You have discovered the LM P2 class this year. What is the car like to drive?

It was a completely new type of car for me. However, as I’d driven the Formula Renault 3.5 and the Renault RS 01 before, this helped me settle in quite quickly. It’s a nice car to drive, really aerodynamic. It has a good engine and, next year, it will be even better with more power. I didn’t take long to feel at home in the car, but driving quickly is another story. At Le Mans, I drove for twelve hours of the 24 and that helped me get to grips with this prototype.

You’re used to sprints. So what do you think of endurance?

That was new too although I had a bit of a taster last year. There were two of us in the Renault RS 01 and I had to share the wheel in the Endurance race. This year, I’m right in the middle of it. Performance and the race itself depend just as much on others as on yourself. It was something I had to get used to, but it wasn’t too difficult. The world of endurance is very different to sprints. There’s a brilliant atmosphere with a great deal of solidarity. The drivers talk to each other, unlike in the sprints, and that’s something I appreciate. I’d love to be able to continue my career in endurance.

You raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in June. How did it go?

I’d never been before – even as a spectator. I had an absolutely crazy week. It was the most incredible experience of my whole life by a long way. I’ve taken part in some super races in some incredible places but the week as Le Mans was just out of this world. I discovered the lot – scrutineering, the parade, the circuit, everything. The penny dropped when I did my first lap. Here I am on the Le Mans track, bombing along at 300 kph in an LM P2, and I’m overtaken by an LM P1! It’s just fantastic!

Were you happy with the result?

On the whole, it wasn’t too bad. Several times, we had trouble with the lights on the side that light up the numbers. Then I had a big scare during the night. I lost control when I hit some oil left by Kevin Estre when the engine went on his Porsche (Porsche Manthey Racing’s #91 991 RSR). That’s what happens when you try and turn the wheel in sixth gear on an oil patch. I crashed into a barrier and thought that the race was over but, in the end, I managed to pit and change the front hood. A bit of an emotional rollercoaster, but it was really enjoyable.

You teamed up with an Olympic champion in Sir Chris Hoy. What is he like as a teammate?

He’s an extraordinary person. A tremendous competitor and a champion. Whenever he puts his helmet on or takes it off, he’s totally focused and puts in an enormous amount of work. He’s also a great human being who thinks of others before himself. He continues to follow the team and is always e-mailing me. I find he’s a very good driver too for someone so inexperienced.

Given his glorious past, is he someone who can give you advice on competing in top-level sport in general?

Yes, I thought I’d be spending time coaching him on his driving and, in actual fact, I ended up learning a lot from him in terms of managing big events like Le Mans, coping with the pressure over the week, and so on. He gave me the impression that he’d already raced at Le Mans five times!