Motorsport: Dries, yesterday you formally set the quickest ever Hypercar lap at Le Mans, in 3m22.564s. Are you able to inform us about that lap, and what it was like out of your perspective?
Dries Vanthoor: “It was an amazing day yesterday, clearly. I believe the lap itself was fairly good. I am unable to do significantly better than that. I made a small mistake within the final chicane, which price me just a little bit. However aside from that, the lap was good. I imply, I attempted to go all over the place on the restrict as a lot as I might and tried to make no errors, which labored effectively. And yeah, clearly tremendous completely satisfied.”
MS: I used to be truly going to ask, are you utterly on the restrict or do you retain the tiniest of margins to strive to not make errors?
DV: “It depends upon the areas. For instance, Porsche corners, I used to be generally even over the restrict. I imply, I used to be on the restrict as a lot as I might. Clearly, particularly on a monitor like this, you’ll be able to push laborious and you need to be on the restrict. However when you go over the restrict, you’ll make a mistake or you’ll go off. So you must simply be on the restrict, and do not go over and simply do not go under. And I believe the lap was simply good to be on the restrict for the entire lap and to not overdo it.”
MS: When did you truly discover out that you simply had pole? [Jack Aitken went 0.005s quicker in the #38 Cadillac, but his lap was deleted after he joined the pitlane’s fast lane too early]
DV: “Solely a very long time afterwards, sadly. We knew already from the start that what the Caddy did was incorrect and that there was a penalty coming usually in the event that they observe the rulebook.
“However on the finish of the day, it is a bit unhappy to not have the ceremony and every part, as a result of I believe on hindsight, it occurred as effectively in LMP2 that there was a penalty handed out for a similar mistake. It is unlucky that it took so lengthy for the penalty to come back. However on the finish of the day, simply proud of pole.”
#15 BMW M Workforce WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello, Dries Vanthoor
Photograph by: Marc Fleury
MS: Now, what are your expectations for the race?
DV: “Clearly, it is a small contribution to the large weekend. Clearly, we need to win the race. Beginning on pole is clearly an amazing additional. However our goal is to win the race, and we all know we even have a good race automotive. So we simply have to remain out of bother and be there on the finish. In order that’s our purpose. And I believe we have good hopes for it. And we simply need to work laborious and do a very good job.”
MS: Who do you see as your major rivals?
DV: “I believe for positive Cadillac is up there. I believe Toyota as effectively will probably be there within the race runs. And you may by no means exclude Ferrari, though they do not look quick now, however I am positive they handle by some means to be there when it counts.”
MS: What do you assume is BMW’s largest power for the race?
DV: “That we’ve a very good race automotive and that we have a constant race automotive. And that when it will likely be sizzling [with up to 29C forecast at the beginning and end of the race] I believe we are going to enhance on that, we are going to get higher. In the meantime possibly others will battle extra. And I believe this can be a power which we’ve. So hopefully we will put it into use.”
MS: Is the warmth good for you by way of tyre administration?
DV: “Yeah, it ought to be OK.” (smiles)
MS: Is that this what you have been referring to?
DV: “Yeah.”
MS: I appeared on the high pace figures. BMW is a bit down on the others. However these can generally be skewed by slipstreams. Do you assume it is correct?
DV: “Yeah, I believe it is someplace shut by. It additionally relies upon a bit on set-ups and the way everyone runs their vehicles. I believe in hindsight we will solely discover out within the first hour how the actual high speeds are. However on the finish of the day we simply have to do a very good job within the race, make certain we keep out of bother and, once more, be there on Sunday morning.”
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