Sébastien Bourdais: “There’s going to be a big fight”

Le Mans Did you miss him last year?
Le Mans, in Endurance, it is the Holy Grail. Even more so for me who is from Sarthois. So obviously, I missed it. I started watching the race from home, but I quickly stopped because it was not an interesting edition for us (Ford Chip Ganassi. Editor's note) because the Balance of Performance was clearly not in our favor .

The fact that, at the start of the season, the Ford GT won the 24 Hours of Daytona (Florida) et the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), opening sleevesIMSA and WEC, doesn't it give you hope?
These are very different circuits from that of Le Mans, and above all, we must not forget that the Le Mans BoP is specific.

Was this victory in GTE Pro in 2016 a great moment in your career?
Yes, because it remains a category victory. And my role as “water carrier” (he does not play the entire season unlike his teammates Dirk Muller and Joey Hand, who are rampant in IMSA. Editor’s note) is not always easy. But the important thing is not to make any mistakes and God knows I could have made some since I found myself without electronics, without a dashboard, without a pit limit and without a radio.

But I never hid that Le Mans will remain heartbreaking until I am offered a new opportunity – if it shows up one day, to win it overall.

The big manufacturers have deserted LM P1. Is GTE Pro the category to watch this year?
The big fight between manufacturers will be in GTE Pro. There's going to be a big fight between the six of us (Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Porsche and Ford), that's for sure.

>>> Find the complete interview in issue 2166 of AUTOhebdo special Guide to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, on sale in digital version and on newsstands. <<