Q & A with 24 Hours of Le Mans LMGTE Champion Darren Turner of Aston Martin Racing

Aston Martin works driver and stalwart of the team, Darren Turner, has been racing alongside fellow British driver Jonny Adam and Brazil’s Daniel Serra in the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship. The highlight of the season has undoubtedly been Jonny Adam taking the lead on the last lap to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the team’s one and only victory so far. 

With the FIA World Endurance Championship in Mexico City for Round 5 of 9 of this year’s championship, the FIA caught up with Darren Turner to discuss the season so far, the new FIA GT World Championship, and this weekend’s race which he won in 2016 for the British manufacturer.

Q: Last year you won here in Mexico in LMGTE Pro.  What are your thoughts on returning to Mexico for the second time?

“I loved going to Brazil, Sao Paulo was great but, equally, going to Mexico is a fantastic experience.  The good thing about the FIA World Endurance Championship is the fact we go to some great places around the world. You get to touch a little bit of the culture in each of those countries.

“Because the circuit has a bit of feel of a street circuit, it is very exciting to drive. There is a good combination of corners and it is very technical as well.  The stadium section is wonderful to come into; you come from an area that is surrounded by concrete walls and then it opens up in front of you.  You get the feeling of the crowd and everything else so it is a great way to finish a lap.

“Last year there was mixed weather so we were changing to wets or intermediates during the race.  It was Richie’s (Stanaway) stint when the drizzle came, and he stuck it out on the slicks, that was the turning point.  When it was dry the no95 Aston had the advantage and Nicki (Thiim) was pulling away but the race changed for us when the rain came.  The result put me in the lead of the championship, so it was a good race to win.”

Q: 2017 has seen the GT class become an official FIA World Championship rather than a world cup.  Has this meant any change to how you, as a driver, or the team, approach the races or the season?

“You just want to win the championship, whether it is world or whatever; it is still a championship you want to win.  All it means if you do win it is that you can call yourself a world champion. Maybe it should’ve been a full world championship from the beginning, but it is now and it is fantastic.  The status will only encourage more manufacturers to come and compete in the WEC, so it is a good move.

“It certainly doesn’t change the mentality of the drivers or the teams. We still approach each race the same way as before.”

Q: There are five races left on the 2017 calendar.  Which one are you looking forward to the most?

 “That’s a difficult question because I really enjoy all of them for different reasons.  Mexico is great because, well, it is Mexico, the circuit is fun and challenging. COTA is one of the best modern grand prix tracks there is. The other side is going to Austin, so you get to see a fun part of America, which is great.  Shanghai is completely different from everything else, a good circuit and, on a personal side, the nicest hotel we stay in all year.

“I love going to Japan, I’ve always looked forward to going there.  Fuji hasn’t always been a great circuit for us, it’s difficult because it is low grip and that hasn’t always played into our hands.  Bahrain is the season finale, another nice track, nice people and a great end of season party.

“I can’t pick one circuit as my favourite because they all have something to offer and I am looking forward to them all.”