At the upcoming 86th running of the 24 Hours, André Lotterer will share the wheel of the #1 Rebellion R13-Gibson fielded by Swiss team Rebellion Racing with 2016 Le Mans winner Neel Jani and Bruno Senna. Sunday at Test Day, the non-hybrid prototype clocked the fourth fastest time (3:21:344), 2.2 seconds behind the #8 Toyota TS050 Hybrid. Lotterer - winner at the 24 Hours in 2011, 2012 and 2014 - commented on the performance and recapped the day: "Test Day was quite positive for us. We have a strong car, well-balanced and we didn't encounter any mechanical problems. We collected a lot of data we need to analyze for the race that will help us make some improvements to the car. There were a few interruptions throughout the day which is always annoying because we would have liked to have done more laps, but everyone was in the same boat."

So the Rebellion R13-Gibson seems well-conceived. Its first excursion at the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit satisfied the drivers and the team. Lotterer admits: "There are some areas in which the car needs improvement. We are going to work on fine-tuning it. We still need to understand the behavoir of the tires, then optimize the traction because in certain corners like Mulsanne and Arnage, the level of reacceleration is not perfect yet."

Test Day fostered the first confrontation with the other LMP1 prototypes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit, and Rebellion Racing can be satisfied to be ranked the fastest private team by the end of the day. "We primarily focused on our own performances, but certainly we paid attention to how we compare to our competition. The bulk of our work is done, except tweaking the settings, so it's a done deal," Lotterer explained.

Returning to the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of a non-hybrid prototype this time is an opportunity for André Lotterer to go back to a more fundamental driving style. Describing the differences between a hybrid and non-hybrid prototype, he gave this insight: "Driving a non-hybrid is more sporting than a hybrid. For example, with a hybrid LMP1, there are several systems that prevent the wheels from locking when you brake. That's not the case with a non-hybrid. Resources in terms of power are not the same either. Technically a hybrid LMP1 is more complex, but for the driver, it's easier."

André Lotterer is excited things are about to get real. "I can't wait for the race and I actually think it's pretty fun to be a bit of a rebel. On paper, Toyota has all but won already. We'll see how their race goes. I think it's quite an interesting scenario," he confesses, knowing full well to expect the unexpected at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES DU MANS, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, TEST DAY. After representing Audi then Porsche, André Lotterer has joined Rebellion Racing for the 2018-2019 Super Season of the World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC), including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.