"Porsche and us are very close. Toyota is a little behind, but not by a lot. For now, I am holding on to the hierarchy from Test Day, but I think the race will be quite tight," observes André Lotterer, who knows this hierarchy is not definitive. "I just want us to be ahead of the others at the finish (laughs). The art of Le Mans is to find the limit and reach 100% optimization in all areas, without exceeding that. This year we have a better hybrid system, which is good for traffic management. We need to learn how to use this extra power, which changes the overtaking speeds."

At 34 years old, Lotterer is seeking a fourth victory. It was at that age that Tom Kristensen scored his fourth win (in 2002 with Audi Sport Team Joest in an Audi R8), and now he has nine. Can Lotterer follow in his footsteps? "I approach this race with respect and humility. You have to consider it like it's the first time, as if you'd never won it, because you may not ever again! It's not because I've already done it that I have a better chance than the others. It's a gift to have won already three times, but that doesn't mean I'm going to become the next Tom Kristensen or Jacky Ickx. It's true I like to be the fastest, and I enjoy seeing that I am more often than others! But that's true for all drivers."

In 2015, Lotterer beat the lap record, all configurations included, in 3:17.475. Will it possible to do better this weekend? "I think it will be hard to improve upon the lap record during the race. The regulations have taken some of our power. The team has worked to compensate for that, like we do all the time. I think during the race it will be feasible to complete a lap in three minutes and 19 seconds, maybe three minutes and 18 seconds, but it won't be easy to do better than that. I have a hard time judging the limits of the track and our new car. What's for sure is that we will be under three minutes and 20 seconds. The balance of the car is good. We optimized the chassis, and the aerodynamics engineers have done major work so the car keeps its momentum taking on a curve, without too much drag."

Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

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