Dries Vanthoor: "We can't arrive at Le Mans with full confidence

How is your start to the season going?   "Pretty good! We brought back big points from Imola with the win and then Brands Hatch in the Sprint race showed that we are up to speed. Magny-Cours was more mixed with a win in race 1 but only a sixth place in race 2. All eyes are now on Paul Ricard which has a special 6 hour format. This race will be the last in endurance racing before the 24 Hours of Spa."

At Magny-Cours, you blew hot and cold...  "Race 1 went very well with Marciello catching me and putting pressure on me. I was as fast as I could be, but we were at our maximum. The pit stop was incredible. Once again I have to say a big thank you to the whole team because without them it was not possible to win. Sunday was much more complicated with mistakes in Q2. Luckily the team was able to get the car back on track, but the start was not easy. I went through a dirty spot and lost the car. After that, the best possible position was 6th place."   How do you judge the two championships this year?   "The Sprint is maybe a little bit lower than last year because of the DTM. On the other hand, the Endurance championship is harder every year. Even if there are two or three less top cars, the level is incredibly high. The EVO2 version of the Audi R8 LMS GT3 is much better, especially in terms of torque. It's easier and fits the tyres better." 

After Paul Ricard, you're off to Le Mans, this time in an LMP2 car. A bit of stress?   "We tested the car before at Portimao and Aragon. The three drivers discovered the Oreca 07. I'm happy to be driving a prototype that has more aero than a GT car. It's important for me as I'm aiming for the Hypercar category. That was and still is the plan. Unfortunately, Audi has changed its plans so I will have to change mine."  Is coming back to Le Mans always a pleasure?   "It's a very nice event that I discovered in 2017 when I won there in the GTE-Am class. Last year, I took pole in the GTE-Pro class. These last two years, the public has not been able to come as in the past. Now we'll have a real 24 Hours of Le Mans. This will be my third participation, the first in LMP2. I only have one LMP2 race to my name in the European Le Mans Series in a Ligier JS P2 in 2016, with a podium finish. Rolf (Ineichen) did Le Mans in the GTE last year, Mirko (Bortolotti) will discover Le Mans. We can't arrive with confidence because everyone will have to get their bearings."  After that, it will be time to think about the 24 Hours of Spa. There, there's revenge in the air...  (he smiles) "It's good to shine in Sprint but we have to do better in Endurance. We have to win these 24 Hours of Spa, especially after the 2021 final. It was a tough pill to swallow. The 24 Hours of Spa remains an incredible race with this type of car. The level of competitiveness is incredible every year and this will be even more the case next July..."