MICHAEL FASSBENDER AND SÉBASTIEN OGIER MEET 24 HOURS OF LE MANS FANS
At the first day of the administrative and technical checks known as Scrutineering, 39 of the 62 cars entered in the 90th 24 Hours of Le Mans have submitted to inspection by the marshals.
Drivers always look forward to this moment during Race Week. IDEC SPORT Racing's #48 ORECA 07-Gibson driver Patrick Pilet: "Scrutineering and the Parade are part of the mystique of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We get to meet the fans and it's fun to share those moments with them." Alpine Elf Team's #36 Alpine 1480-Gibson driver Mathieu Vaxivière: "To be back in the Le Mans city centre is fantastic. It's important to show up for spectators because they're here for us. We can interact and it's great." #91 Porsche driver Richard Lietz: "The biggest race of the year is finally here once again. It’ll be the last factory outing for the Porsche 911 RSR at Le Mans. I very much hope that, unlike in the past two years, we’ll have close competition that gives us realistic chances of winning. Unfortunately, we’re not alone in that hope. One thing is always guaranteed in this race – it’s never easy. But of course, we’re more than willing to accept this challenge."
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There were two other highly anticipated drivers at Scrutineering: Michael Fassbender and Sébastien Ogier. German-born Irish actor Fassbender – seen in X-Men and Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds among many others – will take the start in his rookie participation at the wheel of Proton Competition's #93 Porsche 911 RSR-19. After signing plenty of autographs, he is now gearing up for two days of Test Day. Michael Fassbender: "After four seasons of preparation, here I am at Le Mans. It is super exciting, but also surreal to be doing this legendary race. I am already blown away by the experience. In any case, I am going to give it my all and enjoy this experience as much as possible. There are similarities between driving and acting. The main thing is not to think too much and stay focused on what you have to do."
Eight-time WRC champion and Richard Mille Racing Team's #1 ORECA driver Sébastien Ogier: "It's wonderful to be here. I've said it before, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is so iconic, no matter the track record every driver is happy to be here. The first two rounds of the season were for us rehearsal races with the goal of reaching another level of performance. We are keeping our head about us because we know we are not a contender for victory. Our goal is not to be far behind. All the team members want to give us the best possible equipment in order to progress. My motto is: it's fun. I'm here to get ahead in the LMP2 class and, if I'm good enough, why not drive in Hypercar in the future with Toyota?
