Corvette Racing’s Nick Catsburg says he will cherish his third start in the 24 Hours of Le Mans even more after missing out on the race in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Dutchman has two previous starts to his name with BMW in 2018 and 2019 but was set to make his third appearance at Le Mans last year with Corvette.
The American manufacturer, however, was absent in 2020 for the first time in two decades as it was forced to cancel it Le Mans efforts as the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
After a one year absence, Corvette is now back at Le Mans with its pair of Corvette C8.Rs. Catsburg will partner IMSA regulars Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia aboard the #63 C8.R.
As he himself explains, he provided after the team pulled out and is now extra eager to make his return.
“Last year I was doing commentary for Le Mans on Dutch television, so I kind of felt like I was still part of it,” said Catsburg. “But Le Mans is something you can’t take for granted.
“It took me years to get finally get a seat at Le Mans, and I felt like once I had done it then I would be doing it every year from then on.
“Of course this didn’t happen in 2020 due to a situation that no one could foresee.”
“That’s why I am going to cherish this year and enjoy it as much possible because you never know when you’re next time is. Even though I liked doing commentary, I like driving a lot better!”
Learning as much as possible during Test Day
Catsburg first drove the Corvette C8.R at Le Mans during the Test Day on Sunday morning. With Corvette’s lack of experience in running the new car at Le Mans, he says the team needs to learn as much as possible.
“What is so important about the Test Day is making use of every lap and utilizing the full day in learning as much as possible,” he said.
“There is always a big change in track conditions and a big increase in grip, which you have to take into consideration especially when working on car setup. It is important that you don’t run into any trouble on the Test Day. I hope we can make the most out of it.”
