While Formula One, quite rightly, dominates the international motorsport scene, it would be wrong not to occasionally look at some of the other 'big' events that go - especially when one has taken part in them in the past.
Nestled between the Turkish and British grands prix, the
Le Mans 24 Hours will take centre stage this weekend, with one of the world's most iconic circuits and some of the most amazing cars meeting in central France.
The main question that most will want to have answered is whether Peugeot can finally overthrow Audi after several years of trying, and it's a good question. I have to admit that, this year in particular, I don't have the answer, so it will be interesting to see how things pan out. There's no doubt that they are in there with a jolly good chance but, until the chips are down and you really see how they go, I don't know. Audi really have to start as favourite, there's no doubt about it.
Both teams have amassed pretty strong line-ups, with the likes of Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen - the record Le Mans winner - at Audi, and David Brabham coming in to bolster an already-impressive Peugeot team. These drivers perhaps should have been more worthy of time in Formula One, but I think that missing out has to be partly their choice.
It's difficult but, if I said to you 'would you like to go with a really top one or two team at Le Mans or a moderate one in Formula One', which would you take? Most people would take the top line at Le Mans and try and get something higher in
Formula One later, and perhaps that's what happened. However, there is no denying that, having made sportscars their home, these guys are really the cream of the crop.
Le Mans was never my favourite race, and it still isn't, but what amazes me now is that these drivers get in these cars and drive them flat-out for the whole 24 hours. In my time, the team would eventually say to you 'look, we can't use 6000 revs any more, drop it to 5600, be careful, don't do this, don't do that' - and it was really boring. Now, however, they get out there and really go hammer and tongs to the end.
That sort of performance raises the bar for everyone, and there's no doubt that, like Formula One, it creates a degree of hierarchy in sportscar racing as well, with money eventually winning out. Audi and Peugeot are clearly the top dogs in endurance racing at the moment.
What might be interesting this year is that you've got the likes of Pescarolo, an established sportscar campaigner, and Kolles, a relative newcomer, who will be running a Peugeot and two Audis respectively. It will be interesting to see how they go up against the works teams - if they have got a degree of works backing, will they start with a car that's comparable or, as I suspect, will the cars not be exactly on a level with those at the front of the field. There is no doubt that the teams have the skill and experience to certainly stir it up a bit....
We've also got the petrol versus diesel debate dividing both teams and opinion, with Audi and Peugeot running diesel and the likes of Aston Martin, ORECA and Pescarolo running petrol engines. I don't really know what the regulations are now, but it certainly amazes me how well the diesels have gone. I think it's amazing everyone actually - but I think the diesel fuel they use evaporates when you drop it on the floor, so it's not exactly diesel the way you and I know it, is it?
