Tom Van Rompuy ready for the challenge of Le Mans: “I lost 30 kg! »

He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and is smileier than a toothpaste salesman. But who is this Belgian who discovered the magic of the double clock tower in Sarthe precisely twelve months ago?

“Like many kids, I started with karting at 8 years old. But without ever having the ambition to go Formula 1 », he says. “In the years that followed, I was never tempted by the different echelons of the car. As an adult, I had fun in events reserved for GT and Touring cars. In 2021, I joined the DKR team in ELMS. First with an LMP3. I also had the chance to be part of a Belgian-Belgian crew last year, still with DKR, where I rubbed shoulders with the experienced Maxime Martin and the rookie, like me, Ugo de Wilde. »

An experience where Tom Van Rompuy blew hot and cold. Perhaps you remember this car stopped in the pits (alternator failure) as the pack set off. Subsequently, a crash with a Glickenhaus caused a one-hour pit stop. “We were not discouraged”, specifies the Belgian. “And we did well: a 3rd place in Pro-Am and 32nd in the general classification rewarded our pugnacity. »

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Beyond this performance, Tom Van Rompuy has also nicely changed his approach to the race... From a dilettante or even epicurean pilot, he has become a keen athlete with the profile of a marathon runner.

“When I sat in the seat of an LMP2 for the first time, my curves didn't allow me to sit all the way down in the seat. I was just landing on it. There, I told myself that I would not have the opportunity to drive this type of car ten times in my career. I decided to completely change my lifestyle. At first, a coach helped me with training while I radically changed my diet. I have become completely addicted to exercise and when I eat a hamburger, I immediately want to burn the unnecessary calories I just absorbed. Today, I lost 30 kg and I feel much better in my pumps. It is true that I impose six sports sessions per week on myself. They vary from 90 minutes to three hours. »

Alongside this profile which better corresponds to the modern driver, Tom Van Rompuy began looking for a steering wheel for the entire season. “Maxime Martin advised me to apply for the role of bronze driver on a WRT LMGT3. Apparently, the trial session to which I was invited was successful. But Vincent Vosse's team took a while to get back to me. That's when a Corvette manager called me to offer me the championship WEC »

With a humility that we are hardly accustomed to in this environment, Van Rompuy specifies: “I’m not paid to do the job. I still have to bring a budget but the amount is no longer very large. I hope to extend the experience at this level next year while paying even less. »

After complicated qualifying, Tom hopes to come back over the hours in the Sarthe double clock tower. “It took us a while to find the right set-up”, he says. “Which relegated us far down the grid. But we are confident. The last free practice session (Thursday evening after the hyperpole, Editor's note) allowed us to achieve the 6th time. A good omen for the race. »

For these 24 Hours, Tom Van Rompuy will be able to count on the precious help of a Belgian driver who knows Le Mans like his pocket. Marc Goossens will be the official sportsman of Antwerp.

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