The tall figure of German Jörg Bergmeister is no stranger to North America, being a five-time American Le Mans Series Champion. However, he will be making his debut in South America’s 4th round of the FIA WEC in São Paulo on 1st September.
After finishing 2nd behind his Porsche AG Team Manthey 911 RSR team mates in LMGTE Pro at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Bergmeister and Patrick Pilet will be hoping to re-balance the results sheet in their favour at Interlagos.
1. How have you kept race fit during the summer?
“I’ve done some testing and I contested the Spa 24 hour race – that keeps me from getting rusty. Then, of course, I stuck to my regular exercise programme and also did a lot of mountain biking around home. If time permitted, I went karting with some friends just for a change.”
2. Which track are you most looking forward to during the second half of the WEC season?
“With the exception of Fuji, they are all new to me. Most of all I’m looking forward to São Paulo and Austin. They looked very interesting from what I saw of these circuits in Formula 1 TV broadcasts.”
3. With five races on three continents in the next few months, how do you cope with the travelling and jet lag?
“I don’t have any problems. For the last twelve years I’ve contested the American Le Mans Series and the travelling was much tougher. But I’m good at adjusting quickly.”
4. What is the best thing about racing at São Paulo?
“As I mentioned before, this is my first time in Brazil. But driver colleagues have told me many very positive things about the track. I really enjoy tackling new challenges. São Paulo will undoubtedly be a very interesting experience.”
Fiona Miller
