Allan McNish’s achievements in endurance racing need little fanfare or introduction. The Scottish star’s record speaks for itself. Three 24 Hours of Le Mans triumphs, four 12 Hours of Sebring successes and the 2013 world championship crown are just a small sample of his glittering record in the discipline...
When the FIA World Endurance Championship began at Sebring in March, 2012, McNish was on the grid and his memories remain as fresh as his recollections of his many days spent behind the wheel of some of the most iconic race cars of all time.
He specifically recalls the day that FIA WEC was crystallised and the early ‘speed bump’, as he describes it, of Peugeot’s exit from initial plans to be a founding manufacturer in 2012.
“I was very surprised when it was confirmed, because I’d been hoping for it for ten years and it never seemed that close. And then when it was confirmed, obviously it was fantastic news,” the 55-year-old told fiawec.com.
“But the day of the entries was a day where we were at our Audi training camp and I remember coming out of the gym session, and we found out that actually one of the parties that normally would have been involved (Peugeot) was not involved any longer, which was quite a shock.”
Toyota subsequently committed to FIA WEC, and McNish – while recognising the Japanese marque as a competitor – acknowledges that the arrival of his former Formula 1 employer was universally a good thing.
“Toyota stepped in very quickly and became a sort of backbone of FIA WEC,” explained the Dumfries native.
“I think it needed a lot of real commitment from two big manufacturers to step in at the start, which Audi and Toyota did before Porsche came along as well.
“We’re talking about two of the biggest manufacturers within the VW Group, and Toyota. So in that respect, it was something that allowed it all to move forward. And in all honesty, I don’t suppose I really appreciated it at the time.
“It’s only looking back that you realise actually that sometimes people do have to take big risks in these situations to get something moving.
“You’ve got to have a belief in it, which – thankfully – some great people did and they moved it forward. Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Audi’s then Head of Motorsport) obviously supported it heavily, and the same on the Toyota side too, and that allowed the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest), the FIA and LMEM to bring it to life with their vision.”
After McNish hung up his helmet on a stupendous high with a 2013 Le Mans and FIA WEC title double alongside Tom Kristensen and Loïc Duval, his career took a new turn as he swapped his race suit for a microphone as the leading analyst for the championship’s official TV production.
Any apprehension that he may have had about making that switch was quickly dispelled when he proved to be a major hit with fans all over the world, bringing a fascinating insight into how endurance drivers execute some of the toughest racing on the planet.
“To step out of the racing side and step into the comms box to see it live from a completely different perspective, and to see the amount of effort they put in, was really interesting,” reflects the driver who finished on the podium in all bar one of his 16 FIA WEC starts.
“What really surprised me was the effort that is put in to make sure the show is on the road. I don’t mean on the circuit, I mean the show off the circuit, and how passionate the staff at FIA WEC are about their jobs.
“It’s been super to see it grow to the point where now I don’t think they can be anything but proud of the fact that they’ve got one of the best world championships globally.
“You look at the performances on-track, you look at the 98,000 fans at Spa this year. In my opinion, all of that is just sensational.”
Watch FIA WEC live or on-demand via the official FIA WEC TV app – your full-access pass to the FIA World Endurance Championship including the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans. Don’t miss a moment. For further information, check out the app.
