10 Porsche 911 RSR take on the world’s toughest automobile race
Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “I’m looking forward to my fourth Le Mans 24-hour race, not least because many of my family members will be there. It’s very emotional to line up on the grid and hear the French national anthem. No other race gives a driver such a feeling.”
Michael Christensen (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “The race and the track have an incredible history. This makes Le Mans an extraordinary race. It’s vital to maintain your focus during the entire time. The straights and particularly the Porsche Curves are important because you’re driving at high speed in these passages. For me, the feeling of driving at Le Mans is unparalleled.”
Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “Le Mans is unquestionably the highlight of the year. The big goal is to secure another win for Porsche. The factory is campaigning four 911 RSR – I think this underscores our intention. It’s an important race for us all. As such, there’s a lot of pressure to perform well. That’s precisely our forte. We’re well prepared.”
Patrick Pilet (Porsche 911 RSR #93): “I live in Paris only 200 kilometres away, which makes Le Mans my home race. I’m excited to compete with Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber and I’m certain that we’ve put a good package together to win this race. At the test day we were already able to score the fastest lap time.”
Earl Bamber (Porsche 911 RSR #93): “I can’t wait to return to Le Mans. It’ll be really exciting, especially after our LMP1 win for Porsche in 2017. Fielding four 911 RSR is a big challenge for the factory. My aim is clear: I’m going for the podium. I’m looking forward to competing at the world’s biggest race with my team from the IMSA Championship.”
Nick Tandy (Porsche 911 RSR #93): “Le Mans is a very special race for me, of course. I’ve always raced for Porsche here and I look forward to competing in the GT class again this year. There are a lot of cars in the GTE-Pro class and it’ll be hotly contested. The entire team can hardly wait for the long-distance race to start.”
Timo Bernhard (Porsche 911 RSR #94): “Last year’s overall victory will be hard to beat, of course. Back in 2002 I actually won the GT class. As two-time outright winner it’s wonderful to return to Le Mans, to fight again for victory, and to meet up with old friends.”
Romain Dumas (Porsche 911 RSR #94): “This will be my first Le Mans race in a GT car since 2013, and I’m looking forward to it. The GTE-Pro grid has never been this competitive. It’s important to focus on our job and not think about the opposition. We’re simply driving our race. I’m sure we’ll do a good job.”
Sven Müller (Porsche 911 RSR #94): “In 2015 I got the chance to turn a few laps during the pre-test. I even got goose bumps doing that. I’m looking forward to that feeling at my first outing here as a regular driver. We went testing at Spa and Monza with my teammates and our engineer and we managed to try out all the tyres. With my race at Le Mans, a dream comes true.”
Jörg Bergmeister (Porsche 911 RSR #56): “I’ve contested Le Mans every year since 2002 with one exception. Fortunately, nothing of the unique atmosphere has changed by now. The race is just as popular as ever. The butterflies start about two weeks before the race, and the tension continues to mount until the start on Saturday.”
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