Romain Dumas (Porsche GT Team): "You always have to be 100% at the 24 Hours of Le Mans."

Why is Porsche so important to you?

"When I was a kid, my father participated in hill climb races at the wheel of Porsches. They weren't ours because we didn't have a lot of money, but my dad was a good driver and Almeras entrusted cars to him. To me, Porsche was the marque of excellence and success. I've always loved the 911s because I've always been drawn to cars that slide, and they were unusual, different from others with incredible sound. When I was given the opportunity to join Porsche, it was an achievement for me as well as for my family."

Of the cars on display at the 24 Hours museum for the "Porsche at Le Mans" exhibition, which would you like to have had a chance to drive?

"The Porsche 962, and if I could have one in my garage, that would be out of this world. That car has marked me the most because it's the one from my childhood. When I watched the 24 Hours of Le Mans on television, those were the cars on the track."

You won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2010 with Audi before winning in 2016 with Porsche. Was the latter victory sweeter?

"Yes, definitely. I remember in 2010 as I was walking to the podium with my teammates, I crossed paths with Hartmut Kristen, the head of Porsche Motorsport, and quickly said I hope one day I'll win with Porsche. The marque had let me race with Audi which was extremely nice and I knew I owed it everything. That's why I really wanted to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Porsche."

Is Porsche's involvement and savoir faire the same in LMGTE Pro as it was in LMP1?

"It's the same level of involvement. You always have to be a 100% at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I think when a major manufacturer like Porsche participates officially in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it's to be successful, otherwise what's the point?"

You have 18 participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans to your credit. Do you still feel a certain amount of stress as race week begins?

"For 18 years now, as soon as I start out on the 672-kilometer trip from Alès to Le Mans, each time the pressure starts mounting and I ask myself the same question, am I going to win the race this year? But since I've been fortunate enough to win it twice, I do feel a bit less stressed."

Do you have any anecdotes about your collaboration with Porsche at the 24 Hours of Le Mans to share with fans?

"In 2001, I took the start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3-RS fielded by Freisinger Motorsport. It helped me get noticed and that's how my involvement with Porsche kicked off. Except, the team had mixed up Dumas and Dumez. They were expecting Sébastien Dumez and instead Romain Dumas showed up. They didn't even know who I was. We finished the race on the second step of the GT class podium. That's one of my craziest memories from the 24 Hours of Le Mans."

The "Porsche at Le Mans" exhibition at the 24 Hours museum is open until 24 February 2019. Come see 16 of the cars in a stunning setting that have helped make Porsche a legend at Le Mans.