"Austin is half forgotten" for Laurens Vanthoor, eager to repeat the feat at Fuji

A few weeks after a rainy triumph in Texas, Laurens Vanthoor arrives at Fuji with his ambitions raised. The most recent winner on the Japanese circuit, the Belgian – partnered with Kevin Estre and Matt Campbell – at Porsche, has already put this victory aside in his mind to concentrate fully on the new 6-hour event that awaits him, in the hope of being able to repeat the performance.

Asked about the significance of the victory in Austin, at a press conference, Laurens Vanthoor said: "I think everyone agrees that Austin was a pretty tough race, but we managed to stay out of trouble. I think we have a really good group in our car and we often execute the race well. That's what we did in Austin as well."

Although he does not hide his pleasure at having won the event after a season marked by disappointments, notably because of this second place in Sarthe, where victory was within reach, Vanthoor refuses to dwell on the past: "It was very nice to take this victory after a difficult season and a failure at Le Mans. But Austin is already the last race, it's already half forgotten, the season continues. I hope we can continue this trend, from Austin to Fuji, for this weekend."

Reproduce the feat at Fuji

The challenge will be completely different on the Fuji track, although Porsche has a rather glorious past in the Japanese event. "I think we've always been strong here since we first came with the Porsche 963. We've always been on the podium and we won last year. This year might be a little more difficult, but it's good to be here."

The unpredictable weather does not frighten the pilot, who appreciates the technical specificities of the route: “It’s a unique track in a way, especially the last sector. But, since the first time I came here, I’ve enjoyed driving here. There’s a certain flow, you have to be patient with the car. I felt comfortable here immediately. I always enjoy being here in Japan.” I think, like any motorsport enthusiast, we always really enjoy being here."

The #6 team, a solid leader at Porsche, is therefore one of the favorites on this circuit, but nothing is ever decided. Behind, still at Porsche, the #5 will benefit from the return of Mathieu Jaminet, who will replace Michael Christensen. The fight against Toyota, who have dominated most of their home rounds since 2016, are set to be tough.

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