Round Table with the Knights of Le Mans
"You have to beat Le Mans before you beat any of the opposition," Allan McNish says of the legendary circuit at Le Sarthe. Indeed, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a race like no other. But what makes it so special? Autosport got four British drivers together - one from each class in the race - to discuss why they keep coming back to this gruelling classic
Gary Watkins asks the questions to Audi LMP1 ace and 1998 winner Allan McNish; Lola LMP2 driver and 2005 class winner Warren Hughes; Aston Martin GT1 star and 1991 Le Mans victor Johnny Herbert; and Risi Ferrari GT2 racer Johnny Mowlem.
Q: Does it feel good to be back? Do you get a sense of expectation as you drive into Le Mans?
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Gary Watkins has, for reasons best known to himself, devoted all his working life to covering sportscar racing. This season is his 33rd as a motorsport journalist, during which time he has reported on major long-distance events on four continents and approaching 80 24-hour races. He reckons a degree in political philosophy makes him well qualified for covering the sometimes Machiavellian world of international sportscars.
Gary, who also writes for Motor Sport, Autocourse, RACER and others, lives in Surbiton close to the former workshops of the Cooper Formula 1 team but spends more time on the road than at home for most of the year.
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