24 days with Allan McNishposted in LMANS21 | 07 | 2013
IT'S FOUR WEEKS today since Dumfries race Allan McNish won the Le Mans 24-Hours, dominating the race in his hybrid-diesel Audi R18 e-tron quattro (Allan McNish wins Le Mans 24-Hours — report).
To mark the 43-year-old Scot's third win in the endurance classic, we posed 24 questions covering the 24 days immediately following his win, and previewing the next 24 days.
1. After the Le Mans winner's rostrum ceremony, what did you do?
“After the podium ceremony Tom, Loïc and I were taken into a room to make a handprint in clay that is then turned in to bronze, with our signatures, set into the pavement in the town centre, and officially unveiled at a ceremony during race week next year. Then we did audio and video recordings for Audi and on to the Media Centre for a formal press conference. Step outside and journalists are lined-up wanting one-on-one-interviews. From there we went from one end of the pit building to the other to ‘meet’ the Audi Sport Team Joest guys.
"Remember that Tom, Loïc and I hadn’t been together since just before I got in the Audi on the starting grid the previous day, and likewise we hadn’t seen many team members since early Saturday afternoon. We walked down into the back of our pits carrying the trophies and it was a fantastic atmosphere: the team were already celebrating with champagne and beer. Everyone is immensely satisfied, happy and relieved — plus very tired — and the next 30minutes is a series of hugs and smiles to everyone that has put so much effort into Audi’s 12th Le Mans victory.
"From there I went to our small ‘cabin’: each car has one for its three drivers to use as ‘home’ for a week, to pack my kitbag — which I’ll see again at the next race in Brazil — plus another bag with my personal belongings that I take home.
"I did a couple more interviews, one ‘live’ into BBC Radio 5live. Then I went to Audi Sport’s team hospitality facility to get something to eat. Dr Ullrich, head of Audi Sport, welcomed us into the unit as winners of the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hour race.
"Then it was back to the pitbox to have a photograph taken with the big Le Mans trophy, our weather and race ‘stained’ R18, Loïc, Tom and our No1 engineer Kyle Wilson-Clarke. I guess this was around 8pm.”
2. When did you leave the track?
“Around six hours after the chequered flag had dropped, I left the circuit and went for dinner in the town with some close friends and team-mates. There wasn’t the mood to have massive celebrations with what had happened early in the race. I was back at the hotel for midnight.”
3. Who was the first person you telephoned after the race?
“My dad and mum. Neither were at the race, but both have been massive supporters throughout my career, enduring the good and bad times.”
4. Where is your Le Mans trophy?
“Sitting next to my other Le Mans trophies at home in Monaco. Three winners' (1998, 2008 & 13), two seconds (2000/12) and four thirds (2005/06/09/10). I keep my non-Le Mans trophies in Dumfries.”
5. Have you watched a recording of the race on TV?
“I’ve had no time to watch any race footage, but I lived it live so I know exactly what it was like from start to finish!”
6. Who has been the most interesting person to congratulate you on your third LM24 victory?
“I’ve been congratulated by so many people. Not only the sportscar fraternity but when I’m walking through the Formula One paddocks at Silverstone and at the Nürburgring but I was touched to be congratulated by six-time cycling Olympic gold medallist Chris Hoy, Britain's most successful Olympian and an MBE”
7. When did you get home to Monaco?
“The day after the race (Monday). I went via train from Le Mans to Paris then flew to Nice. Lucas di Grassi and Toyota’s Alex Wurz were on the same flight. On arrival, my wife Kelly and I went to the school to collect our children, Finlay and Charlotte. Funnily enough, I beat Alex again as he and his wife headed to the same school to collect their kids.”
8. Did you have a celebration meal with friends in Monaco?
“Unfortunately David Coulthard and Paul di Resta were missing, but around 20 of us got together for a shindig. Alex Wurz brought around an Austrian cake — he obviously wants me to put on weight for the remaining WEC races!”
9. Since Le Mans, how many full days have you spent in Monaco?
“Not enough! Seriously, I think it’s five.”
10. Have you done a "school run" since your victory?
“Many of the parents know that I race and they gave me big hugs – like they’d done after my Le Mans accident two years ago – but this time for very different reasons.”
11. Where have you been over the past 24 days?
“Some trips had been planned while others have come up purely as a result of winning Le Mans. A couple of days after getting home, I went to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix for BBC 5live. Straight from there I met up with Tom and Loïc at Ingolstadt in Germany, Audi’s main production plant, then to Neckarsulm the next day, Audi’s engine facility, in each case to ‘showcase’ our winning R18 e-tron quattro to the workforce and sign autographs. I was also at the German Grand Prix, went back to Audi Sport in Ingolstadt for a Le Mans debrief, was at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England then returned to Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm for works council meetings, so it’s been busy, busy, busy.”
12. Have you sat in the Le Mans winning R18 since your last stint at Le Mans on Sunday morning?
“I drove it at Goodwood before it being “retired” into Audi’s Museum. I pushed the ‘old girl’ on a bit on the third and final day and gave the dashboard a farewell kiss.”
13. What in terms of “office work” have you completed post-race?
“I had literally hundreds of text and emails, never mind Twitter and Facebook messages, so replying to each one kept me pretty busy. Also technical paperwork had to be done.
"As soon as one race finishes you’re already looking ahead to the next. Our reports, and all of the Audi drivers complete one, features all the good and bad elements about the entire week covering every area of Le Mans so improvements can be made for next year. These reports are as important when you win as when you lose.”
14. Have you seen Loïc Duval and Tom Kristensen, or your No1 engineer Kyle Wilson-Clarke, since the race?
“I was with Loïc and Tom at the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm events, while Kyle was also in the Audi Sport workshop there preparing our car for Brazil, so we had a chat.”
15. Will you wear the crash helmet, gloves, race suit, boots etc that you used at Le Man again?
“I will keep one of the helmets I used as a souvenir, while I’ve given the pair of gloves to some very good friends, the rest I’ll be wearing at the Brazil race.”
16. When did you begin training again?
“As is normal after Le Mans, I was mentally very tired and had little energy. It’s important you let your body recover before starting any exercises again, so I had a few days off in that respect. My first run was in the Silverstone area at the GP, but because of how busy I’ve been with travelling combined with all of the functions, it’s been very difficult to get back into a sustained training regime.”
17. What do the next 24 days have in store for you?
“I’ll be testing; attending the Hungarian Grand Prix as an FIA Steward; at an Audi Cup football match in Munich; at Castrol, plus a P&H personal sponsor event in the UK; at Spa for the Belgian Grand Prix for BBC 5live; taking a short break with the phone off; then off to Brazil for round four of the FIA World Endurance Championship.”
18. Have you visited Scotland since the win?
“Unfortunately I haven’t been able to get back and it’s looking like September or October now, but mum and dad are hopefully coming out to Monaco to spend some time here.”
19. What means more to you: a third Le Mans 24-Hours race win, or a 30pt lead in the WEC?
“Without doubt, winning Le Mans. A points lead means nothing until the chequered flag drops in Bahrain in November.”
20. Which remaining WEC race are you most looking forward to?
“All of them, but if I have to chose, the Circuit Of The Americas in Austin, Texas. I’ve not been, but it sounds like it’s an ‘old school’ circuit while being a modern up-to-date facility.
21. Which remaining WEC race are you least looking forward to?
“None.”
22. What will be your strategy in the remaining WEC races?
“To win! I start every race with just one thing in mind, and that’s winning.”
23. Will you be taking a holiday any time soon?
“I’ll be staying in Monaco but will have a short break in August.”
24. You are the most successful British driver at Le Mans since Derek Bell in the late 1980s: is it your intention to go back to Le Mans next year and bid for a fourth outright race victory?
“I saw Derek (Bell) at Goodwood recently and he told me his tally of five wins are now in sight for me, but we’ll see about that!”
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Jim McGill
Caption: Allan (centre) with (from left) Loic, Kyle and Tom, and the Le Mans-winning Audi and winners' trophy.