Motorsport: Neel Jani is on top of his game
Next weekend in Mexico sees the start of the series of five overseas races that will decide the 2016 World Endurance Championship within two and a half months. World championship leader Neel Jani has prepared himself in a special way for the race at an altitude of over 2,000 meters. To become world champion, everything has to fit in a racing season. Marcel Fässler, for whom this [...]
Marcel Fässler, who did so in 2012, and Sébastien Buemi, who did the same in 2014, can confirm it. Neel Jani is now well on his way to becoming the third Swiss Endurance Champion with Porsche. The 32-year-old from Biel leads the world championship standings by 33 points, which is more than a victory.
"Our most important opponent is only the number 8 Audi," Neel Jani issues the watchword for the decisive half of the season: "The way they held in at the Nürburgring, we know they want to win. So we have to adapt tactically." Which means all bets are now on the trio of Neel Jani, Marc Lieb and Romain Dumas at Porsche and Loïc Duval, Lucas di Grassi and Oliver Jarvis at Audi. Marcel Fässler must therefore join André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer in the service of his teammates who are better placed in the WRC. For Sébastien Buemi, the WRC train has sailed anyway since his retirement at Le Mans, and for Toyota it's all about finally winning a race.
Neel Jani wants to be optimally prepared for everything
The air is thin not only in the title fight between the three LMP1 manufacturers, but also in Mexico City. The new GP circuit in the middle of the metropolis lies at 2285 meters above sea level. To prepare optimally for the rigors of a 6-hour race at the lower oxygen content in the air, Neel Jani completed special altitude training in Obergurgl, Austria, with hiking, running and cycling. "I was knackered, but in a good way," sighed Neel Jani afterwards. So he arrived on Tuesday evening with his blood oxygen level already adjusted to the altitude of Mexico: "Since it's all about the World Championship for me, I want to be prepared for anything." Which means that if necessary-as has already happened for tactical reasons-he'll be at the wheel of the Porsche 919 Hybrid for up to four of the six hours because he's simply the consistently fastest and fittest driver in his team.
www.neel-jani.com
Photos: Archive
