In a long interview for the European Le Mans Series website and YouTube channel, the Irish actor born in Germany talked about the highs and lows of his careers as an endurance racing driver. He revealed how he got into the sport after meeting Patrick Dempsey on a flight to Los Angeles.

He also discussed his two 24 Hours of Le Mans experiences. This year, he took part in the Centenary race at the wheel of the #911 Porsche 911 RSR-19 of LMGTE Am team Proton Competition, The car was forced to retire following a crash in the Porsche Curves. He said: “Well, to be honest with you, Le Mans this year was less of a disappointment than it was last year. The slogan is ‘Fail, and fail better the next time’, I suppose! For me, it was all about going back there. I had such a rough experience in 2023 (sic). Mentally, I just sort of imploded and never managed to come out of that downward spiral. And so, for me, it was really important that I went back there. That was the first challenge: going back there, and then to sort of find a rhythm there. I found a rhythm there, finally. For an hour and a half, I had the best time ever in Le Mans. I really understood what was special about that place. I really enjoyed that hour and a half. I was free of thought. It was hard to describe. Then, I made a really silly mistake, just a lapse in concentration, and paid the price for it. There was obviously massive disappointment in that moment and afterwards. You've got the whole team working so hard to help you achieve certain things, and I certainly did feel bad for them ’But I did feel like I had broken through a certain barrier there. It’s just that there was a mental block there that I needed to break through. So now, for me, I want to go back there next time, and I believe I can perform well there.”

You can read the full interview with Michael Fassbender here or watch it on the European Le Mans Series YouTube channel.