Interview: The Story Of A Hat-Trick Le Mans Champion Darren Turner
- Louis Wishlade
- Jan 9, 2021
- 7 min read
Today, we bring to you an interview with one of the WEC's biggest names, three time Le Mans winner, Darren Turner. We spoke to the Aston Martin driver and asked him a series of questions, to understand how an aspiring mechanic became one of the most recognisable drivers in British motorsport and how he has been "spoiled during his career".
Darren Turner is a professional racing driver for Aston Martin Racing in World Endurance Championship, currently driving its number 98 car. Darren has now raced for Aston Martin since 2005, making him the "longest serving works driver that Aston Martin has had in its 110 years of history".
Darren (pictured) is now Aston Martin's longest serving driver ever, and amongst one of their most successful.
Photo Credit: Waldorf Astoria Magazine
However, despite being Aston Martin's longest serving driver, Darren is adamant that "it is not something that he always wanted to do. In actual fact, I wanted to race bikes, but my Mum was less keen on that!".
Instead, Darren had is eyes set on becoming a mechanic for a Formula One team. With his interest in motorsports starting as his family would "go to the market in Camberly on a Sunday before wondering up the karting track and watching the racing", Darren states that he "didn't even register that there was racing below Formula One where drivers were earning money and making a living".
This meant that Darren instead viewed karting as "just a bit of fun" and that he instead "planned ahead to becoming a race mechanic". This meant that when the opportunity for an apprenticeship as a mechanic at a local Honda dealership became available, it was something that he welcomed with open arms, especially with the added benefit that it ran a little racing team on the side.
Darren reminds himself of his karting days as he takes to back of La Sarthe's paddock in a modified Crazy Cart before Le Mans in 2016.
Photo Credits: CompleteCar.ie
Unfortunately, the Honda dealership went into receivership and Darren had to look for a job elsewhere, despite being only 16. "Luckily, it was Jordan's first year in Formula One in 1991 and they were looking for someone to work in inspection. It was my lucky break, I got the chance to move up to Silverstone and that is where the opportunity to become a racing driver started to happen", says Darren.
"Long story short, the dream was to become a Formula One mechanic. The racing came because of circumstances, being in the right place at the right time and obviously, being able to do a job as a capable driver. It wasn't until I was around 20 that I started to become serious and think that this is now a goal, to be a professional driver", he continues.
In 1996, Darren won the coveted McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award, gifting him the opportunity of fulfilling most motorsport fan's dreams of driving a Formula One car. "The award itself has had a huge impact in terms of me having a career. It created a relationship with McLaren and gave me a test with them in March 1997."
A young Darren Turner poses on the 1996 McLaren F1 car, that he would later go on to test drive, at the McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year Award ceremony.
Photo Credits: motorsport images
"I did my first test with McLaren as part of the award. Quite often, that is the last time that any of the award winners will sit in a McLaren. But, I did a good enough job that day and they could see that I am a grafter, so they took me on as a test driver."
- Darren Turner, professional racing driver for Aston Martin.
From this point onwards, Darren has enjoyed a successful career, although not quite making it onto the Formula One starting grid. He has since enjoyed spells with like likes of AMG-Mercedes in DTM, SEAT in BTCC and Aston Martin in WEC. He has even won his class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on three separate occasions. Not bad for a mechanic, eh?
Watch Darren Turner recount his early career here:
Thinking back to his experience of driving a Formula One car, he says, "it is an experience that I will always remember. I was just thinking 'this is insane'. It really did take my breath away".
"That experience of driving Grand Prix cars over a good number of years with McLaren was so valuable. I was working with the best technology and people in the industry just trying to understand the speed. The people in Formula One are always pushing the boundaries. They are involved with so many new technologies, everything is being pushed to the limit."
Darren is one of few people to have driven a Formula One, LMP1 and GTE car in the modern era. So, just how do they compare? According to Darren, "The main differences from an F1 to and LMP1 car is down to the fundamental differences between the car's objectives. Obviously, an LMP1 car is designed to last 24 hours, whereas, Grand Prix cars are designed to last an hour and a half at most."
The McLaren F1 (Top Left), Aston Martin LMP1 (Top Right) and Aston Martin GTE (Bottom) that Darren has driven in his career.
Photo credits: Crash, Motorsport Images & Dust In The Pitlane
"In reality, the top speed is probably similar, give or take a couple miles an hour. But, the cornering and braking capability is probably the standout difference. Acceleration? Not so much. The cornering and braking difference between an F1 and LMP1 car is probably the biggest factors for the difference in lap times."
"Then, jumping from an LMP1 to GTE car, it feels like the world has slowed down. I would say that the GTE cars are actually the hardest things to drive. There is more weight, generally less grip and less aero. Things move around a lot more because you have got a lot of mass to try and control."
"In terms of the three cars, Formula One was very difficult because I didn't have huge experience and I wasn't driving it regularly enough, it was always around six weeks between tests. The LMP1 cars aren't as extreme as the F1 car. I found them quite easy. They do exactly what you want. They have good downforce, good mechanical grip and a lovely amount of power to play with. They were really precise tools to race. Whereas, the GTE cars, because of the size and weight, you are always fighting them. Generally, you are in a fight with the car to try and extract performance. It does make it quite difficult."
- Darren Turner, Professional racing driver for Aston Martin
"I loved it. I love driving all these different cars. One of the things that does stand out is that a car is a car. They all do the same thing. You have to turn the wheel, you have to push the brake and use the throttle. The core is the same for every race car. It is just where that performance window is that is the big difference. It is really nice to have had the chance to drive Formula One, LMP1 and GTE cars, as well as some historics. I have definitely been spoiled in my career."
Watch Darren Turner talk about his experiences driving F1, LMP1 and GTE cars here:
So, we have talked about Darren's early career and about the cars, but how about Le Mans? What challenges does racing for 24 hours present and how do you overcome them as a team and as a driver? And, just how does winning Le Mans feel? Well, here is what Darren had to say.
"I was really lucky that at one of my early early races I had David Brabham as one of my team mates (2005). I learnt very quickly from him and he took me under his wing. He gave me the best piece of advice that I have ever had. He told me that you can't influence too much when you aren't in the car. His advice was that you do your stint, you maximise it and you push 100% for your time in the car. Then, as soon as you are done, grab some food and get some rest. Take yourself away from the timing screens and get your head down. You might even get a nap."
Darren (Left) alongside his team mate David Brabham (Centre) in 2007.
Photo credit: Snap Lap
"With everyone doing two hour stints, it means that you will have a three hour break between your stints where you can rest, as we have to be back in the garage an hour before your next stint to get your head back into the race and understand what has gone on when you have been away. That has really stood me in well with 24 hour racing, just having the routine. "
"In actual fact, the drivers get it quite easy, we work hard for two hours and then rest for four and work hard again for two. Whereas with the engineers, of which we generally have four per car, from the moment that they get up on the Saturday morning until the moment that the race finishes on the Sunday evening, they don't sleep. The only time during the race that they will leave the engineering station is to go to the toilet. I always feel that the engineering crew are the ones that are truly broken by the time that the race finishes."
"In terms of winning Le Mans, people often say that you have only won it if you have won overall. But, if you look at the competition within the LMP1 cars has not been the healthies in recent years, with just five cars in it, of which three may break down within four hours and you are just left with two cars from the same manufacturer."
"It is quite hard to accept that is what will be remembered as a win, like in 2017, while the GTE class was as strong as it has ever been in terms of the amount of cars on the grid and the manufacturers involved. It was a great race. Multiple cars had taken the opportunity to lead the race at different times and we came out on top with just one lap to go after 24 hours of racing"
- Darren Turner, Professional racing driver for Aston Martin
Darren Turner (Right) celebrating his third Le Mans win in 2017.
Photo credit: motorsport.com
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