What was missing last season for you to claim the FIA WEC title?
Darren Turner: Well I think we did have everything there. We were just unfortunate with a couple of reliability issues. At Le Mans - a race where there’s double points - we were challenging for the lead for 17 or 18 hours of the race so we had a competitive car, and then we just had a small issue. At Le Mans, one small issue that costs you five or ten minutes in the pits is enough to take you out of any contention of getting some big points. After Le Mans, we were always playing catch-up and we just didn’t have enough races left. We obviously had some success, and some race wins as well [at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and Interlagos in Brazil], but just not enough races to gain on those points lost at Le Mans. It really does show how your whole season can be determined by what happens at Le Mans.

What have you modified on the car this winter?
DT: Lots of little things but, when you’re pushing the cars to the limits that we’re all pushing it - Aston Martin, Porsche, Ferrari, and Corvette when they join us at Le Mans - you need to be out there testing five days a week every week to find all the limits, and that’s not possible. We’re a small team. We do as much testing as we can achieve. It’s a case of the little areas that we need more time with. We had those extra races at the end of the season and we’ve been out in Daytona and Sebring. All of the things that needed to be tested have been tested before the season started. They are small detail parts that are probably just on the limit of what they can do over a 24-hour race. The guys have worked very hard over the winter to make sure that we’re just this side of the sort of area we need to be with regard to reliability.

You have been unlucky in Le Mans for the last two years…
DT: Yes! Last year, we had the power steering issue and the year before, up until the last hour, we were neck-and-neck with the Porsche. The rain came and at the last pit stop, the front splitter was becoming loose. So the team made the right choice and made sure the splitter was secure for the remaining hour of the race. So it’s just small things like that. The good thing is the Aston Martin has always been competitive at Le Mans.

What are your expectations for Le Mans this year?
DT: Le Mans is a titanic battle between the four manufacturers, and the drivers. I think it’s going to be one of those races that’s going to go all the way down to the wire. It will be a lot of fun, a lot of pressure and a great spectacle for the fans.

Will you have your new colours at the 24 Hours of Le Mans like at the 6 Hours of Silverstone?
DT: For Silverstone and for Austin, the 97 is in the [red and yellow] Hanergy colours, but then we revert back to Gulf. It’s good that we’ve got some bigger new sponsors on the team along with the existing sponsors. It’s a bit more colour in the squad and, for sure, we stand out!

David Bristol / ACO

Photo credit: Arnaud Cornilleau / ACO

PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SATURDAY 31 MAY 2014. Darren Turner is hoping to clinch the LM GTE Pro title this year at Le Mans.