You were an Audi factory driver last year for Le Mans. How do you think that experience will change your approach to the race?
Obviously the Audi is a well-developed car and I gained a lot of experience and saw different methods, especially the way the mechanics work together. We have some weak points on the car whereas Audi obviously has a good car Jumping into the P2, I could immediately tell where the differences lie and what we need to do to improve the car.

You have already raced in LM P2 at Le Mans, in 2014 with Sébastien Loeb Racing in the Oreca 03R. Will it be similar this year, driving for a French team again?
G-Drive Racing and Jota Sport have been in the business for a long time. They have a lot of experience. For Sébastien Loeb, it was the first time at Le Mans so everything was new for us, for Loeb. With G-Drive, you really get the feeling that everyone has their routine and they know what’s coming. It doesn’t mean that this is a better team, it’s just that at Sébastien Loeb Racing, they didn’t know what to expect because it was new for them.

LM P2 will be the biggest category this year at Le Mans. What are you expecting?
It’ll be very competitive, one of the most competitive classes at Le Mans. It’s probably even harder than last year. We have a good team and I think we can aim high. We want to win LM P2 but it won’t be easy. I think we’ll need to push from start to finish because it’s more like a sprint race nowadays. But obviously in dangerous situations you need to be calm.

Last year, you used Project Cars quite a bit. Do you still do your preparation using video games?
Yes, I still use it quite a lot. Especially as LM P2 is a left-hand drive and the Audi is a right-hand drive, so there’s a big difference in terms of visibility. To get used to that, I just jumped in my simulator and took an LM P2 seat position to get used to the view, the track, the speeds, the braking, all that... In the P2 you have different braking points and corner speeds. So I just prepare my mind to brake later and have less corner speed. It’s quite nice to have that practice before you actually get in the real car.

Does the fact that the Audi was a hybrid change much?
Not really. The hybrid pushes you automatically on the straight. As soon as you accelerate, the car pulls away massively. In the LM P2, you do the same, you go flat out, but it doesn’t accelerate as quickly. In the P1 you have to change a lot of settings on the steering wheel, which you don’t need to do on a P2. It’s not a problem, you get used to it during the tests, but LM P2 is easier in that respect.

Geoffroy Barre — Translated from French by Emma Paulay

Photo: Audi factory driver René Rast will be racing the 24 Hours of Le Mans in LM P2 this year.