What the Drivers said: Thursday at TOTAL 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
Here’s what some of the drivers had to say ahead of round 7 of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Sébastien Buemi – Toyota Gazoo Racing
“We are happy to be back and we have good memories from here but it might be a completely different weekend to what we are used to in Spa because, since 2013, I have never experienced a wet race here. Some of the privateers this morning seem quite quick so we will see how it all goes.”
André Lotterer – Rebellion Racing
“We did some tests in Aragon so we have a new aero package and other updates under the hood, so it is good to have an evolution and hopefully more performance. We focused on a Le Mans aero package which is more efficient, which is not necessarily what you really need at Spa, but we know that and we should anyway have more performance.”
Maxime Martin – Aston Martin Racing
“We have been improving through the season and learning the Vantage car which is new, and we also have a new tyre manufacturer as well [Michelin]. It is getting better and better.
For me it is always nice to have a race in my home country so we are looking forward to the race. Belgium has had in the past, and still has, some really good drivers at high levels. Racing at Spa in the 6 Hours or even the 24 Hours has produced great Belgian drivers so it is special.”
Kevin Estre – Porsche GT Team
“We will focus on this race in particular and not so much on the championship because there are so many points to take in Le Mans. The GTE manufacturers’ world championship looks very good and I think we just need a clean race to get it which is very nice for Porsche. We had a good race here last year and the pace was good but I think it will be much closer this year between all the manufacturers in class.”
Nicolas Lapierre – Signatech Alpine Matmut
“It is definitely a tough and tight battle this year [in LMP2] and whatever happens here this weekend the title will be decided in Le Mans so it is very exciting. We are leading by a point but I think the consistency has been good for us this season with every race on the podium which is important and we intend to continue like this.
Paul Dalla Lana – Aston Martin Racing
“This is a place we all like to come to and, in my mind, it is one of the reasons I came into racing because it is such a fantastic circuit. So to come here is great because the fans are so knowledgeable and supportive and it is such a great event. This year we are on the backfoot a little so it will be a lot tougher in LMGTE Am than in previous years so I am not sure about winning number five [in class]. But, even just to have won four in a row here at such a tough race, makes us feel very proud.”
