All eyes on the Porsche
The climate around the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans is starting to get hotter, especially due to the predictions on those who are currently indicated as the absolute favorites to win the final. There Porscheconsidered the number one candidate for success even by a direct opponent such as Toyota, increased its percentages also following the motivating results obtained on Test Day, with the best time set by Kevin Estre (followed by the second Penske #5 ) and with a good gap on the competition.
The last victory 10 years ago
The Frenchman shares the 963 #6 with the Belgian Laurens Vanthoor and the German André Lotterer, WEC world champion in 2012 but above all three times winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, always at the wheel of Audi. There is therefore a good chance for the 42-year-old to return to success ten years after his last celebration on the top step of the podium, and the first to believe in it is the person directly involved.
Good feelings
In an interview given to Sportcar365Lotterer believes that this is the great chance to return to victory for the first time since 2014, joining Olivier Gendebien, Henri Pescarolo, Yannick Dalmas and Sébastien Buemi on four: “Yes, it’s a good feeling – He admitted – the start of the season has been very positive and the momentum is good. The way I am working with my teammates and engineers is very efficient and positive. Things have obviously improved a lot compared to last year. Le Mans naturally requires performance and we don’t know how the others will behave, but within the team we have reached a level where we can optimize things almost to the maximum. It’s not even comparable to last year. We got the setup right in Qatar, Imola and Spa, and I think we have all the elements to do the same here. I don’t know how many opportunities to win there will be, let’s go step by step and see how it goes this time, but I hope I still have some! I still feel like I can do my job pretty well. From a motivational point of view, the passion is there.”
The differences with the LMP1
Since his last success at Le Mans, Lotterer has experienced firsthand the major changes in the WEC, such as the transition from the LMP1 class to the current Hypercar, with cars that according to the German best enhance the driving qualities of Estre and Vanthoor compared to his: “Cars are different to drive than the LMP1s, more similar to the GTs – has explained – so Kevin and Laurens feel maybe a little more at home than I do. Guys who come from GT tend to take more risks and push harder. It’s different from the past. We are also pushing hard, of course, but it seems to me that before the risks were a little more calculated. Now you see kids taking more risks, so maybe there’s a generation gap, a different style. Sometimes I’m a little surprised by it. I felt more comfortable in LMP1, but I still have a lot of fun and want to push. They are different cars to drive, but you have to adapt and do your best.”
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