Karun Chandhok believes the Le Mans 24 Hours poses a more formidable challenge than racing on the streets of Monaco.
The Indian scored one of five career GP2 podiums in the principality in 2008, before equalling his best Formula 1 finish when he guided his HRT to 14th in the 2010 Monaco Grand Prix.
After switching into the World Endurance Championship, Chandhok made his Le Mans debut last year – becoming the first Indian to contest the endurance classic – and finished fifth overall for the JRM LMP1 squad. He will return this year with P2 outfit Murphy Prototypes.
“I’m very excited to be back at Le Mans,” Chandhok said.
“This race is certainly right up there [with] the Monaco F1 GP in terms of prestige but in terms of getting a result it’s much harder I think.
“It’s such a long race and certainly feels like a very long 24 hours hoping that the car runs reliably.
“Racing here last year, and being the first Indian to compete in and finish the historic 24 hours, was one of the highlights of my career.”
Chandhok said his move down to LMP2 this year will boost his chances of victory, even though 22 cars are entered in the class.
“Last year I was in the LMP1 class, but the problem is that only the two manufacturer teams have a chance of winning,” he explained.
“In LMP2, you have a real chance of fighting for a class victory as every team is a privateer outfit.”
