Stefan Mücke on start at the 24 hours of Le Mans for the eighth time

Berlin/Le Mans (rol/ot) “The atmosphere is unique and still gives me goose bumps.” That is what the German sports car pilot Stefan Mücke said before his eighth participation at the 24 hour race of Le Mans. The most important and hardest car race in the world, which will start on Saturday (14th of June) at 3pm, will be the third season event of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) same time. The Berlin will share the cockpit of the Vantage GTE V8 with starting number 97 on the 13.6 km long traditional track in northwest France with his two Aston Martin works driver colleagues Darren Turner (Great Britain) and Bruno Senna (Brazil).

“I am really looking forward to this race. The 24 hours of Le Mans are the season highlight and that not only for the WEC”, the 32 year old said, who is already in Le Mans since the Pentecost weekend and has a full schedule. “Besides test drives and training sessions there have been the traditional acceptance test in the city as well as autographing sessions, where thousands of fans have already been there and I have had a lot to sign”, Stefan Mücke said. “The whole schmear – with the drivers parade through the city on Friday – is always something very special for me, even if it is for the eighth time in a row for me now.”

But the most important thing will be the race itself, which the Berlin will start in an Aston Martin Vantage GTE V8 for the third year now. And he scored a good preliminary second starting position in the GTE Pro Class at the first Qualifying on late Wednesday evening (11th of June), which only lasted 50 minutes instead of 2 hours due to several crashes. The decision for the final starting grid is scheduled for Thursday evening (12th of June) with two more Qualifying sessions until midnight. “The position is not that important for the 24 hour race, but it would be nice to be at the front of the grid in this class”, Stefan Mücke said, who was on the podium on third position in his class the last two years.

“The podium is certainly my goal again this year, but a win in our class would be even better”, the Berlin said, who is on position four at the overall Gt drivers WEC ranking after the first two runs (third in Silverstone, fourth in Spa-Francorchamps) together with Turner. “The Vantage already proofed its stability. The most important thing is to cross the finish line after 24 hours. We will see if our performance is good enough to score a podium placing. We don’t have the same speed like our combatants due to the regulations of 5 mm more chassis clearance. Now we want to try to compensate that with strategy.”

And the family of the Berlin will be in Le Mans to cheer for him this year as well. He travelled to France together with his wife Annette and daughter Lucie. His father Peter Mücke, team principal of the Team kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport, will be there as well. “I am really happy about the support and everyone that keeps the fingers crossed for me”, Stefan Mücke said.

The Berlin had his first start in Le Mans in his debut year of motor sports in 2007. He has been the best Rookie and scored the fastest lap time of a benzene car in the LMP1 sports car prototype. In 2009 Stefan Mücke finished overall fourth and had his best placing in the LMP1 race car in Le Mans. The very same year he showed a great performance as champion of the Le Mans Series (LMS). In 2012 he scored the first podium placing at his premiere in a GT car on position three in Le Mans. And Stefan Mücke wants to have the great feeling to wave to more than 200.000 visitors from the podium again on Sunday afternoon (15th of June).

Stefan Mücke