Inter Europol Competition driver Tom Dillmann recalled his team’s inconceivable LMP2 victory at the end of the IMSA 12 Hours of Sebring.
Dillmann took on the final 31-minute sprint to the finish at the wheel of the team’s #43 Oreca 07 LMP2.
The Frenchman held second place behind young star and Peugeot Hypercar driver Malthe Jakobsen and his #04 Crowdstrike Racing Oreca.
Dillmann said in the post-race press conference: “The team prior to the yellow was catching very quickly the cross strikes, so I knew we had good pace.
“But to be fast enough to overtake is another story with this kind of high downforce car.
“I knew we had a shot, but in IMSA you can really go from hero-to-zero in an instant in those last few minutes.
“I kept pressuring him because I know that if you have the pressure behind, you have to risk a lot in traffic.”
The LMP2 lead fight intensified as the checkered flag grew nearer and nearer with the pair making their way through GT traffic.
Jakobsen mistakenly tapped the rear of Matt Bell’s #13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R into Sunset Bend, thus earning the race leader a drive-through penalty.
This critical error by the #04 Oreca driver allowed Dillmann to take up victory in the final 10 minutes whilst Jakobsen fell down to sixth after serving his penalty.
Dillmann relates to Jakobsen’s error
“[It] happened to me a month ago,” he added.
“I was on the other side; I was leading in Asian Le Mans, and I had a mistake in traffic. I know what can happen.
“It happened and I could take the lead, and from then on I think I had enough pace to control the race.
“You still need to go through GT traffic, which is not easy.
“They are all packed, they are all racing for position.
“They are not letting you by easy.
“Once I was through the GT traffic, I knew it was under control and brought it home.”
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