Reflets Magazine #142 | Laurent Guérinaud (E99): A Passion for Driving

In Reflets Magazine #142, Laurent Guérinaud speaks about his passion for cars, from the offices of the world’s biggest automobile names to the French and Brazilian racetracks of kart and Formula Vee championships. Here is a free online translation of the article… click here to read the rest of the issue (in French)!

“I began driving at the age of 10.” The son of a racing driver, Laurent Guérinaud took the wheel of a kart at the age of 10, and lost no time in entering the competition circuit. “At 16, I ranked among the national top 5, with some twenty victories and two Ile-de-France championship titles to my name. I even beat Alain Prost in a friendly race!”

Despite reaching the level to envisage a professional career, he lacked sponsors. Yet he did not give up on motoring. “As soon as I entered ESSEC, I targeted this sector, with work placements at Seat and Renault...”. He then joined Peugeot as Customer Manager. The cherry on the cake came when he was offered the chance to take part in the Rencontres Peugeot Sport event. “This endurance competition, lasting from 3 to 24 hours, pits 130 teams of 2 to 5 drivers against each other, along the roads of Belgium, France and Spain. A 24-hour race at Magny-Cours is an incredible experience!” 

A 360° turn

Laurent Guérinaud took a detour when he decided to follow his then wife to Brazil. “My visa didn’t allow me to get a job in Brazil, so I converted to photography, which I’d been doing on an amateur level for a few years. I trained by reading specialist magazines and by joining dedicated forums.” 

Little by little, he took shots for image banks, portfolios and corporate photo galleries, or for magazines such as Fotografe Melhor, a reference in the field. “I also wrote several columns for them, with technical tips and expert advice on readers’ photos...”. In addition, he gave lessons and exhibited and sold his personal work.  

The wheels turn

After 4 years, Laurent Guérinaud returned to France and the world of cars. “I became chief editor of C-Mag, Citroën’s corporate magazine. I was then promoted to Manager of In-house Communication.” 

But his heart remained on the other side of the Atlantic, where he met his current partner, Solange, a Brazilian national. “I settled definitively in Sao Paolo and headed the local subsidiary of GiPA, a leading study institute for car after-sales.” 

He discovered a market that differed greatly from the European model. “A loose market; an overly complex taxation system means you can’t quote a price before tax; 80% of the fleet runs on alcohol; bio-fuel, derived from sugar cane, is much more widespread, and on the other hand, there are almost no diesel engines; there are still a lot of independent garages, practically next door to each other, and the market is scattered and very volatile, but growing.”

He therefore had to take a different approach to doing business, as well as testing new ways of driving in his spare time. “I took part in several Track Days. The idea is that major circuits open to the public, who can take to the track in their own car.” He raced the Brazilian tracks with an Audi A3 and a DS3. “I’d already done this in France, but on a motorbike, with my Ducati 900 SSie. And when I stopped competing, I signed up with my own car, as a way to make up for not racing anymore.” It was a different sensation, however. “It doesn’t make up for the adrenaline of a competition, for the combat with other drivers...” The experience was ultimately both thrilling and frustrating. “Watching the start of a real race, or reading the press clippings on the victories of my younger days brought tears to my eyes each time.” 

A new start

In his forties, Laurent Guérinaud decided to get back on the tracks, this time with Formula Vee. “This is the largest single-seater category in the world, it exists in some twenty countries and is renowned for being the breeding pool of numerous Formula 1 champions. Vee was originally a reference to Volkswagen, because most of the parts used in the cars came from the VW Beetle. The models are more modern today, they develop 115 horsepower for a weight of 590 kilos with driver, and can reach top speeds of more than 200kph.” 

Eager to get back in the race, Laurent Guérinaud signed up, halfway through the season, for the Paulista Championship, Brazil’s biggest annual competition. “It was difficult to adapt to this new technique. I’d never driven a single-seater, they’re highly-sensitive vehicles which skid a lot; the slightest excess in optimism can send you off the road.” This did not stop him from beating all the odds and finishing on the podium, right from the first weekend. “In just a few races, I sped to first place and rediscovered the taste of victory after 24 years! Little by little, I caught up for my late entry into the championship, and found myself neck-and-neck with the leader at the starting line of the final race - in the end I beat him and became the first foreign Formula Vee champion of Brazil.” 

This sensational entrance on the scene attracted the attention of sponsors, such as Rokim Automotive, Chancela, DKDrones, SV Automobiles and lastly Motul. This enabled Laurent Guérinaud to sign up for the 2021 edition. “Luck was not on my side at the beginning; I was hit three times in four races, then had a gearbox problem and was a long way down in the rankings. But I managed to climb back up to find myself just behind the leader, who I overtook once more in the finishing straight during a memorable final race, where I collided with several cars and just about managed to avoid debris on the asphalt!” With two titles in two years, Laurent Guérinaud clearly has not lost his touch.

The next steps

Laurent Guérinaud is currently looking for extra sponsors, with a view to perhaps changing category. “This year, as well as Formula Vee, I’d like to take part in touring car races, such as the Mercedes Benz Challenge or GT Sprint Race with converted Mustangs or Camaros...my aim is to work my way to the Stock Car category in Brazil, the equivalent of European Super Touring.” 

This said, Laurent is not looking to become a professional driver. “I don’t see racing as a profession. It’s more a passion for me.” Full speed ahead!

Interview by Louis Armengaud Wurmser (E10), Content Manager at ESSEC Alumni 

Translation of an article published in Reflets Magazine #142. Click here to read a preview of the issue (in French). Subscribe here to get the next issues (in French)."