24 Hours of the Nürburgring – Tristan Vautier: “A sick thing”

What memories do you have of your first participation in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring last year?

It was a sick thing (, they laugh. Editor’s note). This was my first year, so I had a lot to learn. I was served well since I had to face all the conditions imaginable, such as driving on slicks in the rain at night or with rain tires on a dry track. During the night, I also passed the area covered in oil that had trapped Romain (Dumas. Editor's note) and which was not reported. The car started to slide but luckily I managed to keep it on the track. I admit it took me a few turns to get over it.

Tenth, was this a result that met your expectations?

This project was set up late and the team (Landgraf Motorsport. Editor's note) was of modest size, so expectations were not necessarily on us. As far as I am concerned, the instruction (de Mercedes. Editor's note) was not to take the car out if I wanted to come back. I kind of felt like I had a lot to lose. I therefore kept some margin because it is a narrow circuit, with very dense traffic and which does not forgive the slightest error. You really have to respect this track, a bit like an oval, even more so when visibility is reduced. But that’s also what makes this race so charming.

What goal do you have this year?

We have a good crew with guys who know the event inside out and the car will be supported by AMG-Performance. Personally, I will try to continue what I built last year. The goal will be to succeed in reaching an additional level…while obviously avoiding making mistakes (, they laugh. Editor’s note). You have to find the right compromise and on this route, it's not necessarily easy and that's where the specialists are very strong.