With next season’s Le Mans 24 Hours currently subject to a hint of controversy after the F1 calendar change – effectively preventing its drivers from competing at La Sarthe – it seems a perfect time to look back at this year’s race, which saw Earl Bamber, along with fellow rising star Nick Tandy and F1 stalwart Nico Hulkenburg score Porsche’s historic 17th win.
DSC’s Stephen Kilbey sat down at length with Bamber at the Nürburgring earlier this year, to get some personal insight on the #19’s incredible and in some ways unexpected triumph.
Sitting on the floor at a crowded gate, waiting to board a plane from Orlando Airport after this year’s Daytona 24 Hours, Earl Bamber’s phone rings; it’s Dr Frank Walliser, vice president of motorsport at Porsche AG:
“Earl,” he says. “I have something important to tell you. Get out your diary, look at June and write in there that you have to drive the 919 Hybrid at Le Mans.” And that, was how Earl Bamber found out he was going to be at ‘the world’s greatest motor race‘ for the first time in an LMP1 car, competing in a race that would turn out to be the most remarkable of his career so far.
New Zealand continues to provide talent in sportscars, and Bamber is proof, becoming the third Kiwi to win the race after Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren back in 1966.
Bamber took up go-karting at eight-years-old and at the age of 12 he was already winning titles. The young Kiwi took the North Island Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha title at Hamilton in 2002 and the New Zealand Junior ICA title at Auckland in 2004. The competition back then was familiar, as Bamber competed, socialised and travelled with his now teammate Brendon Hartley, which only added to the emotion of standing atop the podium at this year’s Le Mans.
“It was great to have Brendon on the podium with me, as we grew up racing together in the same go-kart club,” he remembered. “We talked about it when we were karting, we used the same trailer, our families were together and we raced together. But you’d never think at eight-years-old that you’d both be on the same podium at Le Mans together!
Bamber’s career took a path similar to many young drivers, racing in just about every series on the ladder before winding up as a Porsche factory driver.
My first memory of Bamber was back in 2008 when he drove for his country in A1GP. That season – which proved to be the series’ swan-song – was a trying one for everyone involved, but Bamber stood out on a few occasions, placing the ‘all-black’ Ferrari on the podium a few times. But he’d have to wait a few more years for his talents to really be recognised, as winning the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in 2014 with Fach Tech Auto – winning two of the 10 races that year – along with his exploits in the TUSCC series the same year, proved to be the catalyst to his drive in LMP1.
“I remember the first time I got called to do a test, it was just before Christmas. Dr Frank Walliser called me and said I have a Christmas present for you. He said you have a test of the 919 Hybrid. As I’d just signed I didn’t think I’d get the chance so quick, I was just looking to get to grips with my GT career,” he chuckles.
“Frank then called again two weeks after the test and from there the journey started with the preparations for Le Mans. It was weird,” he revealed. “I couldn’t celebrate, I couldn’t tell anybody, not even my parents. It was hard to contain my excitement, it was a dream come true. So many Indy Car drivers, Formula One drivers, you name it, contacted Porsche and ask if they could drive for them at Le Mans, and instead they chose me to fill that seat at the world’s biggest motor race.”
“It’s really special, you don’t quite believe it. When I was waiting for that first test, I was nervous, I did loads of simulator training and the moment I closed the door on the car it was a special moment.”
Getting in the car for the first time was a nerve-racking experience for Bamber, but he quickly adapted. Speaking to him, he came across as a true professional, both humble and wise. Having a mind similar to the likes of Tom Kristensen when it comes to being relaxed and focused, it’s no wonder he got the call-up to be a part of Porsche’s all-out attack on Le Mans.
“The biggest thing for me was the vision,” he says when asked about his first impressions of the car. “It’s a really small box of a window in front, with pillars and stuff. It’s difficult in that sense, but aside from that it felt normal, it’s still a racing car, it still has a steering wheel, pedals. It was really nice to have proper downforce again as I haven’t really driven a car like that since I drove for Team New Zealand in A1GP. I adapted to it well, I enjoyed it.”
Alongside him in his two-round contract for the WEC in the #19 would be Nick and Nico, two names he’ll be forever associated with after this year. Being effectively a third bullet for the team though, meant team-building and chances outside of the few weekends spent testing and racing to get to know his co-drivers were few and far between. Tandy was alongside Bamber in the U.S. but Hulkenburg was consumed by Force India, meaning the trio had to gain chemistry together on the job.
“When I got the call that I’d be driving, I was told immediatley I’d be with Nick (Tandy) and Nico (Hulkenburg). I think it was a great combination, as Nick and I had come from GT racing and obviously Nico has a Formula One background. So together we merged our ideas and experience and pushed each other in testing and every aspect,” Bamber says. “We trust each other, we get on well so all the important stuff was easier to get on with.
“We kept in touch via WhatsApp all the time, so we kept talking but we didn’t get the chance to really get out and meet with each other much. During the races and longer tests though we spent so much time together and we got to know each other in difficult situations.
“When we came to Le Mans, it just felt like another test day.”
But when I met Bamber at Spa, and spoke to him for the first time face-to-face, he didn’t seem quite as confident. “I’m here for Porsche,” he said, giving the impression he was very much considered the new kid on the block. “This weekend is all about learning, we are all so new to this. After doing so much running in GTs, it’s taken a bit of time to get comfortable dealing with the traffic.”
After downplaying his chances, he finished sixth in his P1 debut at Spa and headed into the Test Day. Race week came quick though, it can be overwhelming for a driver, but Bamber seemed to just soak it all up. he treated the event as if it was just a normal race weekend, so when he found himself leading the race in the closing stages after a costly penalty handed to Mark Webber gave the #19 crew a healthy margin, he was able to watch Nico cross the line with his nails in tact.
“It was clear that all three cars were there to win, it was important that Porsche won. Porsche were clear to us, it didn’t matter which car, Porsche needed to win. We did the Test Day, and we realised that the trio we had were quick and capable. We qualified third and said to each other that we’d have a shot at a podium if we kept it clean. We didn’t have a special tactic, we just relaxed, and did what we love doing, which is driving race cars fast!”
“I remember when the sun came up that we had it, when the sun came up and we had a lap lead it was our race to lose, we just had to be careful. It was still massively enjoyable though, I can’t believe how relaxed I was.
“My stint at lunchtime on Sunday was amazing, it was just a nice drive through the French countryside really.
“Everyone asks me to describe how I felt at the end of the race, but I can’t. Just look at the images of it, you can’t put into words how happy we were and what it meant to us. As a kid I dreamt of it, and when we crossed the line I realised it. It was also our first time in LMP1, we were rookies, it was a risk to be there and it paid off.
“It was a whirlwind. I was so tired, it was unbelievable. I was up from 6am Saturday until 10pm Sunday. I don’t remember much, it was all adrenalin. I remember going to the Porsche employee camp in Weissach after and getting all the workers, seeing how excited and proud they were to have been a part of it.”
Since the big win, Bamber hasn’t driven in LMP1, but nobody would bet against him having an extended programme in 2016. He’s had to go back to his roots with Porsche, driving with Proton in the WEC during the second half of 2015 and helping the GT division in America clinch the Manufacturer’s Title, but that hasn’t wiped the smile off his face. He know’s he’s in a good position, with so much left in his career.
So what’s next to Bamber then?
“I don’t pay much attention to my future and speculation surrounding that,” he admitted. “I’ve just been driving GT cars. At the moment I represent Porsche, and I want to represent them the best I can. I’m not worried about where I’ll be, I’ll let the guys above me decide. Porsche is one big family, that’s a big part of the reason why I won Le Mans, and why I keep winning things.”
I guess we’ll have to wait until he gets the next big phone call…
