“For the factory return to Le Mans of Porsche”, says French driver aged 45, “they wanted to create a small event through the Carrera Cup France, entering a car in the same colour as the 911 GT1 that won in 98, with the same race number, running with the same engineer (Roland Kussmaul. Ed), etc.. And then there was my son aged 14 who wanted to see me race because he was only five years old when I quit! "

Although the proposal was tempting, it needed a little time to think about it. "I asked to do some testing to see if I could be on the pace, at least not too far off”, he said. “It was on the Circuit Vigeant, with the Jack Leconte's team (Larbre competition. Ed). I also requested the presence of a current driver to calibrate my performance, and that was Gaël Castelli (Champion Carrera Cup France 2013. Ed). It was only after that when I finally said yes! "

Today, although apprehension is there, it doesn't spoil the enjoyment of a weekend back on track. "To return to motorsport in the context of Le Mans is really special”, he said. “I'm a little surprised, and very flattered, by the warm welcome of the fans! "

They have probably not forgotten that he was one of the most talented French drivers of his generation. "I do not have the pressure of getting the result, it is just for fun. The most important thing is to have a good time. I wanted to reward this friendly approach by Porsche. To be associated with the official return to Le Mans is an honour!" Now the question is, if the racing bug will bite, and if he is going to win again...