Norman Nato (Porsche Jota N°12): « It’s awesome »
The week has not been easy for the car that won the 6 Hours of Spa. Norman Nato will compete in his 7th 24 Hours of Le Mans within the No. 12 team. He remains enthusiastic despite the limited running due to the FP3 accident.
Norman Nato arrived this year in Hypercar, having already experienced LMP1 at its finest when he raced with SMP Racing and Rebellion. His reputation did not escape Porsche, who fielded him at Jota, in the second 963 entry by the British team this year.
Jota has become the first private team to win a round of the WEC overall, since the beginning of the Hypercar. However, since the start of the season, we haven’t been at the level, in terms of performance, admits the Cannois. What makes the team strong is that we are always there to seize an opportunity. And that’s what happened in Spa, when my teammates had both raced there.
Being the fastest is always a good help to win the most prestigious endurance race in the world. Jota has two cars this year, to maximize the team’s chances. “If there is one race where anything is possible, it’s Le Mans,” smiles Norman Nato. “We are not a factory team, so we can’t afford to blindly copy the competition’s strategy: it’s up to us to do our job to position ourselves in the right group.”
Debuts in Hypercar: an adaptation to perfect
Except for Will Stevens, all Jota drivers are experiencing their first test run in a Hypercar. The Porsche 963 has made significant progress since its debut last year and cars #12 and #38 can benefit from a good working tool.
(c) It’s really great to be able to drive a Hypercar, especially in a team where such a great atmosphere prevails. These will be my 7th 24 Hours of Le Mans and it hasn’t lost any of its magic. Whatever category you drive in, it’s like in Monaco: it’s great to drive there, especially after having been on the podium and driving in a fantastic field of drivers.
But Le Mans can be cruel even before the race: the No. 12 went off during free practice, preventing its drivers from participating in the Hyperpole and even FP3. Hence the importance of having two cars to collect data.
« Even if we didn’t drive on Thursday, it’s always a big plus to have a second car. This allows us to learn from one or another, who would take a turn differently or others » complete French. Especially with the rain that is announced, making this 92nd edition very uncertain. « Tire warming will be extremely complicated to manage, especially at night! »
