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<\/a><\/p>\nWhat are the key differences between the BMW and Porsche? <\/strong><\/p>\n With it being rear engine, the Porsche is a very physical car to drive and it tends to move around quite bit. It\u2019s also quite a short car as well compared to the M6, so I find it\u2019s got a good bit of grunt through the corners. The M6 has a greater amount of downforce through the medium to sharp corners so you can carry more speed through those faster turns, whereas in the Porsche you may brake and go down a gear. In some places in the M6, you don\u2019t even brake you just lift in sixth gear! So the M6 is stronger in the the medium and fast corners but the Porsche fights back in the tighter sections. Falken has set this up as a battle and I genuinely think it will be. <\/p>\n How has progress been in testing this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n With two cars, we\u2019ve had to have a different approach for each. The Porsche is a continuation from the end of last year and as we are better acquainted with it, it\u2019s been a natural progression from last year. At this year\u2019s VLN it came out of the blocks and was fighting for victory straight away. So from that side the Porsche is doing very well. The BMW is a new car to us and we are all still learning, both drivers and tyre engineers.<\/p>\n At Portim\u00e3o, where we shook down the cars, and at the first VLN race the conditions were pretty wet, so we had no dry running at all really. You get a pretty good sense of where you are after 20 laps of wet running. The first two VLN races are a good test to fix where you want to go on setup and tyres and our engineers really value that track time ahead of the N\u00fcrburgring 24 Hours.<\/p>\n The one unknown, which is the same in every form of motorsport, is the BOP [Balance of Performance], I\u2019d say the dreaded BOP. Only at the 24-hour race will you really see what the pace is like and how all the manufacturers are performing.<\/p>\n What is the BMW like to drive? Which do you prefer?<\/strong><\/p>\n I think it is too early to say which I prefer. I have spent a lot of time driving the Porsche and I got my best result in the 24-hour race in the Porsche in 2015. It\u2019s always going to be a car that is close to my heart. But I requested to drive the M6 this year. I just felt that I wanted a change and to try something different. <\/p>\n They are both good cars and fast in their own right on different parts of the track. It is a case of which is quicker overall around the track and we\u2019ll know that fully during the event. I enjoyed my first race in the M6, although it didn\u2019t end too well! I just got unlucky as someone before me smashed their car into the wall. I saw the oil flag in the distance but I was already in the oil and slid into the barriers. However, the positives to take out of that up until then were that we were pushing for a top five and the pace was good. At the N\u00fcrburgring, you always have to have your wits about you and sense what is coming. That sharpened me up a bit hopefully. <\/p>\n How do tyres compare between the cars? Is the Porsche harder on tyres, for example?
\nAs the engine is in the back of the Porsche there is higher tyre wear on the rear axle and you feel that on the Grand Prix circuit with a bit more oversteer. All in all there isn\u2019t a massive difference, but I suppose one of the big differences is in the tyres themselves. We are using the rear tyres from the Porsche and putting them on all four corners of the BMW. That shows how good the tyre is to perform on both cars. The front tyres on the Porsche are smaller and is probably one of the reasons as to why we can go faster around the corners with the M6. <\/p>\n