ROAL Motorsport driver Darryl O’Young is switching his BMW 320TC for a AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia as the Hong Kong racer gets set to tackle the Le Mans 24 Hour this weekend.
O’Young first tackled the 24 Hour race in 2009 and he feels that his experiences from 2009 will hold him in good stead ahead of the 90th running of the race.
“With this being my second time in the event, everything isn’t so new to me anymore so I feel very prepared mentally and extremely focused on the task at hand,” said O’Young.
“The team has prepared a very good car for us this weekend and I have gelled with the team quickly. Good preparation is key to success in endurance races, and with AF Corse having so much experience here at Le Mans; everything is very well organized by the team.”
O’Young is joining Italian drivers Lorenzo Case and Piergiuseppe Perazzini in the #55 Interush AF Corse Ferrari 458 and the team will take to the track for the first time later today with the opening free practice session, with the first qualifying session held this evening.
With rain showers forecast for the weekend, it adds an extra element to the weekend and O’Young has experienced the 8.48 mile circuit in the wet.
“I have driven in the rain here at Le Mans in the past, and from what I remember, it is extremely difficult here in the wet due to the high speeds and low grip of the circuit,” added the Hong Kong based racer.
“Our approach is to be slightly cautious in the rain during the practice and qualifying sessions, but we all know in order to be competitive, we can’t drive with too much caution.
“We will build up our speed throughout the sessions but it is clear that our focus will be 100% on the race as qualifying in a race like this is not as important as keeping the car in good condition,” he concluded.