24h Le Mans
Nicolas Lapierre, driver of the #36 Alpine A460-Nissan for Signatech Alpine, has raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans eight times. He tells us about his first time here at the world’s biggest endurance event and his best and worst memories.
Tell us about your first 24 Hours of Le Mans as a driver. “It was in 2007. I didn't know much about the 24 Hours of Le Mans because I was involved in single-seater racing in GP2 at the time. Oreca boss Hugues De Chaunac asked me to race for them. They were entering a Saleen S7-R in the GT1 class. It was a superb experience but difficult at the same time. I had a lot to learn and we weren’t able to do much testing before the race because there was a lot of rain. We finished 16th overall. Even so, I loved the race and have only missed one year since then.”
And what about your first 24 Hours as a spectator? “I’d never been to Le Mans as a spectator before driving there myself. I hadn’t seen it much on TV either because I was so focused on single-seater racing. It was only when I came here and took part that I realised how unique it was, what a beautiful race it is and why it is so popular.”
What is your best memory of the race? “Last year’s LM P2 class win with the Oreca 05 for KCMG has to be my best memory of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
And the worst? “When I went off the track with the Toyota TS040 at the Porsche Curves in 2014. It was then that we lost the race. We had the car and the crew we needed to win. In the end, we finished third. That is my worst memory of Le Mans so far.”
Which teammate has made the biggest impression on you? “I don’t think any one teammate has inspired me more than another. However, I’ve noticed that we all approach the 24 Hours of Le Mans differently. Some of the drivers are more relaxed but others a bit more stressed. Everyone has their own feelings about the Le Mans circuit and the drivers’ approaches are all very different. I’m quite cool myself. I’m well familiar with the track now. I was more stressed when I first started and I found it harder to get some rest. Now, I’m able to take a step back, stay cool and rest when I need to.”
Tell us about the colours and design of your helmet. “There’s no special meaning behind my helmet design. My father designed it when I started kart racing.”
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