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#13 TDS Racing x Vaillante Oreca 07 - Gibson LMP2 of Mathias Beche, Tijmen Van Der Helm, Nyck de Vries
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Special feature

How Formula E's double-duty drivers influenced their Le Mans teams' fortunes

Eight Formula E drivers made the 7,000-mile sprint from the streets of Jakarta to the fabled Circuit de la Sarthe and every one had a story to share at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours. Despite a range of triumphs and disappointments, each driver doubling up on the day job played a key role in their teams' fortunes

Once a year, thousands of people trudge to a city in north-west France to become at one with the racing gods. Le Mans is a true pilgrimage that many must walk, if one is to be enrobed by the soundscape of roaring engines and the visual feast of sportscars tearing through the night with their high-beams peeking through the darkness.

For eight of the drivers in attendance, the usual pilgrimage was made increasingly longer. Inconveniently for them, the Formula E round in Jakarta was positioned in the weekend ahead of Le Mans – perilously close to the first round of practice sessions around the Circuit de la Sarthe. Those magnificent eight had to hot-foot it halfway across the world, stave off the looming spectre of jetlag, and prepare themselves for an all-nighter strapped into a devilishly fast racing car. It’s not unthinkable that a considerable supply of ProPlus was ingested to keep the octet awake.

Previous article How dominant Toyotas put on a show to win Le Mans 2022
Next article Da Costa explains "hectic moment" that threatened Jota's LMP2 Le Mans win

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