Successful US debut: Podium in legendary 24-Hours of Daytona
The battle for victory in the GTD class in North America’s biggest 24-hour race remained exciting to the very end. Jeffrey Schmidt made an impressive debut in the United States in the season opener of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Along with team-mates Christopher Mies, Connor De Phillippi and Jules Gounon, the Swiss driver took an outstanding second place in Land Motorsport’s Audi R8 LMS GT3 at the world-famous Daytona International Speedway.
Congratulations on your amazing second place in the 24-Hours of Daytona. How do you feel about your success in this prestigious race?
Daytona is one of the endurance classics along with the races at Spa-Francorchamps, the Nordschleife and Le Mans. Achieving second place in such a big race is, without doubt, something very special. We were close to running out of fuel in the end, as was the winner. We both had the same tactics, I think. It was all or nothing. That’s what these big races are all about, because it’s only victory that counts. Nevertheless, a podium in this race is still worth a lot.
Ultimately, you missed out on the win by less than half a second. Do you feel more frustrated with the gap or pleased with your good result?
When you finish that close, you really want the win. Anything else is a disappointment in the first instance, even second place. It sounds harsh, but that’s just how it is. We would have liked to have gone into the record books, and it was only 0.293 seconds that decided the win and who won the watches which we would have liked. It’s a real hard pill to swallow. At the moment, I’m still inclined to feel a bit frustrated, but in a few days, that feeling should turn to joy.
You were up there with the front-runners in the GTD class right from the start. What was the key for you and your team to finishing on the podium?
We made a great team! Land Motorsport are an absolutely brilliant outfit, as their title win in the ADAC GT Masters proves. The guys and girls in the team really know how it’s done. We four also made a strong group of drivers and were all amazingly fast out on track. That’s what’s matters when you’re aiming to win.
The safety car came out more than 20 times during the race. How did things go for you in conditions that were chaotic at times?
We used an excellent American strategist, who’s worked for many of the big racing teams, as well as two spotters from the Andretti Indy Car team. We kept safe at all times thanks to those guys, which was extremely important. Unfortunately, we punctured a tyre during the night and damaged the bodywork on the right rear. That cost us quite a few minutes. And then again in the morning, things didn’t go entirely without a hitch. Fortunately, we’d made up the lost time by noon with quick stints.
This was your second 24-hour event after the race on the Nordschleife in 2013. How did that particular challenge go for you?
That’s quite a long time ago, you know, and so, I have to admit to still being very much a rookie in that respect. On the one hand, you really have to weigh up the risks while out on track. On the other hand, you have to push 100 percent all of the time, as it’s really a 24-hour sprint race. The pit stops, though, were new for me this weekend. They don’t have such things in the Porsche Carrera Cup or in the Supercup, so I had to get used to them again.
This was your maiden outing in GT3 racing, your debut in the Audi R8 LMS GT3 and your first start for Land Motorsport. What was it like working with the team and with your team-mates?
I already knew Land Motorsport from competing in the Porsche Cup series. Working with them was great right from the start. We drivers also got on very well with one another. The four of us were on the same wavelength, and I was able to learn a lot from Christopher and Connor right from the outset. During the morning, I was the fastest GTD driver on the track in the wet and felt really comfortable in the car.
How are things set to continue for you after this impressive opener to the 2017 season?
Daytona was an incredible race. The atmosphere was absolutely fabulous thanks to all the fans and driving in the oval. It was enormous fun, and I hope I can return next year and make up for missing out on the win. I expect I’ll be driving for Land Motorsport in the ADAC GT Masters in 2017. We’re having talks about that at the moment. It would certainly be the start of a very, very exciting chapter together.
