In 2011, Andy Priaulx’s team led the 24 Hours of Le Mans until the final 60 minutes. Following 23 hours of intense, high-speed competition, the car suffered transmission complications. They finished third. Now, Priaulx is back to face the Circuit de la Sarthe – and is better prepared than ever.
Racing with the Ford Chip Ganassi Team in Ford’s new GT, Priaulx is confident they’ll be serious contenders in the LM GTE Pro class.
“The car is amazing,” says Priaulx, 41, at his Guernsey home. “When I saw it and spoke to the Ford guys, and saw how committed they were – the preparation of the car and the uncompromising commitment to design – I was super impressed. I knew the programme was going to be successful.”
The Ford GT team brought home fourth and fifth at the 2016 series’ opening race in Silverstone, then achieved second in Spa. Heading to Le Mans, the car is ready for competition – but how do the drivers prepare for one of the most daunting motor races in the world?
“I’m very much into meditation,” says Priaulx. “I use a practical form that also allows for visualisation. I lower my heart rate, help myself down to a deeper level of mind, and work on visualising my goals. So if I need to find an extra bit of lap-time somewhere, I’d try and problem-solve at that deeper level of the mind.”
Visualisation is increasingly used by athletes – from the racetrack to the athletics track. And it’s no longer just about mentally working through specifics. YouTube allows for almost limitless first-person footage of the world’s top tracks, and teams such as Ford have access to leading simulations that help drivers – like Priaulx – who haven’t physically raced on the circuit for a number of years.
The Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, is over 13.6km and is punctuated by 38 turns. Its primary straight is a 6km stretch of pedal-to-the-metal tarmac. Driver concentration is key.
“If you're arriving at a braking zone at 290kph and you’re a split second late on the brakes, that means you can lock the brakes, miss the chicane all together and potentially lose a position – or worse, crash the car,” says Priaulx.
Despite its reputation, Le Mans isn’t a physical course for drivers, compared to, say, Spa. It’s the mental challenge that’s the biggest test. Yet temperatures in the car can exceed 30 degrees centigrade, there’s the repetitive physical exertion of steering and braking, as well as g-forces of circa 3 g. The days of James Hunt-style drinking and smoking are gone.
“If you did that today, you'd be the laughing stock of the grid – and be at the back of the pack,” says Priaulx. “There's not one guy who isn’t a top-class athlete.”
He spends 30 to 40 minutes a day in the gym on strength training, plus another hour or two on cardio. Focusing on upper body workouts helps to deal with g-force, and the cardio work allows him to maintain a low heart rate, which assists concentration.
Priaulx reckons he spends almost 100 days of the year in the car – be it testing, practicing or racing. And he’s been doing so every year for 17 years. Being a professional driver is a career for competitive people.
“You’ve got to be committed, have pure focus and concentration, and also somehow be aware of the overall goal – to win.”
Find out more at fordperformance.com
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
