Jani: I think I’ve proved a point...
After putting Proton Competition’s Porsche 963 Hypercar fourth on the grid for the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship season finale, Neel Jani is hoping to spring another underdog surprise when the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain gets underway today.
Jani was unquestionably one of the standout performers of qualifying around Bahrain International Circuit, advancing to Hyperpole prior to securing a second row starting slot for the #99 car he shares with team-mates Julian Andlauer and Harry Tincknell.
“We have to be happy with that,” acknowledged the former world champion and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner. “We’re a one-car privateer team, so to get everything together is always a bit more difficult for us. We are the only team that doesn’t test, and FP2 here in Bahrain was my first low-fuel run all year. I’m happy for the team, but also for me personally. I think I proved a bit of a point that despite what some have tried to say, my speed hasn’t gone...”
Jani cautioned that today’s eight-hour race might be ‘a different story’, but having not troubled the scorers since Spa-Francorchamps back in May, the 40-year-old Swiss star is hopeful that Proton Competition can finish the campaign on a high around a track where he has previously triumphed in both LMP1 and LMGTE Pro.
“The main challenge will be tyre management,” he mused. “Qualifying is the most beautiful time to drive here, because the race pace is six-to-seven seconds slower. It will be a hard fight, and all about not getting frustrated in the car and overdriving the tyres.
“We have had some operational issues since Spa – not because somebody is not good enough or because we have made mistakes, but we just don’t have the experience in the team yet to convert everything. We have to focus on that, and then I think we can play for something. I don’t think we will be battling for a win – the top ten has to be the aim – but if we can stay inside the top five, that would be fantastic.”
