24h Le Mans
Nicolas Schatz, seven-time Champion de France de la Montagne between 2010 and 2016, decided to switch disciplines this year by taking part in the European Le Mans Series in the LM P3 class at the wheel of Duqueine Engineering's #7 Ligier JS P3.
You are a multiple Champion de France de la Montagne (hillclimb race). What has compelled you to try endurance racing?
"I started out in hillclimbs because that's what was available in terms of funding and time. Meanwhile, endurance racing has always excited me, I've followed everything having to with the 24 Hours of Le Mans for a long while now. Two years ago, I did some sprint races and some rounds in national endurance championships. I had a great time. Outside of motorsports, I did some testing sessions for a magazine ("Echappement," Ed.) and come to find out it's the same car I am driving this year. It's the starting point of my shared adventure with Duqueine Enginneering. I never thought this type of championship would one day be an option for me. I am debuting in the ELMS and am approaching it with a great deal of humility. I have everything to learn even though I have motorsports experience. I just did my first laps at the Silverstone circuit, I am a happy and fulfilled man."
Is there a huge difference between a hillclimb prototype and an LM P3?
"Hillclimb racing cars are a bit lighter and have tire grip that is pretty incredible. We start out with cold tires for 6-7 kilometers, around 10 minutes. It's a completely different undertaking and there is no traffic management. You have to be daring, you only do the climb a few times. At a circuit, you have to know how to maximize 95% of the chassis potential whereas in a hillclimb, it's more like 70%. I need to run the car to get a feel for this LM P3 because it has 18-inch tires with very low walls, which makes it very efficient. In hillclimbs, I've always driven CN prototypes with 13-inch tires. I'm having a little trouble finding my marks, particularly in the fast turns like Becketts/Maggotts at Silverstone. I just need to run the car in order to gain confidence. On the other hand, the power doesn't bother me at all since hillclimb prototypes have even more."
What are your goals for this 2017 season?
"To learn! I'm a newcomer, I can't really have any other objectives. I also need to get to know the other circuits like Monza since I was unable to take part in the official testing sessions a couple of weeks."
Will you continue to race in the Montagne hillclimb race?
"It's a good question but no, it will not be possible. We are after all in a very professional and serious championship. I want to do things the right way. I need to stay focused."
Is your ultimate dream to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
"Le Mans is a dream all the drivers here share. And I'm one of them, I think about it. It's not one of my goals for the near future. For now, I'm staying clearly focused. First the ELMS, for other projects we'll see. For me, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a payoff. If one day I'm on the starting grid, I'll tell myself I've been doing motorsports for more than 15 years, I'm with a professional team whereas I'd always raced with an amateur team. Here, my eyes are wide open in the paddock, filled with stars."
Photo: Copyright - VSA
