Following a longer than anticipated wait, this weekend will see Andrew Watson make his debut at the 88th edition of the renowned 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Forming part of his 2019-20 FIA World Endurance campaign, Andrew will contest the event with the Gulf Racing team, taking charge of the #86 Porsche 911 RSR with teammates Michael Wainwright and Ben Barker in the LMGTE Am category.
The trio have claimed points finishes at each round of the season so far, including a third-place podium finish at the 8 Hours of Bahrain in December.
Originally set to take place in June, the 24-hour race was postponed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. With organisers staging a virtual edition in lieu of the real event, Andrew seized the opportunity as the perfect chance to learn as much as he could about the event and offered him a unique insight ahead of the weekend.
Following the six-month coronavirus-induced suspension, the team were back in action at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps last month - finishing 10th in class and meaning Andrew and his teammates have been able to reacquaint themselves with their Porsche machinery.
“I can’t wait to get started this weekend,” Andrew said. “I’ve no doubt the wait will be worth it - I’ve dreamt of competing at Le Mans since I was young so I’m incredibly grateful to have the chance to do it. As a team, we’re coming into it well-prepared and I’ll be aiming to do the very best I can to help maximise our results.”
Andrew will get his first taste of the Circuit de la Sarthe on Thursday as the weekend’s action begins with three practice sessions and qualifying. The Hyperpole qualifying session and final practice take place on Friday with the race itself set for 14:30 (local time) on Saturday afternoon.
Image courtesy of Porsche Customer Racing.