Nick Tandy says he is aware that Corvette Racing is coming into the 24 Hours of Le Mans as underdogs in GTE Pro, but is also wary that his team is never underestimated by the competition.
The American manufacturer is returning to Le Mans for the first time since missing out on the 2020 edition of the race as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to a year on the sidelines, it is also bringing its mid-engined C8.R to Le Mans for the first time, having originally planned for the car to make its debut last year.
According to Tandy, the lack of running at Le Mans as opposed to the full factory squads from Ferrari and Porsche, which were present last year and are also competing in the full FIA World Endurance Championship season, it does put Corvette in something of an underdog position.
“For sure we are,” Tandy told MotorsportWeek.com when asked if he thinks Corvette are the underdogs this year. “And it doesn’t help obviously, that we weren’t here last year.
“When you have a gap of 12 months, it’s not such a long time. But it’s been 24 months since the team were here and obviously, it is the first time the new car is here.”
“So from this regard, we are an unknown package, if you like. All the things from kind of knowing how the regulations work and getting all your systems correct for the different regulations in different series.”
“This sort of stuff, it’s it takes time to get back into that way and setting up not just the stuff on the car but everything, the pits, the telemetry, this kind of stuff, it’s all the package for for going 24 hour racing in this race.”
Tandy, however, remains realistic. He understands that Corvette are on the back foot compared to Porsche and Ferrari, but also recognizes that Corvette has a reputation at Le Mans that nobody underestimates.
“So yeah, for sure we are lacking a bit of race time in WEC rules. But know from past years and past participations – nobody underestimates this team. Corvette Racing have been coming here for 21 years and have always been at the sharp end, have always had the right kit, the right equipment, the right people to do the job.”
“Yes, there’s less information on us then probably we would have liked, but I’m sure everybody else is still expecting us to be right there and operate at a high level, which I’m sure we will be.”
Tandy will be making his ninth start in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but this year is notably since it is the first time he is part of a factory team other than Porsche’s.
After making his debut in 2011 with Proton Competition, Tandy was part of the Porsche factory squad in both GTs and prototypes from 2014 to 2019, the highlight of which was the 2015 overall victory alongside Earl Bamber and Nico Hülkenberg.
In 2020, he raced in LMP2 with the G-Drive by Algarve squad before signing with Corvette Racing for the 2021 campaign.
“It is strange in some regard,” Tandy replied when asked if it felt strange to come to Le Mans with Corvette for the first time. “For the first six or seven times I came here, I drove in a German car.
“Even with the experience of last year, I came to this event with a private team in a private car, so I have the experience of going into races with different teams in different events that perhaps are away from your main program for the year.
“It doesn’t feel strange to be in a different car and a familiar event like Le Mans. The way that I’ve been racing from car to car and series to series with different teams, it’s great to come here with the continuity of being with a team in Corvette Racing that I’ve been working with for a season up to now in IMSA.”
