Jonathan André: “HVO100 provides clear benefits, both in terms of power and for the environment”

Can you tell us about the history of the Lion Truck Racing team?

The team was set up in 2012 by Patrick Folleas, a huge fan of trucks and motorsport. Pascal Calas joined him to work on the mechanical side of things and I became team manager. We wanted to stand out straight away. For example, we were the first team to enter a female driver at a truck racing event, Steffi Halm, who went on to become French champion with us, the first female champion in motorsport. We had suites at the best race tracks, high-quality hospitality areas, etc. It was something that became synonymous with our team. After Steffi, driving duties then switched to Anthony Janiec, who was also French Champion but who unfortunately passed away in 2022.

You then took over from him as the team’s driver…

We couldn't find a driver elsewhere and I wanted us to finish the season. We agreed that the results weren't really that important, what mattered was to at least do one race and compete. I put my name forward to drive the truck. And here we are, three years later…

But you had no previous experience as a racing driver?

None. My father used to take me to truck races when I was six years old. I was mad about truck racing, it was what we did for fun. Our friends went on holiday, but we went to race tracks in France, England and Germany. I took photos, got driver autographs, etc. When I was fourteen, I set up a website about truck racing. I was studying computing, so that certainly helped! It quickly became the main source of news on truck racing in France. At about the same time, my dad had the opportunity to race for the Robineau team, and then gradually he moved on to more powerful trucks and ended up as French Champion in 2005, some twenty years ago…

And then it was your turn to get behind the wheel of a racing truck

After a test session at Nogaro, I leapt in at the deep end, racing straight away in the European Championship where the standard is very high. On the warm-up lap, my fellow competitors drove right up close behind to intimidate me. But in the end, the weekend went well. The following event was Le Mans and I won one of the four races.

It must be really intimidating to drive one of these 1,200 horsepower trucks!

I really am a truck racing driver and I’ve never raced in any other category. It does involve an unusual driving style. You have to know how to control the huge amount of power that comes through the rear axle, otherwise you immediately get sent into a spin. There is also a lag on the turbo, so you always have to be thinking about getting back on the gas before the corners. And then you really can't afford to ease off because the turbo pressure drops and you lose time. It sounds a bit crude, brutish even, but it's quite subtle, really; you have to be on your game and anticipate everything. And I really enjoy it. There’s also the size of the trucks. They take up a lot of room on the track. You have to very incredibly precise when it comes to the racing line. It calls for a very subtle driving technique. The MAN truck develops some 1200bhp and weighs 5.4 tonnes. Maximum speed is limited to 160km/h for safety reasons.

And how did TotalEnergies join the Lion Truck Racing adventure?

We have always tried to convey a positive image of truck racing, both for our partners and the fans. When TotalEnergies developed HVO100, the bio-fuel made exclusively from renewable sources, we were one of the leading racing teams in France with serious partners and a good, strong image. We held some discussions and hit it off straight away. That was in 2021. Our MAN truck was the first in France to test this bio-fuel. The MAN engineers and TotalEnergies worked together. The HVO100 has revolutionised truck racing. This bio-fuel made exclusively from renewable sources is now mandatory in the FIA ETRC and is available for sale in the haulage and non-haulage markets. I am very proud of this partnership.

Mandatory in the European Championship, but not in the French Championship?

In France, the teams are free to choose their fuel supplier, but must use bio-fuel because black smoke is prohibited and any breach is punishable by disqualification from the race. Obviously, we use TotalEnergies’ HVO100, but some teams with more limited financial resources are forced to turn down the power in order to comply with the pollution standards. At the start, I thought using HVO100 wouldn't provide any benefits as regards performance. In the end, however, the engineers managed to increase our power by 2%, then 4% and then 6% with TotalEnergies’ HVO100 without any smoke emissions. We have therefore ended up with a truck that has increased power and that is better for the environment! So there are real benefits with HVO100.

TotalEnergies also supplies you with Rubia HGV lubricants

The engines, gearboxes and transmission are all subject to very heavy loads. A racing truck is almost always at full throttle, constantly moving up the revs and generally speaking, the field is pretty bunched up so the temperatures are very high too. We also race in highly varied weather conditions, from winter testing to extreme heat in Madrid, for example. Good lubrication of all the drive train is absolutely essential. Since Rubia came on board with us on this programme, we have not had any DNFs related to mechanical overheating. TotalEnergies sees racing as providing unrivalled opportunities for technological development, enabling it to test new products in an extreme environment.

You have your hands full this season, tackling a racing programme whilst also working on a new truck. How do you build a racing truck?

Our MAN is seven years old now. It has enjoyed some great results but our rivals are improving and the regulations are changing. We therefore had to build a new racing truck. We start with two chassis cross-members from a real truck, and then for everything else, we’re free to build it from A to Z. So the cockpit, for example, we’ve cut it to create a large tunnel through which air passes to cool the engine. As for the engine, still made by MAN, we’ve moved it back on the chassis to redistribute the weight more evenly. We’ve also moved the gearbox back, the entire assembly, and we have put a new front axle with more camber. The rigid and flexible points of the chassis have been set out differently, the suspension has been specially designed for the new truck, etc. Everything is done in our workshop in Toulouse. It takes five months with two people working full-time to build a new racing truck.

You haven’t had support from the manufacturer?

No, we lease the engines from MAN and they provide some advice, but that’s all. We can manage on our own. Of course, sometimes it means that we make changes that don't work, so we redesign the parts and start again… It’s a really interesting challenge. I'm confident because the upgrades seem to be effective.

This new truck was originally set to begin racing this season, but in the end it will now début in 2026?

I had a big crash at Le Castellet at the start of the season when a brake cable was cut during a coming together with another truck. We needed to rebuild a racing truck and had to take parts from the new truck in order to continue the season with the old one. The mechanics took four weeks to rebuild it, which led to a delay on the new project. It won't start racing until 2026, but I will do some testing in it at the end of the year.

For the time being, the 2025 season is going pretty well, with two wins so far?

Yes, I won a race at Nogaro and one at Magny-Cours, as well as some podium-finishes in France and in Europe at Misano, in our category. I’m still relatively inexperienced as a racing driver and that was my best result in the European championship. However, due to my crash at Le Castellet, I think I’ll have to give up my aim of finishing on the podium in the 2025 French championship. My goal is now to try and win as many races as possible.

The next round is, of course, at Le Mans. Do you see the Le Mans 24-Hour Truck race as a major event in the season?

We head to Zolder in Belgium next, and then Le Mans. For me, the 24-Hour Truck race at Le Mans is the biggest Truck Grand Prix in Europe, ahead of Nürburgring. It’s a weekend devoted exclusively to truck racing, with displays, events, attractions, activities, etc. The paddock is open to the public, so there are lots of opportunities to interact with the drivers and I love that. We’re expecting a crowd of over 90,000, and between 500 and 600 guests in our hospitality suite, many of whom will be TotalEnergies VIPs. The races are shown on television and there will be a night race. It’s a magical event. It’s called the 24-Hour Truck race, but the race doesn't last 24 hours, like it does for the cars. It would be impossible for trucks, due to the brakes and the tyres that would need to be changed during the race – it would just take too long… Each of the truck races last 30 minutes on the Bugatti track, where it is difficult to overtake. I have always fared well at Le Mans so I'm hoping for a good result.