SURVIVING LE MANS
Le Mans is the toughest endurance race in the world. Not just for the cars that race flat-out for 24 hours,
but for the people who are part of the team. Let’s talk to the Nissan NISMO team about its unique
challenges, what makes it magical and what they’ll be doing during those all-important 24 hours.
Q1: What’s the hardest thing about Le Mans?
Ben Bowlby: The race is emotionally tricky. The scale of it can overwhelm you. We’ve hired experienced
people and done our best to avoid the pitfalls, but there still will be things that we don’t understand as well as those who have been racing at Le Mans for many years. Of course there’s also the fatigue element of a 24 hour race, but I have to tell you after designing, building and developing a car from scratch in less than a
year it’ll be relaxing. I’m joking, of course, but our guys have worked unbelievably hard - often to the point
of total exhaustion. Still, if they haven’t broken yet, they never will!
Darren Cox: Everyone thinks it’s the Le Mans 24 Hours, but it’s actually the Le Mans 365 Days. It’s non-stop.
In fact we’ve already started working on next year’s car before this year’s race has started. It’s an endurance race in every sense of the word.
Jann Mardenborough: You might think the hardest thing for the driver is the driving, but I think organizing
the limited spare time that you have and conserving your energy until you have to get in the car is the real
trick. It’s such a long week. You arrive on the Saturday, but not much happens until the Wednesday, and
then it all goes berserk from Thursday onwards! The first year I did Le Mans I didn’t manage my time very well at all. I was really enjoying it all, but then come Friday I was like, “Man, I’m pretty tired already!” This year’s going to be pretty full on, but I’ve now got the experience to know how to pace myself.
Q2: What’s the best bit about Le Mans?
Ben Bowlby: The best thing for me is we’re competing in the race that we all care about the most. We’ve built a car and set up a team with Le Mans as our focus. With Japanese and American and British and
European members, we’re a far-flung family, but we’re a tight group with a lot of faith in each other. That’s very exciting in itself. This year is going to be a steep learning curve, no question, but we’re ready for the fight.
Darren Cox: The start. Absolutely, the start. There’s nothing else like it. The reason I say that is twofold. As
a member of the team it provides a welcome release of pressure - albeit a temporary one - but as a race
fan it’s when the scale of the race hits you. It’s the only time you hear that cacophony of noise between the two grandstands as all 56 cars race as one. It’s an annual reminder why we do it, why we love it, and why no sooner has the race ended we look forward to coming back next year.
Jann Mardenborough: Driving at night. It’s the best bit about any 24 hour race, but especially at Le Mans.
It’s ace. You see sparks, you see flames, you see glowing discs. Watching road signs flash by at 200mph is just fantastic. Easily the best experience in racing. I love it.
Q3: How will you spend the race?
Ben Bowlby: You might expect me to be on the pitwall, but we don’t actually plan to have anyone out there. Our race will be run from the garage. We have three cars, each with its own dedicated team, and
there will be a nucleus of management - of which I will be part - who will coordinate the electronics, the
simulation, the race strategy and the engineering. We’ll pool everything we’re learning from all the cars and share the information, so our plan is to have all of our cars running with common knowledge so that
we can reduce risk and accelerate our learning in this critical phase.
Darren Cox: It can be pretty chaotic at Le Mans, so my primary job during race week is to shield the race
team from any outside distractions. I’ll be at the circuit roughly two and a half weeks before the race starts, and I won’t go home until the day after the race finishes. As well as providing “air cover” for the Race
Team, I’ll try and make sure that Nissan’s guests, fans and the media are well looked and informed about what we are doing, and I’ll try and keep an eye on how the drivers are coping with the pressures of the week. You never know, I might even see some racing!
Jann Mardenborough: If I’m starting the race I’ll have to be at track early for warm-up on Saturday
morning. Last year I was up at 5am. It’s weird because only the drivers who are starting have to get there that early. The other guys are still in bed!
The build-up to the race takes ages. All the cars are lined-up along the pitwall; you have national anthems,
etc., so you’re out there a good few hours before the start. I try to hide in the garage when I’m not needed, mainly because you’re drinking so much you always need to pee! Once the race has started you try and get settled into a routine. Immediately after your stint you get out, have a quick debrief, then get changed and
eat. Time goes pretty quickly between stints. You need to get some rest, but you need to be ready to go. I
get back in my race suit quite early as I like to avoid any last-minute panics if I’m needed sooner than
scheduled. Obviously I’m hoping to be busy for the whole 24 hours as that means we’ll be there at the finish!