How is the team shaping up? Tor Graves is obviously a significant part of Manor’s history, but where will the key talent pool be coming from?
The team is coming together really well. We have a good mix of people that we have worked with in Fomula 1 and those with a lot of WEC experience too. Tor is a great guy and we are all looking forward to going racing with him again.
(Ed. Manor has since signed Richard Bradley, Matt Rao, James Jakes and Will Stevens to their line-up)
LMP2 is an overlooked category in terms of developing young drivers. There’s big down-force, you have to adapt to two compounds, get lots of seat time and much cheaper than GP2. Will you be looking at developing young drivers in a similar vain to Strakka Racing?
Yes, I think you are exactly right. In addition, Manor has had a great history of working with drivers who have gone on to become race winners, championship winners and even World Champions. I think that LM P2 will see some great talent in the next few years and we certainly hope to use it to maximise the potential of all the drivers that we work with.
One of the things that can’t be said of F1 right now is close racing, yet some of the closest fights in the last 24 months have been in endurance racing.
Does the chance to race on the limit again excite you?
Yes. At the end of the day, Manor has always been about racing and to tell you the truth we can’t wait to get into the mix again. We have the utmost respect for the Championship and all the other teams that compete in it and we can’t wait to be racing in it.
Strategy has always been a strong quality of Manor. Are you relishing the opportunity to put those skills to the test over six and 24 hours?
Yes, although we also recognise that we have a lot to learn. We are the new kids on the block and there are a lot of things that we need to understand very quickly, but that is part of the attraction. It is a great challenge and one that really appeals to us.
Le Mans will be a big tick for you personally, but will there be any added significance when you eventually line-up against the likes of Brabham?
Well the 24 Hours of Le Mans is truly the greatest sports car race in the world and that is something that we are really looking forward to. Personally, I love the history of the event and all the iconic names, especially names like Brabham, that have helped to make it the very special event that it is. For anyone who has never watched the cars go through the Porsche curves at full speed or witnessed them rattling through Indianapolis and Arnage at midnight or that magical moment when the sun is just rising and they are still sweeping down after the Dunlop bridge, well then they really have to see it – if you love motor sport then you love Le mans - it is as simple as that!
Images Octane Photographic