WEC

Montoya: “Surprised by the pleasure he had” on the Le Mans circuit

Arriving at 8 a.m. at Le Mans (Sarthe) for the Test Day, after having competed in the Imsa in Detroit (Michigan) the day before, the 42-year-old Colombian discovered a new circuit, a new car and a new team while relaxation.

Published on 09/06/2018 à 12:37

Bernard

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Montoya: “Surprised by the pleasure he had” on the Le Mans circuit

>>> The complete 100-page guide to 24 Hours of Le Mans is still available on newsstands as well as in digital version ! <<

Juan Pablo Montoya will be one of the debutants for the next 24 Hours of Le Mans (Sarthe, June 16-17). The double winner of the Indianapolis 500 (2000 and 2015) is tackling this new challenge with the United Autosports team in LM P2. On board the Ligier JS P217-Gibson, the former pilot of Formula 1 finished the Test Day in 14th place in LM P2, five seconds behind the best time set by Dragonspeed's Oreca 07.

What did you think of this circuit?

I didn't really know what to expect, even though I had been able to do a bit of simulator work in Miami (Florida). But I admit to having been surprised by the pleasure taken and how demanding this route is. It's not easy, because there are a lot of bumps, small details to know...

 

 

It's very different from Daytona, which is a place where you can drive in the same tenth over and over again. Here, it's impossible. In the Indianapolis curve, for example, I'm really lucky not to have made a mistake. This slight right turn encourages you to go into it harder, harder and harder again.

I brake much later than all my teammates. Wow… You go there, the car doesn't move and so you tell yourself that you can do even better! (…) And if you negotiate it well, it is complicated to remember, on the next lap, what you had done as there are so many turns.

Is the Ligier JS P217 very different from the Acura ARX-05 you have in Imsa ?

Yes. The sensations are very different and the traction control does not really work (the electronic system is free in Imsa. Editor's note)so much so that it almost makes you want to disconnect it. For the last six months, I've driven hard on the accelerator without asking too many questions.

Here, you have to be more careful. And then, I'm sitting on the other side of the cockpit, so my visibility to the right is poor, unlike my visibility on the left. But I got used to it quickly, it was less of a problem than I expected.

 

Is the traffic, with much faster LM P1s, complicated to manage?

Not that much. The commissioners do an incredible job. Honestly, I was blown away by how everything is organized. Everything is very clear, it's fantastic. I did F1 for six years and I hadn't benefited from that. The yellow flags, the slow zones, it's really impressive.

Find the full interview as well as all the news from the 24 Hours of Le Mans in issue 2168 of AUTOhebdo, available on newsstands and in digital version.

 

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