When he made his debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time, in 2015, Pipo Derani was taking the start of only his fifth endurance race. Since then, he has won at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, and become an emerging talent on the international scene. Here he talks about the upcoming edition in which he will drive the No.31 Tequila Patron ESM Ligier JS P2 Nissan alongside Ryan Dalziel and Chris Cumming in the LMP2 category.
"The 2015 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans was my very first 24-hour race! Since then, I've garnered additional experience, at Sebring and at Daytona, which makes me a better driver. I've also made progress in understanding what it takes to win and how to approach the great races like Le Mans. But that first time was not easy. You don't comprehend everything right up until you're in the race itself. Then you discover this strong intensity. I admit with the two big races this year now under my belt, I feel better prepared for the 24 Hours of Le Mans."
The author of some daring overtaking manoevres, will Derani find the right ingredients to win endurance races? "What does it take to win? I think it's impossible to know, especially here because Le Mans chooses the winners. It's an ongoing battle against the race itself more than against the competitors in my opinion."
"Our engineer already has a more or less precise idea of our race plan and the organization of the stints. But anything can change before the start," explains the Brazilian driver.
From an interview by Geoffroy Barre / ACO
