FIA GT World Cup - Kévin Estre (Porsche): "In Macau, you need the car to do the perfect lap"

You're about to take part in your fourth FIA GT World Cup, on the Macau circuit. What does this event mean to you?

The Guia circuit is one of the most beautiful in the world. When you race in the Porsche Carrera Cup and Supercup, you're used to this kind of track. In endurance racing, apart from IMSA, that's not the case at all. In fact, it's the opposite of WEC. In sprint races, the risk-taking is different, and it's sometimes good to get back to that.

What makes this circuit so special?

If it's a urban track and it's mega-fast. It's a bit like Spa, Nüburgring or Bathurst, but between walls. And GT cars on a urban track often offer a great show. Driving at 270 km/h between walls is rare in motorsport... It's also the World Cup, so if you win you get invited to the FIA prize-giving ceremony. And the event is legendary for its F3 Grand Prix. I didn't take part in it, but I remember that when I was doing karting, we always looked to see who had won the race. You knew that the winner had a great chance of ending up in F1. And it's the last race of the year...

How did you come to set up this programme?

Alex Gibot (Head of Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific) was in charge and contacted me to see if I was interested. After that, of course, it's a matter between Porsche and the teams.

Did you give it any thought before accepting?

I asked about the team (HubAuto Racing) and the engineer. You can't approach Macau with a package in which you don't have complete trust. When it's your first time, why not... You tell yourself that you're going there to discover this extraordinary event and to gain experience, but when you've already done it three times, you can afford to be more demanding.

What is your best memory there?

My second place in 2016, that famous race won by Laurens (Vanthoor) on the roof. Even though it was a bit frustrating because Earl (Bamber) had been given a penalty and Laurens had finished upside down, I was in a good position to win*. But the performance was there and even if you always start with the intention of winning the race, a podium finish in a race like this is always nice.

Qualifying, on the other hand, plays a crucial role, doesn't it?

Honestly, if you don't finish in the top three in qualifying, you know that your race is going to be complicated and can be long. That's what it's all about.

Isn't that frustrating?

No, once again, it's different from what we're used to. In a WEC race, you work to perform well over a double stint. In a 24-hour race, you work to have a car that performs well whatever the conditions. In Macau, you need the car to do the perfect lap because you know that's what's going to win you the race. The result is so dependent on qualifying that it becomes a priority objective.

Can you remember an edition with such a strong field?

To be honest, no. In 2019, it was already pretty impressive. But this time, I think it's even better. You feel like you're in Superpole at the 24 Hours of Spa 24 or the 24 Hours of Nürburgring with all the big names in GT3. I'm going to have to get back into the swing of things quickly because my last participation was in 2019, when Marciello, Mortara and Engel returned last year.

* : The race was interrupted and the rule stipulates that the classification used is that of the lap before the interruption.