Nick Catsburg responded to his late invitation to join Larbre Competition for the official 24 Heures du Mans test by posting the fastest GTE Am time of the day (Sunday 5 June).
Catsburg achieved a time of 3m57.999s that was a full second faster than the nearest AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia, despite this being his first ever visit to the 13.6km Circuit de la Sarthe and his maiden outing in Larbre Competition’s Chevrolet Corvette C7.R.
However, a stunning performance is unlikely to earn Catsburg a place in Larbre’s line-up for the 24 Hours of Le Mans itself (18-19 June), as the team’s regular FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) drivers, Yatuka Yamagushi and Pierre Ragues, are likely to be joined by Jean-Philippe Belloc, who also tested the #64 Corvette.
“I am so thankful to Jack Leconte and Larbre Competition for the opportunity to drive the team’s Chevrolet Corvette C7.R and experience the Le Mans circuit for the first time,” said Catsburg. “To be quickest in class is fantastic and, to be honest, I wasn’t really pushing. Of course, I would love to be with the team for the 24 Heures du Mans itself, as they’re a great group of guys and I really enjoyed working with them, but I understand that this may not be possible on this occasion. If not, I hope to get another chance to complete the team again in the future.”
Catsburg’s opportunity came due to the unfortunate withdrawal of Paolo Ruberti, who fractured his spine in a recent accident at Hockenheim.