Reigning European Le Mans Series LMP2 Champion Louis Deletraz had an amazing 2021 season of highs and lows, taking the title with Orlen Team WRT in his, and the Belgian teams, debut season.
The 2015 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC Champion had climbed the single seater ladder to the FIA Formula 2 championship in 2020 but a switch to endurance for the 24-year-old from Geneva proved to be a good move.
Racing alongside Robert Kubica and Yifei Ye, Deletraz scored two wins in his first two ELMS races in Barcelona and the Red Bull Ring.A further win at Spa-Francorchamps, for Team WRT’s home race, sealed the Driver and Team championships.
The team were also so close to winning the LMP2 class at the 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the Oreca-Gibson, with Yifei Ye at the wheel, stopping on the very last lap of the race as Deletraz and Kubica watched in despair. The only consolation was the race was won by Team WRT with Ferdinand Habsburg, Charles Milesi and Robin Frijns standing on the top step of the podium.
This season Louis Deletraz and Ferdinand Habsburg join forces at Prema Racing, another top, multi championship winning, international race team, who will be making their ELMS debut at Le Castellet. They will be joined by American driver Juan Manuel Correa for what will undoubtably be an action-packed ELMS season.
Q: 2021 was a great season for you in the ELMS, winning the LMP2 title with three wins and two further podiums. What was the one standout high point of the year for you? And what was the low point of your 2021 season?
Louis Deletraz: "2021 was indeed a great season with a lot of success. I think the highest points were the first win at Barcelona because we were a new team, with a new line-up, and to come up and dominate was pretty amazing and not expected, and the winning the title in Spa after a tough race. Finishing with a victory and the title was amazing.
“The lowest point was obviously outside the ELMS in Le Mans. After 24 hours, stopping on the last lap from the lead was terrible. I go back thinking to that probably every day.”
Q: You are competing this season with Prema alongside Ferdinand Habsburg andJuan Manuel Correa. Can you tell us a bit about the team and your teammates?
LD: “Ferdinand and JM are two very good teammates. I'm glad to have them. It's a very young line-up, one of the youngest on the grid. I know Ferdi really well from last year and the previous years when we raced together, and we're good friends. The same goes with JM. I have good hopes that we can do well and also have a great time together.”
Q: The LMP2 grid for the 2022 season is looking very strong once again. Who do you see as your main rivals this year and what are your goals for the upcoming season?
LD: “The 2022 grid is amazing, and when you see the number of cars and the level, you realise that it will be an incredible fight. I really cannot wait to be part of it.
“Everyone is a main competitor; you cannot rule anyone out. Cool Racing is already showing strength in the line-up with my ex-teammate Yifei Ye who is also champion and I look forward to racing against him."
Q: Looking ahead to the ELMS season, which is your favourite track on the calendar and why?
LD: “My favourite tracks in the calendar would be Monza and Spa-Francorchamps. All the European tracks that F1 uses are full of history, our calendar is great.”
Q: What do you do when you are not racing?
LD: “When I'm not racing, I'm training and I try to spend time with my family and friends and also resting because my season will be quite busy with ELMS, WEC and IMSA. When I have time off, I try to spend it well.”
Q: Do you follow or participate in any other sports?
LD: “I do other sports but mainly for my training, not competitively. I follow tennis, MotoGP, in addition to F1.”
Q: Who is your sporting hero?
LD: “It's hard to say who is my sporting hero, I have had many people that inspired me a lot. First of all my dad, because I discovered racing through him and I'm obviously very thankful for that. What I learned in motorsport, including the values, it's thanks to him. I also like Marcel Fässler who is a Swiss endurance legend. He is a very good friend of mine. He supported me a lot and growing up, to see him in his best years with Audi I had great respect. Last, but not least, Michael Schumacher.”
Q: What is your current road car and what is your dream car, if not your current one?
LD: “Right now, I don't have a car, I'm car-less which can be hard for logistics. In the next few weeks I should get a new BMW M4 Competition. I'm really looking forward to it because I really liked it since I was young, and I've been looking to get one for a long time. My dream car is probably a LaFerrari and/or a McLaren P1.”
Q: What was the last book that you read?
LD: “The last book that I read was the one written by Adrian Newey about Formula 1 engineering and his career, which was extremely interesting from a driver's point of view. It's cool to learn about this side of motorsport as well.”
Q: What is your favourite food?
LD: “My favourite food is plain pasta with grilled chicken. I can have it every day!”
The 2015 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC Champion had climbed the single seater ladder to the FIA Formula 2 championship in 2020 but a switch to endurance for the 24-year-old from Geneva proved to be a good move.
Racing alongside Robert Kubica and Yifei Ye, Deletraz scored two wins in his first two ELMS races in Barcelona and the Red Bull Ring.A further win at Spa-Francorchamps, for Team WRT’s home race, sealed the Driver and Team championships.
The team were also so close to winning the LMP2 class at the 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the Oreca-Gibson, with Yifei Ye at the wheel, stopping on the very last lap of the race as Deletraz and Kubica watched in despair. The only consolation was the race was won by Team WRT with Ferdinand Habsburg, Charles Milesi and Robin Frijns standing on the top step of the podium.
This season Louis Deletraz and Ferdinand Habsburg join forces at Prema Racing, another top, multi championship winning, international race team, who will be making their ELMS debut at Le Castellet. They will be joined by American driver Juan Manuel Correa for what will undoubtably be an action-packed ELMS season.
Q: 2021 was a great season for you in the ELMS, winning the LMP2 title with three wins and two further podiums. What was the one standout high point of the year for you? And what was the low point of your 2021 season?
Louis Deletraz: "2021 was indeed a great season with a lot of success. I think the highest points were the first win at Barcelona because we were a new team, with a new line-up, and to come up and dominate was pretty amazing and not expected, and the winning the title in Spa after a tough race. Finishing with a victory and the title was amazing.
“The lowest point was obviously outside the ELMS in Le Mans. After 24 hours, stopping on the last lap from the lead was terrible. I go back thinking to that probably every day.”
Q: You are competing this season with Prema alongside Ferdinand Habsburg andJuan Manuel Correa. Can you tell us a bit about the team and your teammates?
LD: “Ferdinand and JM are two very good teammates. I'm glad to have them. It's a very young line-up, one of the youngest on the grid. I know Ferdi really well from last year and the previous years when we raced together, and we're good friends. The same goes with JM. I have good hopes that we can do well and also have a great time together.”
Q: The LMP2 grid for the 2022 season is looking very strong once again. Who do you see as your main rivals this year and what are your goals for the upcoming season?
LD: “The 2022 grid is amazing, and when you see the number of cars and the level, you realise that it will be an incredible fight. I really cannot wait to be part of it.
“Everyone is a main competitor; you cannot rule anyone out. Cool Racing is already showing strength in the line-up with my ex-teammate Yifei Ye who is also champion and I look forward to racing against him."
Q: Looking ahead to the ELMS season, which is your favourite track on the calendar and why?
LD: “My favourite tracks in the calendar would be Monza and Spa-Francorchamps. All the European tracks that F1 uses are full of history, our calendar is great.”
Q: What do you do when you are not racing?
LD: “When I'm not racing, I'm training and I try to spend time with my family and friends and also resting because my season will be quite busy with ELMS, WEC and IMSA. When I have time off, I try to spend it well.”
Q: Do you follow or participate in any other sports?
LD: “I do other sports but mainly for my training, not competitively. I follow tennis, MotoGP, in addition to F1.”
Q: Who is your sporting hero?
LD: “It's hard to say who is my sporting hero, I have had many people that inspired me a lot. First of all my dad, because I discovered racing through him and I'm obviously very thankful for that. What I learned in motorsport, including the values, it's thanks to him. I also like Marcel Fässler who is a Swiss endurance legend. He is a very good friend of mine. He supported me a lot and growing up, to see him in his best years with Audi I had great respect. Last, but not least, Michael Schumacher.”
Q: What is your current road car and what is your dream car, if not your current one?
LD: “Right now, I don't have a car, I'm car-less which can be hard for logistics. In the next few weeks I should get a new BMW M4 Competition. I'm really looking forward to it because I really liked it since I was young, and I've been looking to get one for a long time. My dream car is probably a LaFerrari and/or a McLaren P1.”
Q: What was the last book that you read?
LD: “The last book that I read was the one written by Adrian Newey about Formula 1 engineering and his career, which was extremely interesting from a driver's point of view. It's cool to learn about this side of motorsport as well.”
Q: What is your favourite food?
LD: “My favourite food is plain pasta with grilled chicken. I can have it every day!”
