Nick Tandy, Earl Bamber and Nico Hulkenberg, Porsche, Le Mans, 2015

Hulkenberg wins on Le Mans debut with Tandy and Bamber

2015 Le Mans 24 Hours

14th June 2015, 14:0713th September 2019, 12:20 | Written by Keith Collantine

Nico Hulkenberg shared victory in his first attempt at the Le Mans 24 Hours with Porsche team mates Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber.

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The Force India driver contributed to Porsche’s 17th victory in the classic endurance race, increasing the wins tally of the most successful manufacturer in the race. The number 19 car covered 395 laps.

Porsche’s 919s finish first and second after seeing off a race-long challenge from rivals Audi. Mark Webber, Brendon Hartley and Timo Bernhard took second place, a lap behind their victorious team mates.

Last year’s winners Andre Lotterer, Marcel Fassler and Benoit Treluyer came third for Audi having made two extra stops for minor maintenance to the car including repairs to its engine cover.

Lucas di Grassi, Oliver Jarvis and Loic Duval took fourth place in another Audi. Duval suffered one of few incidents involving one of the front-running LMP1 cars after crashing on the approach to a slow zone early in the race. Despite heavy damage to the front nose the R18 Etron Quattro was swiftly serviced and returned to the fray.

The third Porsche of Romain Dunas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb finished fifth having started from pole position. The highest Toyota at the chequered flag was in sixth place – the car of Alexander Wurz, Stephane Sarrazin and Mike Conway finishing eight laps adrift.

The last of the Audis was seventh, delayed by a driveshaft change, followed by the second Toyota.

Just one of Nissan’s trio of unconventional front-engined LMP1 racers saw the chequered flag. Michael Krumm, Harry Tincknell and Alex Buncombe were still running in 40th place at the end of the race, but only completed 242 laps in the last car still going at the end.

Hulkenberg is the first regular F1 competitor to win at Le Mans since 1991, when Mazda’s winning car featured Johnny Herbert (Lotus) and Bertrand Gachot (Jordan) in its line-up. However Lotterer started last year’s Belgian Grand Prix for Caterham after taking his third Le Mans win.

F1 drivers who won at Le Mans

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192 comments on “Hulkenberg wins on Le Mans debut with Tandy and Bamber”

Malik (@)
14th June 2015, 14:08
Nico Hulkenberg hasn’t fulfilled his full potential yet
I would like to see him in Ferrari or Mercedes in 2016
Look at his achievements:
2005 Formula BMW ADAC champion
2007 A1 GP team Germany champion
2008 Formula 3 Euro series champion
2009 GP2 champion
2015 Le Mans Winner :)
1. Yes Master
  14th June 2015, 14:15
  That’s why no one understands how he didn’t have an opportunity yet in a F1 top team.
2. Strontium (@strontium)
  14th June 2015, 14:22
  @malik I completely agree, he deserves so much more than where he is now.
  1. Malik (@)
    14th June 2015, 14:25
    @Strontium: But for the moment and using his words I feel super happy for him. I don’t think there is any motorsport fan who don’t like to see him winning :)
    1. vtf
      14th June 2015, 14:56
      Absolutely! GO HULK!!! (:
      1. mickey18 (@mickey18)
        14th June 2015, 15:02
        Maybe a bit ambitious, but Hulk goes to Ferrari next year and wins in Monaco, then with no pesky third car in front of him Webber wins Le Mans, and we have two great guys with two of the triple crown.
      2. vtf
        14th June 2015, 15:40
        Yeah that certainly crossed my mind! Montoya to LeMans, Hulk to Ferrari, Webber to IndyCar! lol
      3. safeeuropeanhome (@debaser91)
        14th June 2015, 17:45
        JPM needs to give Le Mans a go. I am certain he could win it and it would be awesome to have another driver win the Triple Crown.
      4. vtf
        14th June 2015, 21:25
        I’m sure he could win Le Mans. Will he give it a go? I dunno.
3. safeeuropeanhome (@debaser91)
  14th June 2015, 15:03
  If Raikkonen goes Hulkenberg deserves that second Ferrari seat. Definitely more so than Bottas who is the name I keep seeing in the press as the most likely replacement.
  1. Malik (@)
    14th June 2015, 15:12
    @debaser91: The only problem for Hulkenberg that I see is that he is German, so the British media that dominates F1 overhype the other non-German drivers like Bottas and Verstappen especially Martin Brundle. I hope that Hulkenberg gets the Ferrari seat when Raikkonen retires.
    By the way I am ready for the attack now :)
    People don’t like to hear the truth if they don’t like it
    1. Fletch (@fletchuk)
      14th June 2015, 15:21
      Oh no! you have discovered our secret conspiracy to not promote German drivers in the media
    2. safeeuropeanhome (@debaser91)
      14th June 2015, 15:23
      I’m not so sure that’s true. The British media definitely overhype British drivers (Paul di Resta is one obvious example) but I don’t think they care either way about drivers of other nationalities.
      Sebastian Vettel certainly got plenty of hype in the British media when he was at Toro Rosso. He also got plenty of stick when he started winning things but that’s another issue. It seems everyone in the whole world is excited by Verstappen, it’s not just a British thing. A 17 year old in F1 and so far he has done not too bad, of course there will be interest. I’m not really sure why Bottas is so heralded, I mean he is good but I favour Hulkenberg myself. Maybe the whole ‘flying Finn’ thing with Bottas helps him in that respect.
      1. Malik (@)
        14th June 2015, 15:35
        @debaser91: please go back to 2008 Monza and listen to Matrin Brundle when Vettel finished the race :)
      2. safeeuropeanhome (@debaser91)
        14th June 2015, 15:47
        I don’t care what he said. Even if he wasn’t complementary, Martin Brundle is only one man and he does not represent the British media as a whole. I remember reading things in the press about Vettel being the next Schumacher many a time, and that only increased after that win at Monza.
      3. David-A (@david-a)
        14th June 2015, 21:31
        @malik – To quote Brundle:
        “Fully deserved”, “Brilliant drive”, “Faultless in difficult conditions”
    3. bola
      14th June 2015, 15:47
      I’ve heard of Brundle being Hulkenberg fan, were they joking?
      1. bola
        14th June 2015, 15:49
        I agree with you by the way. In terms of British drivers and British press. But that’s to be expected I guess. Though, I would prefer an impartial&international&professional broadcast.
      2. safeeuropeanhome (@debaser91)
        14th June 2015, 16:02
        Yes I remember when Coulthard and Eddie Jordan were saying Paul di Resta was an outstanding candidate for a Mercedes drive lol. It didn’t really work out for him though because there was a backlash against him in the UK exactly because he was overhyped. Jenson Button got it to a similar extent as well in the early to mid 00s before he started to win things.
      3. Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
        14th June 2015, 16:16
        That’s because Brundle can recognise talent, he battled with one A. Senna for the British F3 title way back when..
    4. Sharon H (@sharoncom)
      14th June 2015, 17:03
      I wouldn’t describe Marting Brundle as not hyping Hulkenberg, personally. He comes across as a fan of him and often talks him up in commentary.
    5. yathish
      14th June 2015, 18:43
      u r in a illusion mate martin brindle always backed hulkenberg ..If u watched last season F1 races at the starting he always embraced his fight with Alonso get our stats right.
    6. Woody (@woodyd91)
      6th July 2015, 9:25
      Brundle has been one of Hulkenberg’s largest and most vocal supporters, even when his praised wasn’t warranted. So I’m not sure how you can say that.
  2. haidi
    14th June 2015, 15:47
    I think Vettel & Hülkenberg would be a BRILLIANT line-up for Ferrari. They are similar to Hamilton-Rosberg in the way that they’ve had a journey together since they were kids. But I believe they are more level in terms of talent, so they would push each much more than those 2, and it would be brilliant racing for the fans!
    1. Key (@key75)
      15th June 2015, 11:07
      +1! I want Kimi to go away when he feels it (I suppose 2016) and then Hulk comes in! After Seb & Kimi, Seb & Hulk is the 2nd best match for Ferrari!
4. vtf
  14th June 2015, 22:03
  #HulkToFerrari
  1. Nathan (@il-ferrarista)
    15th June 2015, 4:52
    #HulkToFerrariASAPZULU
    1. Nathan (@il-ferrarista)
      15th June 2015, 4:53
      Plus, congratulations Hulk and not at least Porsche!!!
  2. fatma
    15th June 2015, 9:59
    #ForzaHulk
Patrick (@paeschli)
14th June 2015, 14:09
Give him a competitive car and he can win in every motorsport category. He proved it again today.
1. matiascasali (@matiascasali)
  14th June 2015, 23:21
  doesn’t it apply to every other f1 driver? Maldonado have a competitive car and won at Barcelona!
  1. dragoll (@dragoll)
    15th June 2015, 1:27
    @matiascasali I think you are over simplifying it a little. While most drivers in F1 have a good chance of winning a championship in the most dominate car, its a case of Hulkenberg having 0 chance of showing anything in the Force India, or a Sauber, or a Manner of this year.
  2. Todfod (@todfod)
    15th June 2015, 7:00
    Maldonado have a competitive car and won at Barcelona
    @matiascasali
    Maldonado had a competitive car most of that season, and he crashed it at almost every opportunity he could find.
    1. KwekuQ (@kwekuq)
      17th June 2015, 14:03
      Totally agree. But more useless was his teammate. Hulk in that williams would have done very well.
Morty Vicar (@mortyvicar)
14th June 2015, 14:09
The best Le Mans I’ve ever watched, including the ones I attended live (2008, 2011, 2013). The racing was relentless. Brilliant result for Nico Hulkenberg, Mark Webber, Brendon Hartley, Neel Jani and the rest of the Porsche team!
1. Fletch (@fletchuk)
  14th June 2015, 15:22
  +1 superb!
2. vtf
  14th June 2015, 15:50
  It was a brilliant win for Hulkenberg and co. Very exciting race to watch too.
3. dragoll (@dragoll)
  15th June 2015, 1:28
  I’ve watched a few le mans over the years, not really a fan of WEC, but this year I think I may have actually be converted. I may now watch more races. The racing was hard and fast, the race over teh weekend was great.
4. DaveD (@daved)
  15th June 2015, 4:32
  After that brilliant battle at Spa, and now this fantastic #24houroflemans, I’m thoroughly enjoying WEC! I still love F1, but I don’t miss ANY WEC now. Always something great going on and so much cool technology and talented drivers. AND…they seem to be positively promoting their sport, not tearing it down from everyone at the top down to the teams….like F1 is want to do. :(
Crackers (@crackers)
14th June 2015, 14:12
Poor old Mark Webber. Gets himself a good car in 2010 and gets beaten to the win by a younger German, Gets himself a good car in 2015 and gets by a younger German.
1. Patrick (@paeschli)
  14th June 2015, 14:17
  Poor Alonso too :P He must hate Honda right now …
  1. bola
    14th June 2015, 14:40
    Please let’s not start with the “Alonso would have win if it wasn’t for blablabla” rant….
    1. Patrick (@paeschli)
      14th June 2015, 15:01
      It’s funny you say that to me, I’m probably the biggest Alonso hater here… :p
      What I was trying to say : having an awful engine in F1 and not being able to participate in le Mans due to Honda, it’s gotta be tough for him.
      But hey, at least he earns 30 million a year or something…
      1. vtf
        14th June 2015, 21:31
        I’m not anybody’s hater. But I’m tired of hearing this relentless claims regarding Alonso. After I’d made that comment I saw an article talking about EXACTLY that, unbelievable…
2. DonSmee (@david-beau)
  14th June 2015, 15:06
  Cruel irony was that Webber caused his own loss. (overtaking under yellows). Sigh. Mark will never get his day…
  1. Will Wood (@willwood)
    14th June 2015, 15:44
    @david-beau Actually, it was Hartley that was responsible for earning the penalty for overtaking under yellows. It’s just that Webber was driving when the #17 car was penalised for it.
  2. yathish
    14th June 2015, 18:48
    actually it was Hartley.. anyway he hulk passed Webber on merit before the penalty.
  3. christopheraser
    15th June 2015, 2:29
    From the footage I have seen I’m not even sure that Hartley was at fault. It’s pretty harsh to give a 1 minute penalty for what looked like a clean move to me.
  4. DaveD (@daved)
    15th June 2015, 4:58
    No, it was not Webber. They were very clear that Hartley caused the penalty by overtaking under yellow right before he came in. When Webber took over, the stewards made “Car #17” take the penalty and Webber happened to be driving that stint.
3. Ed Marques (@edmarques)
  14th June 2015, 18:32
  Hahahah i was about to write this
4. dragoll (@dragoll)
  15th June 2015, 1:32
  @crackers I swear Mark is very unlucky. However, if I was to rank his talent, he’s definitely 2nd to Vettel, and I would say, he’s 2nd to a Hulkenberg. But in this case, he was just plain unlucky… But if you’re going to win Le Mans, you need lots of luck.
dam00r (@dam00r)
14th June 2015, 14:13
2017 McLaren line-up = Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen.
1. Sven (@crammond)
  14th June 2015, 14:18
  @dam00r Why should Hülkenberg go to McLaren? I´d imagine he´d rather switch to WEC fully than go backwards on the F1-grid.
  1. RL
    14th June 2015, 14:38
    It may not be with Mclaren, but I suspect Hulkenberg would rather chase his with GP win than a second Le Mans. Having this in his resume would only make him even more attractive to the top teams. There had been whispers he was to be nothing more than a mid pack driver. It’s not an F1 win but a timely reminder of his talents.
2. PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
  14th June 2015, 14:32
  @dam00r And on top of that why would they choose Hulk above Vandoorne? Or Magnussen above either of them.
  I would not be jealous on the fools who sign contracts with Honda…
3. Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
  14th June 2015, 15:23
  @dam00r McLaren could have signed him for 2013 but chose Perez + £5m, which was a benefit for them in the end. They’d be best served now running Magnussen & Vandoorne and spending the extra £20m+ on building a top car!
  1. Sharon H (@sharoncom)
    14th June 2015, 17:07
    There were rumours that Hulkenberg’s height and weight were a factor in deciding on Perez over him. Magnussen and Vandoorne looks weak on the technical feedback front, which is important for car development.
    1. PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
      14th June 2015, 17:42
      Magnussen and Vandoorne looks weak on the technical feedback front.
      @sharoncom Give me any article even remotely suggesting that.
      1. Sharon H (@sharoncom)
        14th June 2015, 17:48
        They are too inexperienced.
      2. Nathan (@il-ferrarista)
        15th June 2015, 4:55
        Just HOW Sharon H? Explain.
      3. fatma
        15th June 2015, 10:06
        It’s rather self-explanatory one would think… How would you know that they are performing at a high enough level? There is almost no basis.
4. vtf
  14th June 2015, 21:41
  HULKENBERG TO FERRARI!!!
5. fatma
  14th June 2015, 21:42
  No. Ferrari should DEFINITELY get the mighty Hulk.
6. Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
  15th June 2015, 10:24
  mclaren has zero room with K-Mag and Vandoorne waiting in the wings
uan (@uan)
14th June 2015, 14:15
Only one word – WooHoo!
1. DaveD (@daved)
  15th June 2015, 5:00
  Never argue with…Racer X!!!
Atticus (@atticus-2)
14th June 2015, 14:17
Nico Hulkenberg just won a race for the first time since 2009, actually, and he was rather nonplussed about it during his interview – I’m sure he just didn’t realise what he achieved just yet.
What a performance from the #19 Porsche.
Was sad for Webber getting ‘only’ 2nd – I’m sure he will have his opportunities later on, he has to take just one to be a Le Mans winner.
1. BasCB (@bascb)
  14th June 2015, 15:08
  I think its kind of fitting for Webber to come home in 2nd behind a German @atticus-2 :-)
  1. Atticus (@atticus-2)
    14th June 2015, 16:00
    Oh, the irony, @bascb. :)
2. Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
  14th June 2015, 15:14
  @atticus-2 “Not bad for a number 2 driver!” – I just had to say it :D. But this is a great win for talent – Hulkenberg, Bamber and Tandy. Was Bamber even racing anything in 2012 before Porsche gave him a chance?
  1. Fletch (@fletchuk)
    14th June 2015, 15:25
    “Multi 1917”
  2. vtf
    14th June 2015, 15:54
    It was brilliant drive from all 3 drivers of #19. They really made the difference. It was a flawless drive that was translated into a magnificent result!
    1. Sharon H (@sharoncom)
      14th June 2015, 17:17
      +1
      They brought that car back without so much of a dent on it and had no penalties. That didn’t happen by accident.
zippyone (@zippyone)
14th June 2015, 14:18
Congratulations to Hulkenberg and the Porsche team, a great Le Mans race.
1. Nathan (@il-ferrarista)
  15th June 2015, 4:59
  So much better than F1 these days, isn’t it?
Will Wood (@willwood)
14th June 2015, 14:18
Really pleased for all the Porsche guys, but I won’t lie – I love the fact that Nico Hulkenberg just won this race.
So, so awesome.
Hulk. Smash.
1. vtf
  14th June 2015, 14:57
  +1
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
14th June 2015, 14:21
Superb race ! Hulk and Tandy’s night stint won them the race !
What a fantastic event ! I didn’t know who to chose. I wanted Mark to win and he’d have done it, maybe, without that penalty, but Hulk is my 2nd favourite so that works well for me !
I’ve just watched 17 of the 24 hours and I’m ecstatic !
Ciaran (@ciaran)
14th June 2015, 14:22
Good race, even if on-track battles were lacking. Was nice to just sit back and enjoy racing without complications. Would have been better if the bottom half of the LMP1 field actually bothered to show up though…
1. Antonio Nartea (@tony031r)
  14th June 2015, 14:29
  One can hope for a japanese resurgence next year.
  1. Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
    14th June 2015, 15:15
    Only if Toyota, Honda and Nissan can get their hybrid systems working!
  2. DaveD (@daved)
    15th June 2015, 5:03
    @tony031r
    Nissan is a huge unknown for next year because they didn’t even have their hybrid system working so we have no idea what they can really do. And Toyota is going to be going to a turbo engine and most likely switching to batteries and the 8MJ category.
    So both Japanese entries will be complete unknowns next year. Could be great, could be a joke…but both Germans will come back STRONG. They take this stuff seriously and they are great engineering teams.
    1. Antonio Nartea (@tony031r)
      15th June 2015, 12:19
      @daved
      True. It’s Toyota that I’m putting my hopes on. That car they had last year was damn fast and I don’t see why with 8MJ they couldn’t propell themselves up into contention once again. Nissan on the other hand is a whole different story. Their issues seem to go way past their lack in hybrid power.
    2. kpcart
      15th June 2015, 13:17
      they must have had some of it working, i read somewhere they were using it for front wheels, where originally they wanted to use it for rear wheels. they were doing 340kmh on the straights just like audi and porsche, they were just far slower in turns and very slow out of turns. i doubt they will make up 20seconds a lap in one year, when the others will continue developing forward, i think next year they will still be 4th of manufacturers, but hopefully only 5 seconds off the pace.
2. Bernard
  14th June 2015, 14:36
  “On track battles lacking”… rubbish. Clearly you were watching a different race.
Jules Winfield (@jules-winfield)
14th June 2015, 14:27
I watched just to see how Hulk did. I’m so happy he won – what a fairytale moment it must be for him!
1. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
  14th June 2015, 17:39
  +1 – No doubt this must be a vindication for him! Not many F1 drivers can boast of winning LeMans. I just wish he could get a better drive in F1.
  1. bola
    14th June 2015, 21:44
    I really hope Ferrari get him. But now he will be the only Le Mans winner on grid come Sunday in Austria. He should be the most popular guy there!!!
PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
14th June 2015, 14:33
As a massive Webber fan since ’02 I cannot hide I am dissapointed he did not win but as a lifetime Porsche fan I shed a few tears.
1. Atticus (@atticus-2)
  14th June 2015, 14:36
  And it’s so bad that but for his pass during yellow, he might have won it. He made his own bad luck this time, most likely.
  I really hope he’ll get his chances (and another series of good breaks) in the next few years.
  1. PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
    14th June 2015, 14:37
    @atticus-2 I thought it was Hartley who made the pass on yellow. Webber had to do the time though.
    1. toiago (@toiago)
      14th June 2015, 14:41
      You are right, @xtwl, it was Hartley who committed the infraction.
      1. Atticus (@atticus-2)
        14th June 2015, 14:47
        Oh, must have missed that. I thought it was Webber for that prolonged slow zone around Mulsanne corner and his electric – and tight – duel with one of the Audis. (I thought he made a mistake under pressure.)
        Thanks for clearing that up, though.
        @xtwl
    2. BasCB (@bascb)
      14th June 2015, 15:09
      I am pretty sure it was Webber who made the infraction though.
      1. PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
        14th June 2015, 15:49
        @bascb It was Hartley. Webber had to do the penalty.
      2. Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
        14th June 2015, 15:51
        @bascb it wasn’t, it was Hartley. The notification of the investigation came just as Mark was doing his 1st or 2nd lap of the day. It was later confirmed that it was Hartley’s incident that earned the penalty.
      3. BasCB (@bascb)
        14th June 2015, 18:08
        Ah, thanks for clearing that one up then guys!
  2. CountryGent (@countrygent)
    14th June 2015, 15:32
    @atticus-2 @xtwl I personally doubt the penalty made a difference. Tandy and Hulkenberg were just too fast into the evening and overnight, and even #17 frontman Bernhard couldn’t beat them. That is what I mean by an awkward result: Tandy and Hulkenberg were the two best Porsche drivers at Le Mans this year.
    1. PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
      14th June 2015, 15:46
      @countrygent I agree the penalty would not have mattered. A well times SC that reduced the Porsche 17 lead by 32 seconds however did…
      1. Atticus (@atticus-2)
        14th June 2015, 15:59
        Yes, the SC definitely came in handy for the #19.
      2. Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
        14th June 2015, 16:23
        @xtwl Fair enough, and with the OTT penalty costing 1 minute 15 ish, that’s half a lap, but, what about the other half?
      3. PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
        14th June 2015, 16:28
        @fastiesty It’s all ifs and buts but it was equally possible that the #17 was going to win. The #19 had quite some thing playing right into their cards but also that is needed in Le Mans.
      4. Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
        14th June 2015, 16:32
        @xtwl I can understand that, at the time they were both close on the track and the penalty did start to create the gap. Without it, it’s interesting to wonder if the #19 would have simply pulled away or not..
      5. Sharon H (@sharoncom)
        14th June 2015, 17:20
        The #19 got a Safety Car group behind earlier on in the race. It’s swings and roundabouts.
      6. jale
        14th June 2015, 17:29
        The point is there was a penalty. Because #17 overtook under yellow flags. Punished. End of.
        #19 didn’t make any mistake. In the end drivers might have very well made the difference.
    2. vtf
      14th June 2015, 15:57
      Absolutely best drivers: Tandy and Hülkenberg! They made the difference in the end, along with Bamber, with their flawless drive.
2. kpcart
  15th June 2015, 13:19
  Mark Webber looked very happy after the race, i am sure he was happy that this project he wanted to be involved with has come along so quick that they won, only he was in the other porsche car. he still looked mighty pleased. he has many more opportunities ahead of him in coming years.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
14th June 2015, 14:33
Right, I’m going out to buy a Porsche tomorrow.
Not a 911 though, they keep setting themselves on fire…
1. toiago (@toiago)
  14th June 2015, 14:36
  You can always go for the 919, then!
  1. PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
    14th June 2015, 14:38
    @toiago I’d love to own a 964, and had the chance to buy a proper 904 but that was not the time sadly.
    1. Fletch (@fletchuk)
      14th June 2015, 15:29
      @xtwl – I used to have a 964, I hope if you get one you enjoy it as much as I did!
      (also I hope your gearbox and electrics last longer than mine)
  2. Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
    14th June 2015, 14:40
    haha, I think the price of those has just gone through the roof.
    1. BasCB (@bascb)
      14th June 2015, 15:10
      if there are actually any left for sale (doubt any of the owners would like to sell it already)
      1. matt90 (@matt90)
        14th June 2015, 19:14
        Are there even any privateers with them? That surprised me this year, that there weren’t one or two LMP teams running last year’s main contenders. I don’t remember it happening since the 908 and R10.
2. DaveD (@daved)
  15th June 2015, 5:08
  I’m seriously looking at buying a 911 again. I’d love to get the new 960 coming in 2017, but even if I can afford it…it’s just silly to spend that kind of money on a car. Of course, if you’re an oil sheik, it’s like the rest of us buying a $5 lunch. LOL
mickey18 (@mickey18)
14th June 2015, 14:34
Thrilled for them!
As other people have mentioned I’m just waiting for a mega team of Webber/Hulk/Alonso (or Button) in the future at Porsche. But until then, lets just hope we can keep Hulk for a few more years here in F1. I’m sure Ferrari are the only ones that can influence his decision. If there’s no guarantee by 2017 then he best be off.
I’ve seen a bit of Bamber and Tandy before, but they (obviously) really impressed me today. I knew when Hulk was in the car he wasn’t going to throw it away. But the other two did just as good a job, Tandy it seems perhaps even better.
Happy for Webber, Hartley and Bernhard as well, just a great result today!
1. PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
  14th June 2015, 14:35
  If we’re really honest Hulk did a great job but it was Tandy who had the bigger impact. His stints were mighty impressive.
  1. BasCB (@bascb)
    14th June 2015, 15:11
    yeah, Tandy was the fast guy in the car, although Hulk did a good job too, he was not quite as fast.
Verstappen GP (@verstappengp)
14th June 2015, 14:43
Yes Lotterer drove F1 last year. But at the time of the Le Mans race he wasn’t a current F1 driven. I don’t even think Caterham was sold by Fernandes at the time.
Yoshisune (@yobo01)
14th June 2015, 14:51
This is huge for Hulkenberg. Winning at Le Mans is something that very few people do, winning in his first experience and while still competing in F1 is incredible.
Nico seemed rather calm in his interview after the race, but Tandy described really well how important it is to win at Le Mans.
I’m very happy for him and hopefully this will lead to more F1 drivers having a bit of fun at Le Mans.
1. kpcart
  15th June 2015, 13:22
  For Tandy this would have been a dream, for Hulkenburg it was a 2nd choice to F1, but i think this win will grow on him and he will want to do more of this sort of racing, even if not straight away while he continues his f1 dream first.
haidi
14th June 2015, 14:52
What a fantastic result for the Incredible Hulk! I am so so happy for him. I hope this is the beginning of an incredibly successful period with many wins for him. Both in F1 and in WEC.
Obviously #19 Porsche had an impeccable race in terms of reliability. However, it wouldn’t be wrong to say their drivers made an undeniable difference. All 3 of them were very fast and without faultless! Amazing endurance from both #19 Porsche car and its drivers: Nick Tandy, Earl Bamber, and Nicolas Hülkenberg. Very well-earned result for all of them. This was one of my favorite races of all time.
Nick (@npf1)
14th June 2015, 14:55
Absolutely amazing. 2 rookies and one driver who isn’t the most experienced in endurance racing and they go on, have a largely faultless race and win the Le Mans 24 hours. Have to say my eyes went a bit watery after Hulkenberg’s radio transmission, to finally see him get a big win like this is just amazing.
Broke my own record of hours watched to 19, which isn’t what I expected, as this is the first time I’ve watched it while having a full time job. Though I have to admit I was less aware of the GT classes than the past few years, it’s great to see Chevrolet win after Magnussen’s crash, though it’s hard not to feel bad for Aston Martin, the amount of bad luck those guys have had at Le Mans is pretty staggering..
Fixy (@)
14th June 2015, 15:12
Truly inspiring for athletes worldwide and for current F1 drivers most of all. Perhaps Nico is better at driving this type of cars than current F1 machinery, but until he remains in midfield teams he is in all respects a “wasted talent” because his CV is one of the most impressive out there. He may have not shown signs of a champion since he almost won Brazil 2012, but this achievement proves doubters wrong – and possibly leaves a few team principals wondering…
1. Polo (@polo)
  14th June 2015, 15:34
  @fixy I would argue that he has shown signs of a champion at regular points in his career, perhaps up until the 2014 rule changes.
  In his 2010 rookie season he got pole at Brazil. He didn’t compete in 2011. On his return in 2012 he was behind Di Resta at the start of the season, but began to dominate him later in the season and almost won in Brazil. In 2013 he absolutely crushed Gutierrez 18-1 in qualifying, 13-2 in races, and 51-6 in points.
  Then for 2014 he missed out on a Ferrari drive, allegedly due to being too tall/heavy, which has become a bigger factor under the new regulations. I think the fact that his weight disadvantage has become more significant under these new regulations is perhaps why he hasn’t been as impressive since 2014 (it is clearly a tangible disadvantage, as it was enough to convince Ferrari to pass him up). Even so, he has still had some impressive moments, such as scoring 10 consecutive points finishes in the first 10 races of 2014.
2. Kotrba (@kotrba)
  14th June 2015, 16:14
  Who knows how would have his career evolved if he had avoided crashing into Ham at Brasil 2012 and perhaps won the race.
  1. Sharon H (@sharoncom)
    14th June 2015, 17:29
    Since he’d already signed for Sauber by then, probably not by much.
3. dour
  14th June 2015, 17:32
  Now I wonder how some of the good qualifiers would do in Le Mans since they keep pushing almost whole race.
  1. DaveD (@daved)
    15th June 2015, 5:10
    That’s a very good question! The driving in Le Mans has become almost a total sprint race and slow laps only come when they deal with traffic. They were turning laps within 1-5 seconds of pole times the entire race.
CountryGent (@countrygent)
14th June 2015, 15:23
What an awkward Le Mans result! The #19 did not win because of the kind of circumstances associated with an unexpected result at Le Mans, but because, when it mattered, the drivers were better. It was not the Le Mans rookies that nosed the 919 into barriers at Mulsanne twice, nor was it the LMP newbies that earned a one minute stop-go penalty for overtaking under yellows. And at night, when the 919 was at its best versus the Audis, who was it that fully exploited the opportunity? An immensely experienced GT superstar, the current Supercup champion and the F1 driver. I fail to see how Porsche can afford not to promote both Tandy and Bamber to permanent race seats.
And then there’s the F1 driver. He was perhaps not as central to the shock victory as Tandy’s stunningly consistent and ferocious nighttime pace, but you would still say that Hulkenberg drove a better Le Mans than most of Porsche’s WEC regulars. And as is the hallmark of a great, versatile driver, he looked to gain pace and confidence as each stint passed. His dusk stint was the sheer brilliance: Lotterer-esque.
I have always maintained that Nico is deserving of a seat at F1’s top table, and fully confident that the Q3 appearances and top five finishes would translate in race victories in a more capable car. If that opportunity does continue to elude Nico, he can be assured that the there is an alternative career path: the F3, GP2 and now Le Mans champion WILL return to La Sarthe.
1. Patrick (@paeschli)
  14th June 2015, 17:58
  Loved reading your comment :)
  People are saying it’s a shame Webber lost this one but in the end, the #19 squad was the only to have a 100% trouble-free race. Impressive, given they are all LMP1 rookies.
  1. CountryGent (@countrygent)
    14th June 2015, 20:48
    @paeschli I would argue that both the #19 and the #17 had largely trouble-free races (yes, the #19 did gain thirty seconds on the #17 through a timely safety car) but only the #17 squad put in an error-free race of the P1 contenders.
    1. CountryGent (@countrygent)
      14th June 2015, 20:49
      #19! Sorry!
      1. vtf
        14th June 2015, 21:49
        I agree with you. This sort of reminds me of an unexpected team winning in F1 and all the big teams getting kind of shocked and a bit angry. Like Monza 2008.
    2. Evans (@earmitage)
      15th June 2015, 5:42
      They did overtake under yellows and lost 1:30 because of that.
tmax (@tmax)
14th June 2015, 15:33
Congrats to Nico Hulk for the debut Win. Means a lot for him … He definitely deserved bigger opportunities in F1 although in 2015, I was little less impressed with him. I felt Sergio Perez was doing a better job than him in 2015 in the the Force India. I did hear many times that his weight could be a a factor working against him in F1. Not sure if this is an accurate thing.
It was very refreshing to watch the Le Mans race although I must admit that I have not followed WEC like F1. The TV coverage in Americas was not very inspiring though. They could have done a little better job.
No comment about Le Mans go without a reference to F1. A welcome change from the monotonous and unimpressive F1 of late. I know I am singing to the choir but yes this year seems to be terrible in general because of the monopoly of Mercedes and Lewis compounded with the rules and everything. The Red Bull Vettel years were much much better than this year. The 2004 Schumacher year might be close to this year. Right now F1 seems to be lost. The Punch or something is missing. Usually for the last 25 years I would put anything on hold to watch the Start of a F1 race. not any more !!! I am tending to skip this more often this year than the last 2 decades !!!! Hoping something will change soon for the better !!!! Meanwhile Many COngrats to Le Mans and WEC for the wonderful show. I am sure many current and prospective F1 drivers might be having a second thoughts now !!!!
1. vtf
  14th June 2015, 16:05
  I hope we see Hulk+Vettel at Ferrari. Now that would be brilliant. They would very much push each other.
  1. Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
    14th June 2015, 16:31
    Rosberg, Hamilton, Vettel, Hulkenberg.. that would be a great top 4 cars in F1. 3 GP2 champions at first time of asking, while Vettel was winning WSR when fast-tracked into the BMW/Toro Rosso in 2007.
    Following them? Grosjean, Ricciardo, Bottas and Vergne, not bad either..
    1. vtf
      14th June 2015, 17:33
      Absolutely agree with you. +1
      It would be amazing if Hulk got the Ferrari drive.
    2. kpcart
      15th June 2015, 9:13
      you forgot Alonso, and throw Rosberg out of that list.
wificats (@wificats)
14th June 2015, 15:54
Small correction @keithcollantine: the #19 Porsche’s 395 laps did not set a new record for the event. Audi completed 397 laps in the 2010 race.
Dmitry (@)
14th June 2015, 15:57
Oh my goodness, WEC, such a spectacle, so many different cars and awesome drivers. 24 hours of racing with gaps bigger than 1 lap are still much more interesting than 2 hours of F-1 boredom festival.
1. Ed Marques (@edmarques)
  14th June 2015, 18:34
  So don’t watch F1
JohnBt (@johnbt)
14th June 2015, 15:57
Historical win, all three drivers first time racing in LeMans 24hr if I’m not wrong.
Congrats to Hulk and his team-mates.
1. PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
  14th June 2015, 16:02
  Tandy drove their twice already in GTE.
ben (@djdapimp)
14th June 2015, 16:10
nico hulkenberg just won the internet!!
Keamo
14th June 2015, 16:13
Go Hulk!
Ferrari needs to sign this lad.
1. vtf
  14th June 2015, 17:34
  +1000000…..
  Vettel+Hulkenberg!!!!
2. kpcart
  15th June 2015, 9:15
  maybe they should hire his teammate Tandy who drove better then Hulk but is getting little recognition.
Jonny Edwards (@racectrl)
14th June 2015, 16:45
I felt so emotional for the hulk after his le Mans victory – Not only because he deserved to win it but because F1 has lost a superstar. I personally believe he will fulfill this contract with Force India and then migrate to sportscars permanently. What a shame if that turns out to be the case.
Mayank (@mjf1fan)
14th June 2015, 16:46
Wow! Just Wow. What a popular win this has been. The Hulk winning LeMans on his debut. I dont remember any win by any F1 driver in recent past where everyone had compliments for the winner. It just shows how much love Hulk gets from fans on this site.
Seriously Ferrari need to rethink on Hulkenberg, if they are dropping Kimi after this year. The guy comes with no baggage, very down to earth, is very fast and consistent. He will push Vettel to his limits. F1 will lose a real star and talent if they don’t give him a top team seat in near future.
Finally just want to say – WOOOO HOOOOOOO !!
1. Sharon H (@sharoncom)
  14th June 2015, 17:33
  Nationality may well be a sticking point given he and Vettel are both German.
2. vtf
  14th June 2015, 17:36
  It would be amazing for both Ferrari and F1 if Hulkenberg got the Ferrari drive!
Sharon H (@sharoncom)
14th June 2015, 17:34
Is Nico Hulkenberg the first GP2 champion to win Le Mans?
Philip Mathen
14th June 2015, 17:37
Congrats to The Hulk and his team and of course,Porsche!
Say what you will about Force India and Mallya in particular, we tend to forget this would have been impossible without their consent. Just reinforces what I’ve felt all long: they’re all racers at heart! It’s just that Mallya’s messed up legacy of the airline has overshadowed everything he’s done for FI. He deserves every bit of pain that comes his way for what he did with the airline, but put that aside and what he and his mates have achieved with FI is as incredible as what they’ve helped the Hulk achieve! I am a huge Ferrari fan, but in almost 17 years that I’ve followed F1,few teams have make you genuinely wish that the underdog had a chance.
So I raise my glass to the supremely underrated genius that is Nicolas Hülkenberg is,and to the true racing spirit that Force India embodies,one that is so sorely lacking in the whine fest that is modern F1!
1. ben (@djdapimp)
  14th June 2015, 18:23
  totally agree credit should be given to force india for supporting their driver. id imagine it wouldnt have been that easy for them
2. vtf
  14th June 2015, 21:52
  I agree with you. Moreover I would love to see him at Ferrari…
3. StephenH
  14th June 2015, 22:52
  Bernie will now ensure a GP clashes with Le Mans every year from now, I fear.
  1. Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
    15th June 2015, 11:44
    Fear not. Jean Todt enjoys his Le Mans visits, is unlikely ever to permit another date clash after the 2013 debacle, and through the FIA is the one person able to veto that date for F1.
Philip Mathen
14th June 2015, 17:40
Gee quite a few typos and excuse the grammar! I just hate auto correct 😅
dam00r (@dam00r)
14th June 2015, 17:54
LeMans showed why you should not re-introduce refueling to Formula 1.
The fire incident with the Ferrari 458
1. RogerA
  14th June 2015, 18:32
  @dam00r Thats a reason but I think the fact it would destroy the racing by moving most of the action into the pits is the greater reason.
  Watching le mans i was reminded how atrociously dull watching stops including refueling are. the stops are just so slow & watching the car stationary in the pits been fueled is just boring. Its much better watching them out on track & not sitting in the pits.
  And because of the rules about fuel/tyres watching sportscar pit stops are even more boring because we see cars stationary for so much longer & the le mans director seemed to like showing us just about every stop.
  why did he/she think watching cars stationary in the pits for 60+ seconds is better than watching ontrack action?
  1. vtf
    14th June 2015, 21:55
    There are some people who think F1 should put a limit to number of people (pit crew) on pit lane. Imagine 50 sec pits for a 90 min race.
Spencer Ward (@)
14th June 2015, 18:01
The support for Hulk is amazing and I for one am really happy for the guy who’s had a tough go of late in F1.
It just goes to show the mentality of both the WEC and F1 at the moment. 2 rookies, and one of which basically only had the 6 hrs of Spa as an endurance racing background, win the 24 hours of Le Mans and it’s celebrated like hell, which is awesome. If this happened in F1, lets say Verstappen somehow wins in Austria next weekend, the sport would be labeled too easy if a rookie won a race.
1. Sharon H (@sharoncom)
  14th June 2015, 18:21
  He did take part in the V de V when he was a teenager.
2. Ed Marques (@edmarques)
  14th June 2015, 18:36
  The trend is talk trash about F1.
  Alonso isn’t winning and Button is ahead of him, so F1 is bad for a lot of people…
3. FlyingLobster27
  14th June 2015, 19:28
  No-one’s saying that winning Le Mans is too easy, because you’ve got that benchmark that is the record distance. There is absolutely no doubt that one less SC period would have seen the record, and in a fully green race, the 400-lap barrier would have been obliterated. I followed most of the race (3:00-0:30 and 8:00-3:00) with Radio Le Mans, and they were mentioning lap time averages over a stint that were just mental, regularly between 3’20 and 3’25.
  This race was as impressive as it promised to be. Well done to the finishers and congrats to the worthy winners of all four classes!
4. fyo
  14th June 2015, 21:59
  So you think Verstappen winning the race in Austria would be the same as Hülkenberg winning Le Mans? Additionally I don’t necessarily think it would be more impressive, actually I think that would show that either they were under some weird circumstances or there is something wrong with F1.
5. Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
  15th June 2015, 11:46
  Probably because WEC recognises F1 as a valid “feeder series” in the sense that a lot of things learned there are believed to be transferable, while F1 believes it requires a number of F1-specific abilities in order to do well.
Ed Marques (@edmarques)
14th June 2015, 18:36
So Mark Webber really is a number 2 driver…
Matija (@matijaleader)
14th June 2015, 19:38
WOW. Thats my first Le Mans gone. and what a fantastic introduction i’ve had to this amazing race. and WEC. this was the 2nd ever WEC i’ve watched, after watching the 6 hours of Spa. I think i am in love with this series. Unfortunately i wasnt able to watch the full 24 hours but from the 13 i did watched, i’ve enjoyed every single moment of it.
before i start commenting on how much F1 can learn from WEC, i have to say something. watching these cars drive in the dusk yesterday and in the dawn today is absolutely stunning. Im so in love with the onboard footage we saw from 4:30 to around 6:30, it all looks so stunning. when is the next time i could be able to see them drive during dask/dawn? :D
but now reflecting on f1:
OMG. i’ve watched this for 13 hours and havent got bored of it at all. it may be because im new to WEC so it was hard for me to get boredby listening to the commentators which were always saying more and more new things i didnt knew, but also the track action was amazing.
No DRS, no degrading tyres, no fuel-saving. what a relief!
Please, LETS GET RID OF DRS!!! it is absolutely ruining what is still my fav sport, formula 1. im just gonna reflect on the battle between Patrick Long and one of the Ferraris… they gave us a great fight for position. we saw the faster ferrari make a mistake, trying to make a move which wasnt really there. then he had to recatch P. Long. when he did he had a penalty to serve and that battle was pretty much over. but the main point is, with DRS, the Ferrari would just scrape trough. and that would be it. battle over. he would very likely pull a gap and we wouldnt see any more battling between them. without DRS we had such a battle. isnt it much better this way? SAY NO TO DRS
oh and the tyres. oh my god the tyres. for the 13 hours i watched, i havent heard the words graining, degradation, look after the tyres. sure, they did had to look after the tyres but no where near as much as they have to in f1 these days. And what a relief i havent heard the sentence which makes me want to vomit: “if i get close to him, i will kill all my tyres.” there was nothing like that here.
there’s probably more stuff i can say here but at the moment i cant think of any more. tommorow i’ll probably be more wiser, today im jsut under the influence of this amazing race. and tommorow it very likely wont be like this but right now i can say:
f1? MEH.
oh and reflecting on the winner. one of the reasons why i actually watched this and the 6 hours of spa – the hulk has amazingly won it!!!! it just makes it even more magical for me. i’ve been rooting for him the whole time and i cant express how happy i am for him. and hopefully now the top teams will FINALLY realise what this man is capable of. and nothing against bottas, he is very good as well, but if there will be a free spot in ferrari soon, then the hulk is a better option than bottas.
1. vtf
  14th June 2015, 22:02
  HULK TO FERRARI!!!!
2. Adam
  14th June 2015, 23:41
  Why on earth did you try and discredit DRS by applying it to two completely different cars? Overtaking, and the intricacies of such between a GT can and a Fornula 1 car are completely different.
3. Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
  15th June 2015, 11:51
  WEC has day-to-night racing in Bahrain in late October (it’s only a 6-hour race but as the finale of a 9-round series there will be a lot of tension in that race). There are a number of 12- and 24-hour races in other sportscar series, which you may also wish to investigate.
Baron (@baron)
14th June 2015, 19:51
Hulkenburg did well for an endurance rookie, but he hardly “won”, In fact he was noticeably slower than both his team mates and even ran the car off the road at one point. Like I say, it was a good debut but not an epic performance as is being touted. One needs an element of perspective here…
1. Iosif (@afonic)
  14th June 2015, 20:23
  A “good debut” winning Le Mans on your first try? Like said before, all 3 of the drivers never really made a mistake, were fast when needed, and won against much more experienced opponents. You can’t really judge the lap times without knowing the conditions, the cars go as fast as they need to. For example, the only cars under 3:19, the the cars that set the 4 fastests laps were Audi’s trying to catch up.
  If that result doesn’t impress you, I don’t know what can!
vtf
14th June 2015, 22:03
#HulkToFerrari
JackySteeg (@jackysteeg)
14th June 2015, 22:43
Superb race. That performance from the #19 squad was as close to a perfect performance as we may ever see at Le Mans, that is if we assume it wasn’t already perfect. Fast, consistent, reliable and no mistakes… and all from a team of drivers who spend 11 months of the year racing in other categories. A surprise victory, but by no means lucky. It wasn’t a case of them picking up the pieces when the regular cars slipped up. And Tandy did something I never thought I’d see at Le Mans — he left Andre Lotterer in the dust. A feel-good result all round.
As for Le Mans, it delivered again. It is such a joy to watch the race — those nighttime hours are surely the best 5 or 6 hours of the year for any motorsport fan. I’m just sad that it’s all over.
StephenH
14th June 2015, 22:49
Sadly, I can now see Bernie looking how to re-jig the F1 calendar every year now to deliberatly make sure a GP clashes with Le Mans, out of pure spite, so that current F1 drivers can’t race there.
Mark G (@m4rkjg)
15th June 2015, 0:45
Never got to see the race but well done by Hulk to get the win, if only he had a winning machine under him in F1 he is one of those rare true racers currently behind the wheel. I wonder if this will spark any moonlighting from other F1 drivers.
A little patriotic but some of me would like to see a Mclaren LMP1 racer being driven by Lewis, Jenson and Will. The three current British F1 drivers in a British car. Not sure what Lewis’s management would say about that mind you.
Quite an achievement to lap every other car in the field, as I say I didn’t see the race so perhaps somebody can enlighten me on what happened to Mark Webbers Porsche to end up a lap down. Good to see they didn’t have the mechanical misfortune of last years race.
1. vtf
  15th June 2015, 12:24
  Who the hell is Will?
  They were slower + got a penalty –> a lap down. Actually it was even more than that but whatevs.
  I thought Hamilton took a cue from Vettel and was managing himself.
  1. Mark G (@m4rkjg)
    19th June 2015, 22:10
    The marussia driver Will Stevens.
    Oh ok fair enough.
    I couldn’t tell you about Hamilton I’m sure your correct in which case that should totally happen :D
Pete
15th June 2015, 1:05
Yeah put them in a Aston Martin and travel two years back in time
DaveD (@daved)
15th June 2015, 5:18
I found it interesting how Audi was speculating that their flywheels would do better at the end as the flywheels maintained their power levels while the batteries of the Porsche would supposedly fade. Then we got to watch Webber simply DESTROY the Audi’s on acceleration coming out of the slow corners with an hour to go and that put that joke/theory to rest. LOL
And yes, Audi is moving to batteries and the 8MJ class next year….watch and see.
kpcart
15th June 2015, 9:10
It is a shame that only Hulkenburg is getting the real recognition, what about hsi teammates? Tandy was brilliant. i also wonder how they decided that Hulkenburg would be the one driving the final stint, was it only for show? to have an f1 driver crossing the line first is more interesting for the media. but i really dislike the headlines on so many news sites… Hulkenburg and Porsche win Le mans, with little mention of the 2 other drivers. Hulkenburg drove great, especially at night, but the other Posrche drives have developed the car, and Hulkenburg got to jump into the fastest car.
1. Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
  15th June 2015, 11:54
  I think a lot of it is to do with motorsport media being F1-orientated (the clue in many cases including this one being in the title). Nico Hulkenberg is a current F1 driver, making him the obvious “hook” with which to attract people into reading about the achievement of an entire team. This is particularly so in a case like this one where Nico’s Le Mans adventures could (or at least should) have implications for his F1 career.
2. vtf
  15th June 2015, 12:27
  Most of the news I read talk about Porsche winning with 3 drivers, plus 2nd car. It looks like everyone is aware of all drivers.
lethalnz
15th June 2015, 10:08
so Hulkenberg gets all the glory? yet the 2 other drivers are not mentioned,
guess what they just happened to be some little we guys from way down under called New Zealand,
yep 2 from NZ make Hulkenberg look tiny,
even the second car had a Kiwi driving that as well.
so NZ all up are the winners in my book.
1. Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
  15th June 2015, 11:38
  so Hulkenberg gets all the glory? yet the 2 other drivers are not mentioned
  Didn’t make it as far as the first paragraph, eh?
2. vtf
  15th June 2015, 12:31
  Yeah those drivers did a brilliant job. But I don’t get why you talk like you need to get some credit as well.
  On the headline: This website is called “f1fanatic”. Self-explanatory. But all drivers are given the credit for the accomplishment in the article.
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
15th June 2015, 13:52
Where do you guys place Nico AT THE VERY LEAST in terms of his ability? I would say he is as good as the following GP winners:
David Coulthard 13 wins
Rubens Barrichello 11 wins
Felipe Massa 11 wins
Nico Rosberg 10 wins
Mark Webber 9 wins
Juan Pablo Montoya 7 wins
Riccardo Patrese 6 wins
Didier Pironi 3 wins
Jean Alesi 1 win
Pastor Maldonado 1 win:-)
Why on earth isn’t this kid NOT driving for a top team with 10 victories under his belt?
ManjuBoy (@manjuboy)
19th June 2015, 8:13
I was at Le Mans last weekend and stayed up for the entire race. Actually, for 42 straight hours with the race fitted in the middle of that sleepless marathon.
I was plugged into Radio Le Mans the entire time while watching the race live and following it on the large screen at Tertre Rouge.
One of the Radio Le Mans broadcasters predicted that this type of response from the racing community would happen if Hulkenberg’s car/team went on to win the race, which is that an F1’s star would gain focus while the real heroes would be ignored.
Who he was referring to was Hulkenberg’s co-driver Nick Tandy who had an absolutely monstrous drive during the night. For a long stretch he was outpacing Andre Lotterer in the Audi R18 by 4-5 seconds a lap.
A race that had been back and forth for the first 1/3 suddenly opened up. Nick Tandy had given his Porsche trio over a minute lead.
Also, at the beginning of the race I was wondering what was going on because Hulkenberg who was given the first drive in his car at the start quickly lost 3 places, 2 to the Audis and I believe one to another Porsche.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Hulkenberg a lot, but I just think the real heroes need to be recognized as well.

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