24h Le Mans
Neel Jani has returned to the Rebellion Racing fold. With teammates André Lotterer and Bruno Senna, his task is to place the Rebellion R13 – Gibson on the Le Mans 24 Hours podium. Although the Swiss driver has his work cut out to achieve that goal, he is thoroughly enjoying his time at the wheel of this new prototype.
On 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day last Sunday, Rebellion Racing positioned itself as the leading privateer team on the grid, coming away with the second and fourth best lap times. For the #1 Rebellion R13 – Gibson steered by Lotterer/Jani/Senna, this was an opportunity for a dry run ahead of the big race and, for Neel Jani, a chance to pinpoint the areas in which the car can still be improved. He gives us his feedback: “I think the basic set up is fine, but we still have a lot of work to do on the brakes and on understanding tyre use. We weren’t fast enough on the straights. Our peak speed was slower than that of our rivals. On the other hand, the car is great in the curves. We still have plenty of questions to answer before the race. That said, it was a positive day.”
The Rebellion R13-Gibson performed very well at Test Day. The new non-hybrid prototype managed to cover no fewer than 1,900 kilometres without the slightest mechanical issue. The Swiss driver remains cautious, nonetheless: “It was a test session, which cannot be compared to a 24-hour race. We didn’t have any mechanical problems at Spa, but I don’t think that means much either. The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans is unlike any other and you can run into issues that you’ve never had to deal with before. To win or perform well at Le Mans, it takes more than just a well-designed car. It’s very difficult to predict what will happen during the race.”
Jani is gearing up for his tenth 24 Hours of Le Mans. After flying the flag for German manufacturer Porsche from 2014 to 2017, he is now taking up a new challenge: placing a privateer team on the podium... possibly even the top step? When we ask him if he enjoys driving the Rebellion R13 – Gibson, he replies with a resounding yes. “I’m very much enjoying this car. It handles incredibly well in the fast curves. It’s fantastic.”
Rebellion Racing will be making the most of the free practice and qualifying sessions in a week’s time to tweak the settings on the two Rebellion R13 – Gibson and, at the same time, show more of car’s potential. One thing is sure – with its ‘zebra’ livery, it’s already caught the spectators’ eyes!
Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES DU MANS, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, TEST DAY. Neel Jani in the #1 Rebellion R13 – Gibson with Swiss team Rebellion Racing.
