Juan Manuel Correa: “The next two weeks will be crucial”

Juan Manuel Correa, how are you feeling before your first race of the season with Prema?

I am really impatient ! I've been waiting for this for a while. I had to start the season ELMS several months ago, but my broken foot delayed my start. Yesterday (Wednesday, Editor's note), we did a lot of preparations. I have a lot to learn. I've driven an LM P2 before, but there are new elements to take into account during a race weekend in Endurance, such as driver changes or strategies. Everything went well and I feel calmer before the race.

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When was the last time you moved into LM P2?

It seems to me that it was in… (He thinks) January. So this goes back a certain time and since then I had only driven in Formula 3 (with ART Grand Prix). So I needed a few laps to find the right sensations. I found it to be a car that I adapted to easily, even during my first test last December. I quickly felt comfortable behind the wheel. It was the same feeling yesterday (during private testing) and after a few laps I was already focused on managing the traffic with the cars from the other categories, which is a first for me.

Is it complicated to adapt between car and the prototype?

In terms of riding style, it’s not that difficult. If a driver is efficient in single-seaters, he will also be efficient in LM P2. It's similar in many ways. The complicated part is learning all the procedures and structuring and analyzing all the data that we can receive in endurance and which is different from single-seater racing. 

You are starting your season with Prema while the team is leading the championship and can be titled this weekend. Does this represent additional pressure for you?

In a way, yes. They have done an excellent job from the start. They lead the championship and they are favorites to win it. My main task this weekend will therefore be to do my job, to help them finish what they started. On the other hand, more than the pressure, I'm happy to be here. I hope we can win, do my part and celebrate with them. I couldn't dream of a better team than Prema to make my debut.

You will be accompanied by two very fast teammates this weekend, with Louis Delétraz and Ferdinand Habsburg. Did you interact with them during the season?

Yes, I did tests with Louis in January. I have known him for several years. Ferdinand too, even if I never rode with him. Yesterday they were a big help to me. This is one of the main differences between single-seater and Endurance: in this discipline, the teammates try to help you, because you share the same car, while in the other, the teammates try to beat each other.

Lorenzo (Colombo, who replaced Juan Manuel Correa during the first four rounds. Editor's note) also gave you some advice for this weekend?

We talked during the season, he was also at the winter tests with us. We both come from Formula 3 so we learned LM P2 at the same time. So we have a fairly similar journey. He just told me to be relaxed, have fun and everything will be fine! (Laughs)

In Zandvoort, you scored your first podium in Formula 3 since your accident here. It was a very emotional moment for you, wasn't it?

Yes, it meant a lot to me, but also to my team, my family and all the people who supported me since the day of my accident, who helped me get back into a racing car and resume a career in motorsport. It was really special, I was very happy. My Formula 3 season was harder than I had imagined, with the fracture and other unforeseen events, but it remains a positive year for me.

Is your future in single-seaters or in Endurance?

I don't know. We are at the moment where the decision must be made. The next two weeks will be crucial in this regard. All I can tell you is that I am seriously considering both options. 

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