When did you first see the Le Mans 24-Hour circuit?
I first came to Le Mans in 2010. I’d got a Paddock Pass and spent 24 hours discovering the special atmosphere and the spirit of the race. I was all alone and knew no-one at all, but really wanted to come as a spectator. As I’d come from the VdeV championship and was still rather inexperienced, I was bowled over by the paddock and the enormous structures of some teams. While I was there, I bumped into Pegasus Racing’s David Zollinger, who was reigning VdeV champion at the time. I was like a kid! It was quite a lot of fun to discover Le Mans on my own.

Did you have any idea at the time that you would be racing here yourself one day?
The idea of actually competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans came about gradually. When I started racing in 2009, I really didn’t have the required level. My performances were not up to scratch and I had limited experience, so I focused on learning the ropes in VdeV, race by race. My aim was just to do the best I could. Finding out what it took to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans never crossed my mind. And then, as the years went by, I started taking a greater interest and saw that many VdeV drivers took part. That’s when it became an ambition. VdeV is a good practice ground as it gets us used to endurance with long races (six to twelve hours), and also encourages us to think strategy.

Won’t it be a long wait until June?
I’m really looking forward to the 24 Hours. It’s such a legendary race and I want to experience it from the inside. My family and friends keep asking if the stress is getting to me but it’s not, I’m just excited!

How are you preparing for the race and the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) season?
At the moment, I’m doing two to three hours of exercise a day with a cardio and weight training programme so that I’ll be physically fit and ready. As far as the 24 Hours of Le Mans in particular are concerned, I’m watching and learning from videos filmed with onboard cameras in LM P2. I have my simulator session (mandatory for Le Mans rookies) lined up for 5 April and I’m also training on a simulator with my fitness coach.

Are you a little apprehensive about the traffic on the track?
That’s what frightens me the most about Le Mans. Everyone talks to me about the high speeds and the corresponding danger, but I’m not afraid of that. Traffic management however is clearly a matter of concern, although I’ve had the chance to compete in races involving different levels which means that you have to keep your wits about you, look all around, overtake safely and so on. For the moment, I have only done one race where prototypes run alongside GTs. By the time June comes around, I’ll have had an opportunity to learn with the ELMS Prologue at the end of March, and then the two races at Silverstone and Imola, and not forgetting the Test Day of course.

 

Très fière de de courir aux @24heuresdumans avec Pegasus Racing en #MorganLMP2 https://t.co/cozfhUW4Po #racing pic.twitter.com/HP1VLtLoWv

— Inès Taittinger (@InesTaittinger) February 8, 2016

 

Do you feel that 2016 is the right time for you, that you now have enough experience and the performance level required to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
Yes. I had already been in contact with Pegasus Racing last year but I couldn’t get the budget together that would have allowed me to take part. In the end, it’s not a bad thing as I’ve managed to make even further progress over the last year and I now feel that the time is right. I’m not looking to win, but I want to do things properly and finish the races.

Have you set yourself a target time for Le Mans?
No. I want to qualify first and feel at home in the car. As a rookie, I can’t set myself a target.

I have to ask the inevitable question about being a woman in motorsport and the fact that this brings you more media coverage. In your view, though, is what happens out on the track more important than what appears in the press?
I don’t want to be an ambassador for women or a spokesperson for feminism in a male environment. Performance is what matters most to me. Of course, it puts me in the spotlight and arouses curiosity. But, as I said, the important thing is my performance. I look at other women drivers and have a lot of respect in particular for Vanina Ickx who raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans seven times. I’m about to do it for the first time and hope that, one day, I’ll be able to boast a similar track record.

Geoffroy Barre
Translated from French by David Goward

Photo: Inès Taittinger is the only woman driver confirmed so far on the 24 Hours of Le Mans start list in 2016. The race’s last female competitor was Natacha Gachnang who claimed a a fine fifth place in LM P2 with Morand Racing in 2013.