How did it feel to clinch your first pole position at the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
It was a great feeling, there’s something really special about a pole position at Le Mans. And on top of the pole position, I set a new lap record. I might be able to keep it for a few years, depending on whether or not the rules change. All that takes on a whole new dimension because I did it with Porsche and we all know Porsche’s record at Le Mans.
 

What can you say about the race now that it’s a few months away?
You saw what happened. Look at car #19: everything went well. Car #17, they had a few little ups and downs and they lost it immediately but you know, they were there. That shows that one little thing can make a big difference. You lose one tenth on each corner, or even half a tenth on each corner and you’ll be four laps behind at the end of the race. That’s how tough it is nowadays. And [we had] balance and especially brake issues so we could not brake late. As soon as we braked late we went off. That was our biggest problem and we knew we had no chance to win. We tried to hang on. In the night it got even more difficult for our motivation. It was hard because in the night we were 2-3 seconds too slow and knowing that was tough, for sure, especially knowing that we [had the potential to] go a lot quicker but it was just not possible.
 

Why didn’t you pit to fix your brake problem?
We knew exactly what the problems were on the #18. During the race it didn’t make sense to stop in the garage to solve the problem because we would have lost more time than staying out. So we just stayed in the race and we finished it. We didn't really have a technical issue in Le Mans because we didn’t have to stop, we kept running, we just missed three or four little things coming together and it’s just enough not to be there, four laps behind. That proves the competitiveness nowadays, you don’t even need to have a technical problem, you just need certain things that aren’t perfectly adjusted and you’re gone.
 

You’ve been with Porsche for a long time now. You’ve worked hard to improve the car. Was it frustrating to see three drivers fly in and take the Le Mans 24 Hours trophy from under your nose or did team spirit take over?
For Porsche it was great. For us, it was also great because we now know that the car was good enough to win. On the other hand, for sure it’s frustrating for us. Not because the others won but knowing that the car is good enough but we didn’t have the luck you need in such a race.
 

You did some tests in Barcelona between Le Mans and Nürburgring. What did you work on and how do you see the rest of the season?
After the tests in Barcelona, with our new aero kit, we knew we had something good up our sleeves. Porsche did a mega job on the kit and we are now much more competitive so I’m confident.
 

How have the races gone since Le Mans?
In Germany my first stint still was a dream. But then we lost a race win because of the penalties. Then in Austin we had a problem with the electronics. For us, [Fuji] was the first race since Silverstone without any problems. The car was good, the strategy worked out, my teammates were top. We had a lead of over one minute, but with the problems in earlier races we had lost our chances for the championship. So we handed today’s win over to our sister car. Of course it hurts, but I try think with the part of me that is Indian, and like to believe there will be another opportunity and the karma will be with me.

David Bristol / ACO — Translated from French by Emma Paulay
Some quotes courtesy of Porsche press releases.

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE, LE MANS 24 HOURS, MONDAY 8 JUNE 2015, SCRUTINEERING. Neel Jani clinched pole position at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year.