Motorsport

The Porsche LMP works drivers reflect on the Le Mans 24-Hours

Nick Tandy: Looking for a place to cry

Porsche LMP Team: Nick Tandy
Porsche LMP Team: Nick Tandy

“I still get goose bumps thinking about it (winning Le Mans 2015). I didn’t think I could ever grasp the opportunity to race there – I never dreamt for one moment I would ever get to race in something that special and big. I was wound-up with so much emotion for the last three hours of the race in 2015 – I was like a coiled spring waiting to be released. I sat in the pitbox, I walked around, I didn’t really know what to do with myself. I’d driven my last stints by that stage, it was down to Earl and Nico to finish the job off and it was hard not being in the car. Of course I had every faith in my two team-mates, I trusted them 100%, but I wasn’t in total control of my own destiny – I was watching on TV ‘my’ car with them at the wheel knowing that so long as nothing went wrong, I was about to win the biggest race in the world of motorsport after 15 years of hard work of being a professional to reach this crescendo – it was very tough!

“The pressure had been mounting as the clock ticked towards 3pm and for the last 15 or so minutes I was with Earl in our pitbox. But then I needed to just get out and walked out the back, simply to get away. The magnitude of winning the biggest race in my career – in the world – was too much of a strain, the weight was enormous – that’s what winning the crown jewel of motorsport meant to me. I wanted to find a quiet corner and cry I suppose! I didn’t take everything in after the chequered flag, there was so much going on and the relief was so overwhelming – it was a blur. I remember more now looking at photos and videos of the post-race celebrations.

“I left the Porsche party quite early on Sunday evening, I was so tired – physically and emotionally drained from the week. I went back to my hotel and slept like a baby. On the Monday I drove home to England with my wife and young daughter and it was the least stressful long car journey I’ve ever undertaken . . . the world was a great place to be in. When we arrived back in our village, family and friends had organised a party outside the local pub with banners saying ‘congratulations’ – it was amazing.”