Fagg: In Japan I was treated like a king!

It was a fabulous outing for the TF Sport-run #777 D’station Aston Martin Vantage AMR in the most recent round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, where the squad ran from the back of the grid to podium glory with a third-placed finish in the 6 Hours of Fuji.

The result was a first podium for Brit Charlie Fagg, in his rookie WEC season, partnering the experienced Satoshi Hoshino and Tomonobu Fujii.

Now readying himself for the Bapco 8 Hours of Bahrain season finale, Fagg gives an overview of his first season in WEC and his plan for Bahrain, 

How do you assess your season so far?
Coming into the season, I had no expectations - it was such a huge step for me from the junior racing I’d done before, so I was really just there to learn and try to compare myself against the best in the world. If someone had told me before I started the year that I would’ve got my first podium in WEC at our home race in Japan, I think I would’ve laughed in their face!

What have been the highlights?
Le Mans for sure, unfortunately we didn’t get to finish the race, but the whole week build up, the night practice, the start of the race, my whole family being there… it was so special, it was the best experience of my life and I will never ever forget it - that was a dream come true. In close second, the podium at Fuji, our home race for my team and teammates, over 100 guests there from D Station, a really close race - that was a great day. 

What has been more challenging?
Probably the fact that I never drove the car until the first prologue day in Sebring, I'd never been to the track either, so it was a big test, something I had no idea how I'd cope before I went into it, but it was great in the end, the car was mega and the track was tough but really enjoyable. I had also never driven at night before, so for my first time to be at Le Mans was a big experience! Both of those were big challenges for me!

Have there been any surprises in 2022?
I'm quite an emotional person anyway, but honestly, standing on the grid at my first round in Sebring, hearing the national anthem and then the planes fly over the grid just before you are told to start the engines, was a bit of a 'pinch me moment' and one that made me really think, I've really made it.

What’s the gameplan heading to Bahrain?
To win!

Which has been your most rewarding race?
Sebring or Fuji, both for different reasons, Sebring for the fact it was my debut and the longest race I'd ever done prior to that was 2 hours - so to finish 6th in my first endurance race was a really great start to my WEC life. Fuji obviously for our first podium, but the fact I did 3 stints and it was a real fight with the Ferrari, only beating them by over 2 seconds. 

How well do you work with the team and your team-mates?
They are like family to me, really they are. It sounds a bit cliché, but I have to be honest, the team manager Tom Ferrier, is like a father to me, or maybe an older brother... he's been so great to me this year and nurtured me to feel so comfortable that I really feel like part of the team, right from the outset, the mechanics, fuel and tyre guys are also all absolutely amazing, it's rare to have that in racing, and of course all the engineers have been absolutely brilliant. It's another level at TF and I'm so proud to have been a part of it, not only that but my team-mates, Hoshino-San and Fujii-San have been very close to me too - especially in Japan where I was treated like a king! They gave me the opportunity to race in WEC and I will be forever grateful to them. 

What does the future hold for you in WEC?
I'm not sure, it's difficult to say with the new driver gradings in place for next year, I'd love to come back. I have some unfinished business with WEC and especially Le Mans, for me I can't believe that I would never be back again so I really hope that 2023 has something in store. If not, I can honestly say it was the best year of my life and I've never had so much fun.