Getting to know André Lotterer...

Everyone knows the qualities of drivers Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer, the three winners of the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans, but we get to know the men who wear helmet and the suit. The trio answered the same set of questions. Let's start with the German André Lotterer, who is possibly the least known of the trio in Europe due to his expatriation to Japan.

André, what is your favourite road car?

"Without a doubt the Audi TT RS with the 5-cylinder engine. The sound  of it beats a V10 and it drives like a kart. I had one for a year in Tokyo and it  became like a drug. My father had a team that ran it in circuit and rally and the sound reminds me of the Audi quattro which were in the garage of the team. It was my favourite toy! "

What is your favourite circuit?

"Suzuka because it is the temple of speed. It has a series of quick turns, uphill and downhill. With a Formula Nippon, we reached speeds of an F1 and it had a real sensation of speed. At the end of winter, when I got back at the wheel of a Formula Nippon for the first time at Suzuka.I like Le Mans and Spa as well, but they have a much more flowing layout than Suzuka."

What is your favourite race?

"Le Mans. It's a bit of a 24 hours sprint. At the Nurburgring, after two stints you get tired while at Le Mans, you can do multiple stints and keep up the pace. "

What job did you want to do when you were a boy?

"From the age of five or six years, I knew I wanted to be a Formula 1 racing driver. I bathe in the middle of motorsports since my childhood, so I know it. If I could not be a pilot, I would have loved to become a car designer. When I was younger, I was doing a lot in drawing and I loved drawing cars. "

Did you have an idol?

"Ayrton Senna because of his charisma. He truly represented the perfect driver. "

What kind of music do you listen to?

"I'm pretty open, but I do not like extremes. I like soft rock, rap and soft house to dance. "

What is your favourite film?

"Truth in 24 (the Le Mans film of Audi)! We have been the actors and we can show off to friends! Seriously, Dikkenek, a Belgian comedy I watch three or four times a year and with Benoit (Treluyer), it does not go a day without one of us does not quote a line from the movie."

Interview by Cécile Bonardel

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HEURES DU MANS, THURSDAY 14TH JUNE 2012.