Gasly reveals 'dream' to win Le Mans 24 Hours

Pierre Gasly has revealed that it is his "dream" to one day not only compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours, but to win it. 

The 92nd running of the prestigious event is taking place this weekend, with Gasly having been present on the grid supporting Alpine's Hypercar programme. 

Unfortunately for Alpine, both of its cars retired in the opening 12 hours, due to a "suspected engine issue". 

Gasly is not the only F1 driver to have outlined their intent to race in the legendary event in the future, with Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc both also being keen on it.

Whilst a Le Mans debut is not on the immediate horizon, Gasly hopes his time will come eventually to be included in the race.

“I think it’s every kid’s dream. I’ve watched this race since I was that tall [gestures low to the ground]," Gasly told Eurosport. 

“I actually lived in Le Mans for five years. I studied here, and I’ve got a close proximity to this city and this track. For sure, it will be a dream to win Le Mans one day.”

He added: “For now I’m fully focused on Formula 1. It’s not in the pipeline but seeing these guys today, wearing normal sneakers and jeans doesn’t feel right.

“Hopefully one day I’ll be in a good car to participate in Le Mans.”

Brutal conditions

It is one of the most challenging and demanding races in the world, with this year's race having been even harder due to a constant rain shower throughout the night. 

Speaking ahead of the race, Gasly finds the demands of the race "fascinating", with his F1 background making him able to appreciate just how challenging the 24 hours race is. 

“I find it fascinating,” Gasly added. “I’ve got many friends racing today which makes it even cooler because I'm on the grid and I’m seeing a lot of guys I raced against.

"You know, 4am, one hour’s sleep, it’s going to be absolutely p*****g down. It’s going to be very extreme.

“As a racing driver, I really appreciate how hard it is. Hopefully people on TV can realise as well, because it’s tough. To focus for an hour and a half, it’s a big challenge, but to focus for a full 24 hours and sharing a car, a lot of respect for these guys.”