Jean de Pourtales: “In the first moment I didn’t realise we had a serious problem”
Jun 20, 2007
The 24 Hours at Le Mans is not only the most famous race in the world but also one of the toughest challenges for drivers, crews and cars. Unfortunately, Kruse Motorsport, who are known for running a reliable and consistant car in the Le Mans Series were forced to retire after an engine failure.
Kai Kruse (Team Manager):
“It is needless to say that this is a very frustrating moment for us. After a month of intensive preparation and promising results in the Le Mans Series, we were looking forward to prove our reliability during a race distance of 24 hours. However, the result shows that this is a very unpredictable race, which is quite normal, given that the requirements in all technical and physical areas are considererable. We don’t know exactly what caused the engine failure but I want to thank all our partners for their great support here at Le Mans. There are still some big challenges waiting for us, so let’s think positively and focus on the next race at the Nürburgring. ”
Jean de Pourtales (Driver):
“It happened at midnight and I was just in 6th gear, when the engine suddenly cut off. In the first moment I didn’t realise we had a serious problem, but then, after I had managed to start the engine again and come back to the pits, the oil temperature was indicating nothing good. It is really sad, because we were just starting to move up the ranks again and the car seemed to run perfectly. I would have wished to achieve a reasonable result in my home race, so I am already considering to take part again in 2008. ”
Norbert Siedler (Driver):
“Even if we run very reliably in the Le Mans Series, it was quite clear from the beginning that there was no guarantee to finish over this long race distance. Anyway, it was a great experience for me to participate in this event in front of so many spectators. The Le Mans 24 hour race is highly rated everywhere but what what I have experienced here exceeded my expecations by far. ”
