Interviews

Planetlemans talks to Tom Kristensen

© Planetlemans - Marcel ten Caat

It’s a nice evening in Zandvoort and while the sun is about to go down we are received by the Audi team at their hospitality where weare awaited by the 21st Century Mr. Le Mans. We had the privilege of sharing a conversation where Tom Kristensen talked about Audi, his career, Le Mans…

© Audi Motorsport

PLM- You started racing with go-karts, at what age did you become interested in racing?

TK- Since I was born actually! I was born in a gas station and my father was a racing driver, he did autocross and other categories

PLM- And Le Mans? When did that catch your interest?

TK- Well, I always dreamt of doing Le Mans one day but when I was in Japan I was close to doing Le mans with the Toyota TSO V10 in the early nineties. I did a race in 1992 in Japan with Jacques Villeneuve and Eddie Irvine and we came in second so I thought I could do Le Mans in 1993 as a young driver. It did not work as also a Japanese Mclaren deal did not go through because of sponsors.

PLM-And later?

TK- Well, in 1997 I was leading the F3000 series and I got a call from Ralf Juttner from Joest Racing to drive his private Porsche. That was my debut, I was part of the winning team with Alboreto and Johansson and i was also lucky and happy to do the lap record in the race so it was a good start.

PLM- The best start you can imagine! Since then you made very good decisions choosing your team and car

TK- I also think we did a good job when we drove…(big smile)

PLM- Indeed! But you always have chosen good co-drivers.

TK- I don’t get to choose those, it is always a decision of the team. I do give my input but in Audi it is Dr. Ullrich deciding. A lot of times it has to do with the size of the driver and they all need to be fast and consistent (laughs)

PLM- But you also chose to race for Team Goh in 2004 and not the Veloqx team…did you follow your heart?

TK- You’re right, there I made a choice. I had raced for them in Japan and the year before I had done a few 1000km races with them, we won at Spa and Le Mans… and then the 24 Hours the year after. This brought a lot of my worlds together: Japan, Le Mans, Audi.. so to win there was very good. It was also a one car team whileVveloqx was favorites with 2 cars, it was a nice victory.

PLM- Do you have a favorite car?

TK- (thinks a bit)Touring car the Audi A4 DTM, sports car the Audi A10 TDI, formula car the Williams-BMW I tested in 2000 with Michelin. But the one that is deepest in my heart is the Audi R8, 5 Le Mans victories…the most beautiful is the Bentley so now you have a lot! (laughs)

PLM- Did your DTM accident affect you this year at Le Mans?

TK- Certainly, it did not affect my driving rather my preparation. The race was much harder physically and mentally and it is still affecting me a bit. I get tired fast so I need to plan my days a bit shorter. It was close…
PLM- Did you manage to train physically before Le Mans?

TK- Not much, we took the decision just a few days before and it was a tough decision but I said "I want to do it, I want to do it…". The doctors agreed but lots of people were not convinced.

PLM- Your family?

TK- No, no, they supported me !!!

PLM- Any drivers you admire?

TK- A lot, I respect a lot of drivers. Some were my favorites when I was a kid: Jacky Ickx, Mario Andretti, Ayrton Senna. They were great in my dream of becoming a racing driver but as you grow older you get a different perspective, become more realistic and you still admire them but you see you can only trust and follow yourself.

PLM- What other cars would you like to drive?

TK- Well, a few laps on a Ford GT40, a Porsche 917, a Ferrari 250 GTO…

PLM- How do you handle your popularity in Denmark and so many fans attending Le Mans every year?

TK- It’s great that so many Danes follow the race, I try to keep close with them since we are such a small country. They love the Le Mans event so in fact they try to make a tour or a holiday out of it.

PLM- You drive in two different worlds: DTM with light cars and sprint races and Le Mans. How do you compare them?

TK- Both are very strong races even when my heart is with the sports car, I enjoy driving with my team mates, the endurance and the philosophy of how you work with the team to try and win the race. This year Allan, Dindo and myself we died with our boots on in that sense. In DTM it’s your own car, your own responsibility, the pit stops are very important. You drive harder, touch each other…more risk and action. For me it’s a privilege to be with Audi in both worlds. You also brake with the left foot in DTM and the right foot in Le mans, so there are some slight differences (smile)

A real pleasure for Planetlemans to share a conversation with Tom, we’re sure the Danish flgs will be flying high next year when he gives a new shot to an 8th victory!

Milo@planetlemans.com