24h Le Mans
In Team Rocket Zansho's #23 car in the LMP class, Jenson Button has joined forces with esports specialists Jan von der Heyde and Matt Richards, as well as driver Alex Buncombe (Chris' brother) typically associated in endurance racing with the F1 world champion. With the Buncombes, it's all about motorsport. Naturally during the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, Chris is encouraging his brother, seated at the wheel of his simulator in the family home. Enjoy this interview after the first virtual stint conducted by another expert...of dance, Chris' girlfriend Emmanuelle Berne, known for her performances in Dancing with the Stars. She hopes to join him in Le Mans soon!
2007 24 Hours LMP2 winner Chris Buncombe (age 41) admits that gaming is not his forté. The same cannot be said of his brother, Alex (age 38), who is very comfortable at the wheel of a simulator, though he did do Le Mans in 2015 in a Nissan LMP1. For the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, Alex was recruited by Team Rocket Zansho to share its #23 LMP2 with F1 world champion Jenson Button (a childhood friend of the Buncombe family) and two esports experts, von der Heyde and Richards. "Given the rule of four drivers with a maximum of two sim racers, it was better to take Alex to try for a good result," admits Chris Buncombe. "It definitely makes me want to do the 24 Hours of Le Mans again. My last participation nine years ago ended in a withdrawal so I want to go back, and add a new Le Mans participation to my CV." During this 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, Chris is basically camping out next to his brother's simulator in the family home. "I've taken on the role of his nutritionist, bringing him coffee and cookies. And I'm cheering him on during each of his stints."
Getting out of his simulator after his first virtual stint at Le Mans, Alex says: "I feel a lot of stress mentally. Real life in the car is much more physical, but the virtual world requires a great deal of concentration and you're constantly looking at the screens. I will be doing long stints, triple and quadruple, and I'll rest when my teammates take their turns at the wheel. It's exciting, you want to look everywhere but you have to stay relaxed. I also can't refer back to my normal experiences at the wheel of a Bentley because driving a virtual LMP2 is not at all the same. The grip, the speed, it's all different. I have to ignore my usual reflexes."
Jenson Button's team, in 14th position shortly after 21:00, has established a strategy in which it will "deploy" its sim racers at opportune moments to gain time. "The 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual is a great opportunity to join Jenson Button, whom I've known since childhood. To participate in such an event together is fantastic. After that, it's like any other race, real or virtual, in that you have to avoid mistakes and be consisent," explains Alex.
