Verstappen: Diesels hiding true speed
Aston Martin Racing's Jos Verstappen believes the leading diesels have not yet shown their true pace at Le Mans, but remains optimistic about his team's chances of a podium finish
"They [Audi and Peugeot] are still very quick on the straight, although they're running more downforce than us," he told AUTOSPORT. "Maybe they're hiding their speed a little. But for sure they can't pass us on the straight - our top speed is really good.
"When you follow them into the Porsche Curves, their speed through there is massive compared with us. It's not how it should be, but they have everything sorted and their engines are so strong."
Despite the performance differential between the diesel and petrol prototypes, Verstappen is keeping an open mind about today's race.
"I'm happy with how things are going. The car is reliable and working with Anthony [Davidson] and Darren [Turner] has been fantastic. That is how it should be.
"You never know what can happen in a 24-hour race. During practice I saw a Peugeot smoking and going into the garage; anything could happen if we have a trouble-free run. Our car is reliable, so we'll see. It would be fantastic for us to be on the podium."
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