eRacing Magazine Vol 1. Issue 11 | Page 28

underestimate it. You have to get everything right. You have to squeeze everything out in these five or six kilometers."

And you're starting on cold tyres!

"Absolutely, you have to think about the entire section. I enjoy it,"

It's a very solo-orientated pursuit as well as a team environment. Do you learn a lot about yourself?

"When I speak to older drivers it was all about finishing the race; taking care of the brakes, the tyres, the engine, looking at the revs... Everything at that time as a bit more low-tech and the driver decided a bit more for themself. Today we have hi-tech cars. We get a lot of information from the pits, the cars are a lot quicker and you can push all the way through the race,. It's more or less quali lap times for a long period. It's a different thing right now than in the past, but for the drivers it's very rewarding. At the moment I think it's the most exciting form of motor sport below F1."

But is it below? You're a Formula One commentator yourself (with Sport1) and if there's anything I've noticed in the last two years is that there has been an overlap with sports car racing and Formula One. As you pointed out in the 1960's drivers had to look after the car whereas now that's the current zeitgeist in Formula One.

"I hear these comments about current Formula One - certainly with the engine restrictions - here our engines are a bit more high-tech with less restrictions. The Michelin tyres we use are also really consistent. We can do four stints on one set of tyres. That's over three and a half hours. It's amazing.

It comes back to your original point about traffic, which is the real performance aspect of endurance racing. Yes you want to set the car up to be as quick as possible, but once you reached traffic, the driver can make all the difference by making the right judgments. It's a complex kind of sport and the nights aren't easy. You have to be at the top of your game for a long period of time."

I asked David Brabham what was more rewarding as a driver. The GT Le Mans crown, or the outright crown. He didn't miss a beat when he said GT. Purely based on dealing with lapped cars and being lapped whilst trying to keep your pace up.

"For me it's definitely LMP1 but it's definitely a different challenge. I did GT last year in the factory RSR. It wasn't easy, but neither is the hybrid technology in LMP1 these days. There are some corners where we have the boost helping us and other times we don't for purely strategic reasons.

You have to be flexible and the speed we're doing down the Mulsanne and through the Porsche Curves in incredible. Then in traffic you have to act and react. In GT you're reacting to the quicker cars around you whereas in LMP1 you have to dive in and make the right judgment - it's a little more tricky."

Do you get to know who you can trust in that kind of situation?

"Absolutely. When you've spent a long time in the sport you know the cars and you know the numbers. Some guys you trust more than the others..."

(Heikke - Timo's PR Manager chimes in) "And the beginners as well!"

"Yes, inexperience too."

You're all professionals and you have a lot of time to test, but how much brain power does driving an LMP1 require of you?