How to be prepared at Le Mans by Tommy Erdos

“RML always go to Le Mans with the aim of winning the LMP2 class. This year is no different. We managed to do it twice in 2005 and 2006 and it’s been a while since the last one, so we are very hungry for it again. The team has a wealth of knowledge about that race and I believe that we have a very strong chance of doing very well this year.

“Physical conditioning for me is an ongoing thing from season to season. This year has been particularly tricky because I had a shoulder operation in January, so I have been training with a fitness instructor very closely since then. Just before Le Mans the training will tail off and allow my body to recover for the race week. Then it is just a case of hydrating properly.

“I am lucky to drive for a team like RML because the guys think of everything and are so well organized. As a driver with RML you are so well looked after and the staff around you cater for your every need really, from hospitality, to massages, to all the technical advantages we enjoy at the back of the pits. It’s a huge thanks to Mike Newton and his company first of all for the investment they have been making in their racing program and for choosing me as a pilot, one of the drivers for the car.

“The RML crew has been together for so long, it is very experienced and the guys are great professionals and know what they are doing. Continuity is really important for a team at Le Mans and with guys like Phil Barker (team manager) and Rick Perry (crew chief), you do not worry about the preparation of the car or even when it is repaired. I remember at Istanbul back in 2005 we had a startline incident and most of the car was rebuilt and I had no worries whatsoever about the car. It ran absolutely perfectly. It is that confidence in your team that makes a real difference in a 24 Hour event like Le Mans where literally anything can and often does happen."