Callum Ilott remains optimistic that JOTA has the Porsche #12 963 “in a favorable position” ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, despite an accident in Free Practice 2 that required the reconstruction of the chassis. The car was recently started in the garage and will undergo a test on the airfield adjacent to the circuit.
Ilott caused a red flag in the final moments of Wednesday night’s practice session when he spun in the esses and collided with the armco. As a result, car #12 had to undergo a chassis reconstruction and could not participate in the subsequent practice sessions and Hyperpole.
However, Ilott told selected press: “We found a quite satisfactory setup in FP2.” He added, “Fortunately, most of the parts were not damaged in the accident. It was mainly the right front corner and the chassis that were affected, so we can transfer everything. I believe we will be in a favorable position.”
At the time he spoke to the press, Ilott mentioned that car #12 had not yet been fully reconstructed, but a brief test was planned on a nearby airfield on Friday night. He expressed confidence that the JOTA Porsche would be ready in time and praised his mechanics for their hard work. “The mechanics have been extremely dedicated,” he said. “I didn’t see the car this morning, but when I left [at 1:30 am], it was in good condition. They are exceptionally skilled at what they do.”
Describing the accident, Ilott explained, “I was pushing, not exceeding the limits, but pushing. I had a little slide and then a warning light on the dashboard went off, which distracted me in the middle of the slide. And yes, I lost control and overcorrected. As I tried to regain control, the car suddenly gripped. It all happened at the wrong time and I couldn’t recover.”
After the accident, Ilott mentioned that he had “a slightly sore neck” and has since apologized to the mechanics and JOTA team for the incident. However, with the repairs almost completed, Ilott, who won the FIA WEC at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, is focused on the start of Saturday’s race instead of lamenting past mistakes. “It was quite a strong impact, so it’s not so bad, but it’s still annoying, especially because it’s probably the first time I’ve crashed in an endurance environment with the whole team,” Ilott said. “I felt quite guilty about it. But now that the car will be ready, my full focus is on it, and I’ve reset myself and I’m ready.”
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