver will therefore have a simple goal for this new season: to learn and gain experience and possibly seize every opportunity to stand out.
« All the French drivers will learn even if Romain (Grosjean) has a little more experience. Ten or twelve drivers can win Grand Prix races. »
But one should not expect to see Pic win a Grand Prix at the wheel of the Marussia in 2012, as the team typically plays at the back of the grid, and Olivier Panis is aware of this. He knows he should advise and support Charles Pic if the car does not perform well because, ultimately, it is the car that greatly influences the result.
“We are very dependent on cars,” concluded Panis.
