Autosport's Le Mans Countdown

This interview appeared on the Autosport website before the 2001 Le Mans 24 Hours race.

Johnny Herbert has made only three appearances at Le Mans, and all were in Mazdas shared with Bertrand Gachot and Volker Weidler. The trio scored a superb win on the second of their outings in 1991, and finished fourth the following year.

Johnny, who also raced Porsches in Japan, has never been a fan of sportscars. But with his F1 career now over, he’s back at the Sarthe, and determined to get a good result with the highly fancied Champion Audi. He is also hoping to have a run in a Champ Car in the next few months. Adam Cooper asked him for his thoughts on the upcoming race and life after F1.

Q: What are your memories of that win in 1991?

"The result was good, but I went a bit too far. I remember I did three stints at the end. It was damn hot. Everything was OK, but I think I got out of the car a little bit too quickly, and enough was enough. I was very white, I do remember that! But the reason I want to go back is to actually stand on the podium this time That will be the plan."

Q: Was Le Mans always on your mind when you decided to leave F1?

"At the time I thought it was going to be the American thing, and it wasn’t really until December that that seemed to not be going anywhere. Le Mans came a little bit later. It’s still prestigious; it’s still something that you want to do."

Q: Did you have many opportunities apart from Champion?

"I spoke with Bentley, but that was always a bit difficult to know which way they were going. I spoke a little bit with Stefan [Johansson], and then this thing came up with the Champion team. It had to be an Audi or an Audi type, otherwise it wasn’t worth doing it."

Q: How did the test day go after nine years away from the track?

"That was OK. It took a bit of time to get used to, because you don’t get that much running, even though it was a long session. The lap is three and a half minutes, so you don’t get that much time in the car. So there’s still going to be a little bit of adjustment. But you’ve got 24 hours to do that, and as long as you’re consistent, it doesn’t really matter too much."

Q: What’s the potential of a private entry against the works cars?

"I think Stefan keeps proving that it’s possible to beat them, because he’s actually been in front when something’s happened. Qualifying doesn’t matter, and I don’t think we’ll beat them, but in the race I think we’ve got a chance of doing it."

Q: Can you see anyone else challenging the Audis?

"Not really, at least no one who is reliable. The Bentley will be good for qualifying, but with the tyres it’s got and everything else, it won’t be in contention. It will slowly drop back."

Q: Are you enjoying being the main guy in a small team?

"It is enjoyable, because everybody’s working as a team. It’s the thing that’s always different about F1. That’s also a team thing, but the politics is always the part that’s not as nice."

Q: What are your thoughts about Michele Alboreto’s accident?

"Audi have been very good. They’ve really gone into the whole accident, and the issues that are there, they’ve ironed out. They’ve worked very, very hard to collect a lot of data, and they’ve been very, very sensible about it. Everybody is happy with the outcome of what they’ve done.

"What happened to Michele was a slow puncture. They did have some tyre sensors on it, but they didn’t work, they were not 100%. A slow puncture is very, very hard to detect, even as a driver. Although effectively the air goes out, the temperature keeps it up, and then eventually it goes bang. It was a bit of a freaky accident. He went and then he hit the grass, and it was the grass that caused the problem."

Q: What’s the story with Arrows? We all thought that was it, as F1 is concerned...

"Well it is, it’s just testing. Tom phoned me up after everything that didn’t happen for this year, and I thought why not. It still gives me an opportunity to drive a car. If I can help the team out, then great."

Q: Is it hard to get motivated when you’re not actually racing the thing?

"Yes, but it’s still fun. You still want to do well for yourself anyway. You keep getting mileage and you keep in it, so from that point of view it’s still great to do."

Q: How frustrating was it to lose your CART chance last winter?

"It was very late, but everything I kept getting was positive. I was basically told by Forsythe that everything was happening. The sponsors agreed, everything was agreed, within 10 days the whole thing was going to be done and dusted. But that was really the last conversation I had. It was just not nice, because I was so convinced it was going to happen."

Q: You’ve always mentioned the Indy 500. Does the IRL look more attractive now?

"Sure. The 500 is one of the three things I’ve always wanted to do. It’s a question of looking at it this year and seeing where it’s at, and who you’re going to talk to and what’s available. It’s a different form of racing that I haven’t done before, and it’s exciting to do that. It doesn’t scare me in any way."

Q: What’s it been like having only one race in your schedule?

"It hasn’t been that bad. It’s been nice spending time at home with the girls, which I haven’t done since they were born, so that side of it has been nice. But obviously one year’s enough!"

Q: After a couple of weeks at home don’t you think that you should be on a plane somewhere?

"No, because I made the decision myself, it’s been easier. If I was still hoping to do it and then it didn’t happen, I think then I’d feel a bit more resentful towards it. But I don’t feel that way, because I said enough is enough, I don’t want to do it any more. So that makes it much easier.

"I got a stir in the stomach at Monaco, because it was the first time I’ve actually watched from the outside. The last time was in ’87 when I was in the F3 race! This time I was on a boat going into Tabac, and it was lovely, the noise and everything else. So I do appreciate how lucky I have been to be able to drive one, because it’s a big thing. When you’re in it, you don’t see it! And I’d been doing it for 10 or 12 years, and I’d always been there."

This article is copyright Autosport, June 2001.