Vergne wants to "set the record straight" with G-Drive
Jean-Eric Vergne says he and his G-Drive Racing LMP2 team are looking to "set the record straight" in the Le Mans 24 Hours this year after the Russian outfit's disqualification in 2018.
Ex-Formula 1 racer Vergne and his teammates in the #26 Oreca romped to a dominant two-lap victory in the LMP2 class year, only to be disqualified for using an illegal refuelling mechanism that increased the speed of their pitstops.
Vergne is back for another crack at honours at La Sarthe this year, once again joined by G-Drive team boss/driver Rusinov and rookie Job van Uitert, who replaces Andrea Pizzitola as the silver-rated driver in the line-up of the rebranded Aurus 01.
"I think we have a very good car, like last year, and a very good crew too," said Vergne ahead of Wednesday's first qualifying session, in which he put the #26 car ninth in class.
"Last year, the race was extremely closely-fought, so this year we will have to fight. [The disqualification] will not happen again, we will try to set the record straight. Erase it, no... it's written in the history books now, so it won't be erased. Each year offers a new chance.
"I am not here for revenge, just to try and win and do the best job possible."
Rusinov and van Uitert also have the momentum of victory in the most recent round of the European Le Mans Series at Monza behind them, while the #26 crew also took a second-place finish in a one-off FIA World Endurance Championship appearance at Spa last month.
"We did everything right [last year]," Rusinov said. "Everything that happened after [with the disqualification], I don’t care about. We won this race last year by two laps.
"In Monza we won the race, we are leading the standings in ELMS, which is really competitive, and the driver line-up is fine, Job won the LMP3 title last year. We have the right guys this year."
Vergne says he is reluctant to name any favourites for victory in the closely-fought LMP2 class this year, emphasising the need to be "extremely humble" against such tough opponents.
"There are so many cars, so big this year in LMP2 that it's impossible to say who will be the main rivals," warns Vergne. "Every year I watch the 24 Hours, and this is my third time taking part, and often we designate a team to beat and it is never that one that wins.
"I think we must be extremely humble and just focus on the work we have to do, try not to make mistakes on this long run, and that should do it."
Additional reporting by Benjamin Vinel
Jean-Eric Vergne, G-Drive Racing
Photo by: Rainier Ehrhardt
Previous article
GTE drivers welcome relaxation of "hated" stint rules
Next article
Garcia "surprised" by disallowed Corvette laptime
About this article
| Series | Le Mans |
| Event | 24 Hours of Le Mans |
| Author | Jamie Klein |
Le Mans: Dan Gurney - Le Mans 1967
All Le Mans 24 hour-winning cars
Why Ferrari is ending its 50-year top-flight sportscar racing exile
Making a return to top-flight sportscar racing after 50 years away, Ferrari will enter the Le Mans Hypercar ranks in 2023. The Italian marque denies the link with Formula 1's new cost cap that frees up resources, but it's certainly no coincidence...
Oliver Gavin's Corvette Racing highlights
Oliver Gavin has stepped down from the full-time Corvette Racing line-up after a stellar career with the team spanning nearly 20 years. He looks back on a stint that encompassed, among other successes, five Le Mans 24 Hours victories.
How Tandy joined an exclusive club of endurance legends
Victory at last year's Spa 24 Hours meant Nick Tandy had completed the unofficial sextuple crown of the world's six biggest endurance races, becoming the first Briton to do so. Ahead of his fresh start with Corvette Racing, he explains how he did it…
The cherished curios kept by motorsport's professionals at home
Keeping trophies and momentos of key triumphs is par for the course for motorsport professionals, but what are the most cherished souvenirs picked up by the drivers and engineers who have seen and done it all?
The Porsche icon that forged sportscar racing's greatest era
Porsche is returning to the top class of Le Mans with an LMDh prototype that it hopes will write its next successful chapter in sportscar racing. But it will have to go some to emulate its 956/962, a car which defines the Group C age more than any other.
How Tom Kristensen forged his ‘Mr Le Mans’ legend
He is synonymous with success at the Circuit de la Sarthe, but Tom Kristensen's sportscar legacy amounts to much more than his record-breaking nine Le Mans wins, as the most successful driver ever at Sebring and a world champion to boot…
Why Audi’s shock return promises a new age for sportscars
OPINION: The news that Audi will return to Le Mans means we'll at last get to see the fight promised in 2012 against Peugeot and Toyota. It also gives LMDh a tangible form, which could open the floodgates for more like-minded marques to follow suit…
The eternal debate revived after the 2019/20 WEC season
It may have been missed amid the clamour over Lewis Hamilton's seventh F1 title, but Britain had another world champion crowned last weekend. Mike Conway's WEC crown raises an old conundrum - does title glory make up for the pain of Le Mans defeat?
