Notes from the stage
DSC was listening intently for any snippets passed on from the drivers and others from the interview stage at Scrutineering in the Place de la République yesterday. There was plenty to hear as more than half of the grid made their way through the technical and administrative checks.
Daniil Kvyat on the forthcoming Lamborghini LMDH programme:
Former Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat is one of the four LMDH works drivers that Lamborghini nominated over the winter along with Mirko Bortolotti, Andrea Caldarelli and Romain Grosjean.
“I need to learn many things,” he admitted. “It’s “spectacular” for me to drive with Lamborghini. There is no doubt that this is a new adventure with a legendary Italian manufacturer. It will be something special to be here with them next year.
“I have seen glimpses of the new (LMDH) car and it’s really pretty.”
Thierry Tassin Team WRT’s sporting director on the team’s upcoming test programme with the BMW LMDH:
“We are now ready to test a BMW LMDH,” he said. “It is going to happen soon. In parallel, we will compete in the LMP2 category of the FIA WEC (all season in 2023). It’s obviously going to be a challenge for our mechanics and our engineers.”
Claudio Schiavoni eyeing an LMGT3 presence next year with Lamborghini in 2024:
“Iron Lynx has been with Ferrari for seven years,” said the Italian. “It was conceptually difficult to go to Le Mans (this year) with a Maranello car while in the meantime, we made these announcements regarding a partnership with a manufacturer originating from Sant’Agata (Lamborghini).
“I’ve been checking out Porsches for several years. These cars are magnificent. Lamborghini has agreed to let us drive these (German) cars until they get homologated (in 2024). It’s a win-win situation. So next year, expect to see me to be back in La Sarthe at the wheel of an Iron Lynx Lamborghini LMGT3.”
Philippe Sinault, team principal of Alpine, on a big week to come for the brand off track.
“We have not fully assembled our (LMDH) car yet,” he revealed. “This is going to be a real discovery for all of us during the coming weeks.
“We will reveal the car in a brand-new building which we shall inaugurate at the same time. We had been thinking about it for a while, it was a challenge to be ready for that project as well. We will first use that building for commercial campaign activation purposes”.
This brand new 600 m2 showroom will be based in the Technoparc area close to the Le Mans racetrack.
Lapierre to support the development of the Alpine:
“I will be at the inauguration party,” said the Frenchman. “I can’t say yet whether I will be the first driver to test it but it’s very likely. I think all of you will be positively surprised by how pretty this car is. It is “magnifique””
Jean-Marc Finot, senior VP of Stellantis Motorsport (Peugeot) on expectations for Le Mans.
“We have seen in earlier races that our car is not at its best on racetracks that have slow-speed corners. We have fewer of these in Le Mans and on top, the track is as smooth and slick as a pool table.” said Finot.
“That should help our car. But we shall see where we land (in the time sheets) this Sunday and later in the week. We are eager to figure this one out.”
Cameron relishing chance to become the first American since 1996 to win overall
Porsche Penske Motorsports’ Dane Cameron is one of two American drivers in the Hypercar class this year, vying to be the first of their countrymen to take an overall Le Mans victory since Davy Jones in 1996.
“There’s a good history of American drivers and American teams at Le Mans,” Cameron said ahead of his second start at Le Mans – and first with the Porsche WEC crew.
“But also, not so many of us have had great opportunities to run for top programmes, let’s say, compete for overall wins – or really, hasn’t been so many of us.”
“So I definitely feel proud as an American guy to have that chance and to do it, for sure.”
“And there’s also really a great history of American drivers with the Porsche brand as well with Patrick (Long) and Hurley (Haywood), Davy Jones – there’s a really cool connection there and it would be incredibly special to put your name on that list.”
Thomas surprised by Tower call up
With John Farano unable to race at Le Mans for Tower Motorsports, fellow LMP2 gentleman driver Steven Thomas has stepped in for him at the last minute.
Thomas was notified Wednesday morning that he would join Ricky Taylor and Rene Rast in the #13 Oreca LMP2 – as a plug-and-play solution given his association with TDS Racing, which is operating Tower’s Le Mans effort.
“I know the team, I knew everybody associated with it. And, of course, I won last year, so I feel like I’m comfortable here.”
The LMP2 Pro-Am winner from last year is grateful for the chance to compete once again – but understandably, feels for Farano, who was due to make his second start at Le Mans before a crash in the IMSA race at Laguna Seca forced him to pull out.
“I feel terrible for John,” Thomas said. “I’ve been communicating with John over the past three weeks after the race (at Laguna Seca) – not about this drive, but just about, ‘how are you?'”
“He thought he was fine – and I was like, great! And so I was surprised to get the call because I thought he was a go.”
“Gentleman drivers gotta stick together, and we talked about making sure he got this opportunity next year. I’m confident that he’s gonna be able to drive this race – it’s a real goal for him.”
Taylor: “Farano now focused on winning IMSA”
Ricky Taylor commented on John Farano’s injury, saying: “He’s very disappointed not to be here. I feel bad that he couldn’t make it.”
“Hopefully I told him, he’d just need to win the championship again and come back next year.”
Farano won last year’s IMSA LMP2 Drivers’ Championship and with it, the Jim Trueman Award – given to the best Bronze-graded driver in the class – and a guaranteed entry into Le Mans.
“He’s recovering. I think this would have put a lot of stress on him, and probably put back the recovery. He really wants to focus on Watkins Glen, and winning the (IMSA) championship.”
Tandy: “I didn’t expect Porsche to be back in the top class so quickly”
Six years on from the end of the Porsche 919 Hybrid programme, Nick Tandy is still pleasantly surprised to see Porsche back in the top class of Le Mans for the centenary edition of the race.
“I didn’t expect Porsche to come back to the top class so quickly, I must admit. I thought I might have another couple of goes at it, at some point,” Tandy said.
“I think we’re kind of lucky in some respects because they didn’t design a new wave of sports car racing based around the centenary of Le Mans, or even the 75 years of Porsche. It just happens to be!”
“This new class of car when everyone’s kind of joined in at the same time to get there, just happens to be the 100th year of Le Mans. And of course, it kind of was in the mind of Porsche, you know, their birthday coming. So it just makes everything nice and complete.”
It’s also a warm welcome back to the connection of the “Tandyman” and Porsche, after two years away from the family as a Corvette Racing driver.
In his return to top-tier prototype racing, Tandy is sharing the #75 Porsche 963 with IMSA co-driver Mathieu Jaminet and Felipe Nasr.
Their garage space in 2023 is the same space that the #19 Porsche 919 of Tandy, Earl Bamber, and Nico Hulkenberg occupied when they won the race eight years ago!
