It isn't necessarily easy to leave a family like Audi and join another. How were you able to adapt?

I would be lying if I said all it takes is a snap of the fingers to erase seven fantastic years with Audi, but things are going as well as possible nonetheless. The past is still the recent past, but the people at Porsche are attentive and are doing everything to make my job easier. It's the same championship, nearly the same environment, but there are still some things that require adapting to. What is very positive is that I'm starting to feel more and more at home with every new event with the team. I am thrilled to be here at the Prologue working with my team for the first time. In the private testing sessions, everyone is sort of all over the place and it makes things a bit harder. To run with Porsche is something I always had in me, so I am ecstatic!

Is there a certain way of learning things at Porsche?

It's still a little too early for me to answer that question, even though I've noticed a few interesting differences. For example, as a company, Audi is bigger than Porsche, but the opposite is true in terms of name!

How long does it take to feel comfortable in a new team?

It all depends on the circumstances! With Audi, it didn't take long at all because we got results right away. We won at Le Mans in the second year and we quickly found our stride with Benoît (Tréluyer) and Marcel (Fässler). Also with Audi the three of us arrived at the same time whereas here I came on all by myself! We grew up together at the same pace and it helped us a great deal. Here, I'm the little newcomer and it's up to me to find my place and hit my marks.

Is winning really the glue that binds a team together?  

It depends on the players but for me, yes! Motorsprots is a pretty tough world wherein only winning counts. When you get there, you feel better. I hope that will happen as soon as possible.

Since you had raced with the same teammates as far back as 2009, is it a challenge to share the wheel with two relative strangers?

Let's just say it's one of the big challenges! It's not obvious, but it's definitely something that has to be dealt with. You have to form a trio. We have to be like brothers. I hope it will happen organically with Neel (Jani, Ed.) and Nick (Tandy, Ed.) because it needs to feel natural. If you force it, it doesn't work! It'll come with time.

Is not feeling as close to one's teammates easier at a certain level? Emotions don't run as high…

No, because it's more fun and motivating to make the journey with your brothers. The notion of sharing is important in endurance racing! For me, knowning I was surrounded by brothers I could count on was extremely important. Ben (Tréluyer, Ed.) is really like a big brother. To live through that adventure the three of us gave us a crazy amount of energy. A force to be reckoned with! We managed to keep our egos out of it, and when one of us was having a bad day, the other two made up for it. So in the end no one ever noticed a thing. That is impossible to translate to performance level, but it's there.

What do you expect from your teammates?

That they don't cheat! Be who they are, strengths and weakenesses alike. If they're here, it's not by accident. They answer to the basic criteria, and the rest is up to us to develop together.

Has the excitement of starting something already begun to cause some of the wonderful memories to fade?

There again, it depends on the situation. Sometimes I think so, others I don't! It is truly extraordinary to be able to race with Porsche at Le Mans. It's legendary! It's like being an Italian driver competing in the Grand Prix of Monza at the wheel of a Ferrari!      

Photo: Copyright - Vision Sport Agency/ACO