What was your reaction when doing your first laps of the circuit?

"During the first three laps I was asking myself what I was doing there. It is a very special, non-permanent circuit...very bumpy and fast. My first lap was purely recon as there had been no Test Day before the race this year. I figured it was going to be a challenge. Once you let that go, you fall into a rhythm and feel good in the car. After about a dozen laps, I was smiling. I was extremely happy to be there and I've understood the magic of Le Mans."

Did you find any similarities between your F2 and the Rebellion R13-Gibson?

"There are very few similarities between the F2 and the Rebellion. They are quite different to drive. The biggest difference is the endurance of the tyres. The Rebellion is equipped with Michelins with which you can do three to five stints in a row without noticing wear. I'm not used to that. The Rebellion is also faster in fast corners. On the other hand, in slow turns the F2 is lighter, reacts faster and has better mechanical grip."

Your father participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans several times. Did he give you any pointers?

"With nine participations under his belt, I grew up at Le Mans. I was there for his two class wins. I learned about car racing through endurance racing. The magic of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is in my blood and I've always wanted to take the start in the race. When I was offered the opportunity to do so, at 23 and in LMP1, I didn't hesitate. It's an experience that I hope will serve me well in the future. Dad talked to me about the traffic, night driving and that it's an endurance race and not a sprint. He and my teammate Romain Dumas helped me prepare better."

You had the privilege of driving the car during the Hyperpole. How did you feel about that moment?

"The team really put its trust in me. It was clear what we needed to do. We knew the Toyota TS050 Hybrid was faster, so we had to place our car in the top 4 ahead of ByKOLLES Racing's Enso CLM P1/P01-Gibson. My lap was voided because I went over the limits of the track. Despite that, we qualified in the top 4 easily and were quite close to the #8 Toyota. I think I completed my mission. It was an honour to drive on this track without any traffic, with new tyres and unlimited fuel."

What phase of the race did you enjoy the most?

"I drove a lot at night and also got to cross the finish line. I really enjoyed the nighttime driving. You really have to concentrate to manage the traffic properly. During the day it feels like you're going faster. Unfortunately, I hit a hare and it damaged the car bumper. We lost some time, but that's something I'd never experienced before. Overall, it was fantastic."

Was finishing fourth overall in your first 24 Hours of Le Mans satisfying or disappointing?

"To have finished the race is satisfying. This fourth place finish is disappointing because we were really on our way to reaching the podium. Unfortunately, a clutch problem starting at 06:00 lost us a great deal of time. We also had brake troubles. During the last hour, I brushed the wall at Indianapolis and the mechanics repaired the car. Despite that, we were still in the running for third place, but were unable to restart and had to get the car back to the garage and work on the clutch. That made us lose a lot of time as well as the podium. It was very disappointing for the team and my teammates. It was hard to deal with for me as I was in the car, but you have to remember these are things that can happen near the end of the race. I hope to come back as soon as I can and reach the podium."

What are your long-term ambitions in endurance racing?

"I hope you'll see me again at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. That's my goal. I dream of winning this race. Endurance racing is in my future. I've always loved single-seaters, but my goal is to return to endurance racing. I'm very interested in the new Hypercar class. I'm looking for the best way in so I can go after overall wins with big teams."

Delétraz is 23 years old, participating in the F2 World Championship with the Charouz Racing System team, but for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, he joined forces with Nathanaël Berthon and Romain Dumas.