The German driver missed last year’s race but is now back in the swing of things after test days and now scrutineering.

“I’ve done this before, the scrutineering, and I know what to expect,” Henzler said. “Every year I’m impressed by the crowd. Even at the pre-test there were many people and now at the scrutineering, in downtown Le Mans, there are many people. I know there will be many, many people at the parade. This is something very impressive about Le Mans.

“It’s a beautiful day today and I think the forecast is looking good for the weekend. What more could a driver want? It’s perfect.”

Henzler has the Le Mans scrutineering festivities down to a science, but on a gorgeous day like today he sometimes wishes he was watching from the outside.

“There’s no secret: be here on time or ahead of time,” explains Henzler. “It’s an easy morning for us. There’s no rush and no stress. We do the admin checks, talk to some journalists and then take the group picture. It’s beautiful here though, I wish I could get out and sit in a café, but I have to be in here.”

There’s nowhere else Henzler would rather be come race day than in his Porsche. The start of the race is the moment he treasures most. It is at that moment that ceremonies, crowds and cameras fade away, and all the focus turns to the scoreboard.

“I’m looking forward to the race start the most,” he said. “This is what everybody is working toward. The car is ready and the drivers are focused. I’m looking forward to when the start flag drops. Then, there’s nothing else we can do; the motor is in, the gearbox is in, everything is in, everything is tested, a setup is chosen, then it’s just on the pit crew, the driver and the car.”

With no sound of race engines revving at scrutineering, that moment, June 14 at 15h00 local time, seems very far away from Place de la République.

Erin Cechal / ACO

PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, MONDAY 8 JUNE 2015, SCRUTINEERING.