Mike Rockenfeller and an Audi teammate are caught on the big screen during morning practice at Le Mans as the No. 8 Audi runs down the front chute.

 Editor’s Note: Mike Rockenfeller career has come full circle in the world of endurance car racing, this year taking the Audi R-15 Plus to the overall victory at the 24 hours of Le Mans and leading a one-two-three sweep of the race at a time when the deck seemed stacked against the Audi team by the French counterpart Peugeot team. Rockenfeller had a metoric rise in the world of endurance car racing, moving rapidly through the ranks of  racing before becoming a Porsche factory driver. From there he moved to the Audi factory team where in his first drive in the LMP1 class at Le Mans he crashed out early at the Tertre Rouge curve on the famous circuit de la Sarthe.

Rockenfeller has called this the worst day of his life, but obviously his drive at Le Mans this year more than made up for this shunt. He has split time during the season on a number of different cars, finishing the endurance racing season at theShanghai track in China for the final of the DTM series.

Our Joe Rae caught up with Mike earlier in the year and here is what he had say about the world of racing.

­­­­­­­­­­­­TRT: In one bio, it says that you wanted to be farmer or work in your parent’s workshop before you found motor racing; however it also indicated that you still enjoy driving a tractor or a combine — so was it really farmer or was it just an early love of driving and controlling machinery — which you seem to enjoy even today.

MR:  Well it was not like a dream to be a farmer; the story is, my grandparents on both sides, my mother and father’s side were farmers. So I grew up there and spent all of my youth driving machinery. As a kid I was not thinking of being a race car driver one day, so that is basically the story behind it. My father has a small garage where we repair cars, and so of course I grew up there and learned that. When I was young, already I had the chance to drive some different kind of things, like tractors, and small bikes we had as kids, because we had the space to drive around. Then I started with go-karts when I was nine years old.

TRT: We heard that you apprenticed as a mechanic before you started your professional racing career; when did you know you wanted to be a professional race car driver?

MR: Yes, that is correct, it was not before, it was when I was sixteen or seventeen.  I started after school, at that time, because it is a three year or two-and-half year education, and I signed a contract with Porsche on the junior team and I was still doing that at my father’s garage. So I did both in parallel basically, and then I finished that, and didn’t have the time to do it full time anymore.

TRT: If you hadn’t become a race car driver, do you see yourself being a mechanic?

MR: Yeah, definitely, I mean I am a mechanic, like you are a doctor; I would say I am a mechanic. I don’t know how you say that, but I am not doing it for a long time now, of course. Like I said my dad has a garage, and probably I would have continued it and we would have been together there. I think that would have been my second option.

 TRT: Your career started in go-karts — do you still enjoy going out and cutting a couple of laps in a kart?

MR: Yeah, I have to say yes. I would, but I didn’t do it for some time. I did some indoor karting sometimes at some events, but not really like the race go-kart on the outdoor track, because all the time, which I don’t have, and I don’t have a track nearby where I live now. It is quite an effort to do it, and of course the time is not there. Then the wintertime is not as good here, so it is difficult, but I enjoy it. I think I will continue it again maybe more next year just for training.

TRT: Do you still think that go-karts are the way for someone to get started in car racing? How much of what you do in go-kart racing transfers to cars — sports cars — prototypes.

MR: Well, when I started as a kid to do go-karts, when I was 14-15 I never thought about being  a race car driver. I was always just enjoying doing go-karts and trying the next step in the different classes, or higher  class or different category in the go-kart league.  And then when I realized there was  something else than go-karts, and I tried to get the chance to do single seat, which I got when I was 16 when I won a karting championship. But definitely you learn your driving skills, the feeling, to do setup to understand what it means to change toe, tire pressure, and stuff like that. To Race with other people on the race track, it is definitely I would say a very important part of a race career, but at that time I was driving the most ever, because  now testing is so limited, and it is so expensive and you need so many people to run a race car. In those days it was cool, it was just my dad and me, and we took the go-kart, went on a kart track, and put some fuel in, and tire pressure, and I drove. So that was nice– I enjoyed it, and I was driving quite a lot at the time.

TRT: Do you have a favorite memory from your go-kart racing career?

MR: I would say not really — like one favorite moment. I don’t know of course  you have some moments some racing years you drove for example one year I was in Monaco for the kart cup, which is like from the competition like a European championship at least  at the time. And it was junior category and the race winner was Robert Kubica who is in F1 now for Renault, and the 2nd was Parella, who I think is not driving professionally anymore, I don’t know, I think he was a Toyota test driver or something in Formula 1, and I finished 3rd. The same in the German championship, I raced against [Robert] Kubica, [Nico] Rossberg, even against Andre Lotterer who drove this year with us at Spa and Le Mans, so  you have memories, sometimes I see some pictures, and you know try to remember what happened in the races. Definitely it was very important and longtime of my life and career so far, when you drive from 9 years to 16 17 that is 8  years of racing, ok it’s not professional, but the last 3 or 4 years, I would say was quite professional, but  there isn’t one favorite moment.

TRT: We assume that your parents supported your racing — is that true? Did they have rules for you in order for you to drive — like good grades, chores, etc?

MR: Well yes, and no. Definitely I’m coming not out of a rich family — that I can tell you. So it was basically the good thing was we never did it because we expected that one day I earned money with racing. We did it because I enjoyed it, and my parents liked to support me at whatever I like, and ok one day you realized you are quite good, and you try to become professional. I would say my dad, that good thing was, like I said he is a mechanic and we could do a lot on our own, and by ourselves. I learned very early that I had to do it, because my dad of course had to run the garage. So when we came home I prepared the go-kart, I changed pistons on the engine, and, and, and. I mean it was always a tough time for us because  we really didn’t have the money like the competition. So I had to use old tires sometimes, and so on while other people had five sets of tires and I had only one and I had to try and make the best out of it, and I think that helped me quite a bit, and I was very lucky a few moments, otherwise I had no chance because the material I had for many years was not ideal and not the winning go-kart and the winning team so that was difficult.

TRT: Was it difficult to make the decision to move from the Porsche team to the Audi team? It seems as if you have been able to keep involved with Porsche as well even though you have switched to Audi.

MR: Yes it was very difficult. First of all Porsche was the most important step in my career and the greatest or biggest chance I had. From being in a single seater with no money at all , because I could drive at 16, and won a go-kart championship; and then to get the chance to be on the junior team for a factory like Porsche was great. Of course it was not a single seater career then, it was in touring car, or cup car, or GT Car, of course but in the Carerra cup, and Super Cup. I started so it was not very difficult for me the decision because there was no other option then to join Porsche. Then I realized quick when I had the chance and I won the selection that this is something really big and my only chance and I have to say I learned a lot, and I still, like you say, have a good relationship with the people at Porsche because I had great years there.  

I grew up basically there (with Porsche), and you don’t forget five years. The point was basically at that time in GT I won quite a lot  with Porsche, and then they had the RS Spyder program, which if I had not left, I would have been involved, that year if I hadn’t I went to Audi. But still I thought  for the future and the program, in motorsport Audi was for me, at that time definitely the better option with more chance of more chance of high level racing, which means DTM, which is very big in Germany, and specially of course LMP1, in America in the Le Mans Series, and Le Mans of course the big one.

That is why the decision was very difficult to leave a team, a factory, a family where I felt really secure, and at home and well supported. To do something new — but also it was a chance for me to learn, and make that experience, and I have to say, not now since I won Le Mans, it was definitely the right decision. If you see right now what I can drive with Audi, without saying what Porsche is doing right now, is not good or anything. The program is much bigger at Audi and that is why I am very happy to be part of that Audi family for four years now.

It was not always easy that is clear, you come to Audi and you have big names like Kristensen, Capello, McNish, and at that time Beila, Pirro —  they were all well known and very successful and you come as a new driver with no experience, and somethings happen like Le Mans 2007, which didn’t help  my start at Audi.  But I had to work my way though and it worked out, and like I said I am really, really happy;  but it was definitely one of the most difficult situations.  And this year I won Daytona with a Porsche engine, and like I said, I still have a great relationship with Porsche and maybe in the future, there will be a chance to drive with Porsche again, who knows? Right now the Porsche drivers drove with me in Le Mans, maybe it will be the other way around. Porsche, and Audi and Volkswagen is one group now anyway. It’s great to have  good relationships and friendships with the people at Porsche but definitely I am an Audi driver for four years, and I am an Audi driver  right now. I represent the brand and everything as good as I can, and I am really enjoying the chance I have with Audi. 

TRT: You are currently racing, LM Sports cars, DTM, and R8 LMS for GT3, which do you prefer?

MR: Well, I always say, because you are not the first one to ask this question of course, I always like to say, ‘the car where I can win races, where I am competitive.’ To drive those different cars it is fun to be in each one, but if you for example are in the DTM, the last the years, prior to this year in the older car. In the older car you basically couldn’t win races, in the past. This changed a bit this year so it was a tough time. So when I could drive the LMP, where I could win races, or at least go to the race and dream about winning it. I enjoyed it more than DTM at that time. That changed a bit now and this year we are more competitive with the old car in DTM. So I have to say all three cars are nice to drive.

I enjoy the most the LMP car, because it is so fast and has so much downforce and the racetracks we go to are great. Also I drove the DP in Daytona so you can say I am one of the few guys that is really driving all of the different kinds of cars, and racing categories, because it is sprint racing; DTM it is endurance with the LMP. So I think it is great to have that chance, and right now I am the only one at Audi that is doing all three things. I have to say it is an honor on the one hand and also it is fun and a pleasure to do it. I think it is good to always have your foot in everything, your not only doing one thing, because you never know what is going to happen in the future. I don’t think it is a disadvantage. To improve your skills it is always good to be in a race car, no matter what kind of race car.

TRT: Is it difficult to switch between the various vehicles in the course of a year — different speeds — different sizes — different handling — what is the key to making those changes.

MR: No, No I would say, ok there is a little difference, for example to go in the R8 it is easiest to be quick, right away. The DTM is also easy to adapt again, the more you do it the easier it gets so that means if you do one year of DTM, and no LMP and then go back to the LMP then for sure you need a few more laps, but if you do it one weekend to another and change cars, then it is no problem at all. The LMP car you have to get used to it, but again, you may need 5 to 10 laps to get used to it. In DTM the tires, to use the best in qualifying, and that means if you are 1/10th off because you are still in the rhythm of the LMP car you lose­­­­ performance, and you can see it in the position after qualifying, because 1/10th (of a second) in DTM can be a lot and that is difficult. I think I can manage it quite good so far and have never had the feeling at least from my side that I was losing performance because I was driving different race cars, or different categories.

TRT: In one of the releases that is out there, you mentioned “measuring yourself against the big names” in the DTM series. Do you find that racing against the big names helps you to improve your racing? Can you give us a specific example where you were racing against one of the big names and while perhaps the racing was not successful, you learned something that helped you take the next step in your career on the track.

MR: You mean in DTM to race against guys like Mika Hakkinen, or [Ralf] Schumacher is that what you mean? TRT: yes, exactly.

MR: Well, I don’t know if I said it like that. What is nice of course, actually there was one race, my second DTM race where I had a good fight with Mika Hakkinen. I finished third, and you know in the last lap or second to last lap we went door to door, in one corner  and I could overtake him and finish third, but then people ask me and in the moment I was not thinking if it is Hakkinen or someone else who is not as well known. Afterwards if you look at it and you people come and you feel that it is something bigger to fight against him than a name that isn’t well know. But I wouldn’t say that it makes a difference. I think to be in a team with Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish and all of the others I said before, that helps. They have so much experience; of course they try to beat you that’s clear. I try to be quicker than they are, but in the end we are still a team and we are very open to each other. There I learned a lot and I am still learning every time I drive. Not to learn how to be quicker, but everything. Also not in the race car, to be prepared to do your sport, to whatever it needs to be a good race car driver, you always learn, and that is something important with Audi where I had the chance to drive with great race car drivers so far. Not in DTM, to drive against, because in DTM there are names that not as well known but they are more successful and better than the well known names in DTM.

TRT: Which would you rather have, horsepower, traction, or braking? What characteristics in a car are important to you.

MR: You mean if I have to choose one? It has to fit together. I don’t like to have one or the other, Formula 1 here in Europe, people think it must be so difficult because the cars are so quick. No, of course you have more power, you are lighter, you have more downforce, you have better braking then so it all fits together. Let’s say in NASCAR there you have a lot of power, not so much downforce, in a road corse I am talking about. Maybe not the biggest brakes, but it is also fun to drive. I wouldn’t say I prefer more power, power is always good to have, because it is fun, that’s natural, but also you need the brakes. Just power and no brakes, that is also no fun. So it is difficult to say. I like to have downforce yes, and power as well. 

TRT: Can you tell us your thoughts of the Tertre Rouge corner at Le Mans?

MR: (laughing), my thoughts, there is nothing. You talk about the crash or in general when I hear the name. TRT: In general when you hear the name?

MR: Of course it was not the best moment in my career in 2007 at Tertre Rouge when I crashed and finished the race.  But since then it is a long time now, and it is a nice corner I have to say, I like it, I liked it at that time, and I still like it, I liked it the year after. Of course I was maybe a bit more careful there since then. But it was different weather conditions since then and there was a reason why I crashed, I mean there is no doubt, and I learned my lesson. It can still happen. It still can happen you know, it isn’t like you learned your lesson and it can’t happen. It’s not like you learned your lesson and you are more experienced, and it means it can’t happen again.  It can happen all the time at any race trace.  Tertre Rouge I think is a great corner, it was unfortunately the worst moment in my racing career so far. Luckily I have a team and a brand with Audi which supported me even after that incident very well, and it took quite some time, four years I was driving now in Le Mans with Audi and now we won, so  I can be happy to be in that team, because maybe with other teams or brands, they would have said Ok that is the last race for you, you had your chance, and you missed it, but not with Audi they gave me many chances, and I could prove finally and this year we finally have the results.

TRT:  you certainly never want to crash — but are there lessons that come out of them ?

MR: Definitely! I have read some online communities, in the US where people have said, I crash, or always crash, but if you follow my career and you look at how many races I have done. And think about how many race cars I have crashed in the race, in endurance racing, I think that was the only one. Of course it was the worst one you could have had, but it was the only one in many years. Of course what can I say, no I didn’t crash many times, so that means I didn’t learn a lot, that is not true. At that time yes I under estimated the weather conditions a bit and it just happened. Of course I learned something, but I don’t think you need to crash a lot to learn how not to crash. That is what I mean, I can’t remember another time I was alone and crashed — well in DTM  ok you have incidents, you go door to door. I don’t think I am a driver that should be labeled as crashing a lot. In Le Mans, everyone sees it, it’s the big one, and it was the worst movement. I was new to the brand, and to the team, it my second lap, it can’t be a lot worse, but I learned a bit out of it, I learned mentally how to not be mentally destroyed and how to come back strong, and how to build up confidence again. That is what you need. The racing skills we have in the team, we are all very close, we are all very quick, and if you follow the lap times this year, we are all very similar, all three cars at Audi. In the end it is confidence, if you have confidence you have the chance to be really quick. You need experience that means driving a lot and that gives you the confidence and then you are quick.

TRT: It is as if you have come full circle at Le Mans — from the crash in 2007 to picking up the team this year with your win. Do you ever see this cosmic relationship of the world in racing?

MR: I mean if you follow the history (of racing) especially at Le Mans, I think it has always been like that. There has always been tragedy and crazy things happen. That is Le Mans, you only have one chance. If you go in Formula one world championship, or NASCAR or Indy Car, or DTM, you say ok (muffled)  F**k, the weekend was bad, in two weeks or one week we go to the next race and we try again; But in Le Mans, it’s one time a year with all the pressure you have, not from your team necessary but because it is one race, and you drive with one of the most successful teams ever at Le Mans, with Audi and then you have all the pressure on your shoulders when you are in the car that’s clear, but that is part of it and that’s what makes it so special. It is one chance a year, and if you are lucky you will get it again, and that is what happened to me. Then the year after we came back in 2008 and I was of course not as confident as before and we finished 4th because we had some problem with the engine at that time, but for us it was important to finish. Then the year after Lucas had his incident, his crash and the race was over again, so out of three times there was only one finish. So one time I drove in the night basically with the car, so always early finishes. There was nothing successful with me in Audi so far, then you go again there, and you know if something small happens you won’t win again. It can be very frustrating and very hard to accept but that is the way it works; and if you try and do your best, and work hard and everything needs to be 100%: your co-drivers, the car, the team, the mechanics– then you have a chance to win, and it happened this year,  and it can be that in the next 10 years I don’t win again, I don’t hope so , but you never know. But it is not like you have a secret to win. If you ask Tom [Kristensen]  he can’t give you a secret, of course he knows what to do , but still he was very lucky to win eight times at Le Mans.

TRT: We thought that it was an interesting dichotomy in the results at Sebring and Le Mans. The PeugeotTeam won the race at Sebring but had virtually no competition and at the checkered flag had 18 or 20 laps less than the winning result at Sebring last year; At Le Mans, it sounded as if your reliability was the reason for your success — but your team also set a record for the longest distance in the race. Do you have any comments on that?

MR: Well I mean it is clear that now a days it is a sprint race, that was also clear in days before, but you need dry conditions, you need no safety cars, or not a lot of safety cars, and then the reliability; because the year before we were struggling big time with reliability. We had small issues, we had to clean radiators and so on during the race. And we worked very hard on that, we of course tried to make the car a lot quicker because we knew Peugeot was going to be hard to beat on the speed and we had to step up which we did, but we maybe under estimated the step they did. And then we realized we cannot go for the lap time anyway, we just focused on a good and easy car we can drive during the race, on the limit and that we can go 100 per cent and that we tried. If you look at all three cars we had no technical issues, I mean nothing, and that is outstanding. I think we can be proud of it, and Audi can too. That is part of the race, you can say we were too slow, that’s true, but we have the record now which is nice to have of course; but what counts is the victory and to be one, two, three, I think nobody could have expected. To be honest with you, to see your competition failing like that, of course you have less pressure and you think one less, you have less work for yourself, and it is less difficult; You feel with them, I don’t know how to say it. The key this year was to be very successful, we did it, we were very reliable, but for next year, new rules, new cars, we have to build a new car again, so we will see. In Sebring, of course they could go slower with no competition from Audi, and this year at Le Mans, they had to show everything and we prepared and we were a bit lucky at the end you can say as well, but that is what you need to win Le Mans.

TRT: It looked to us from the press row that the McNish, Kristensen, Capello team had a great deal of joy for your team’s win at Le Mans and were just waiting to give you guys a hosing with the champagne. What kind of a relationship do you have with the other drivers at Audi.

MR: Well, I have to say this year at Le Mans, it was a great team of nine drivers; we all have respect for each other, but we also had fun together. We are very open to each other that is clear, and I think to be honest, of course I wanted to be one of the three drivers that wins the race, but in the end, everyone of the nine drivers can be proud. They have shown that they can win the race, Tom many times, Allan and Dindo as well. The new guys they finished second, and we finished in the first spot, so I think they can be happy. If we would have finished third, we would have been disappointed, and of course you congratulate your team mate, but still you can be happy in Le Man, and if you have done it as many times as they have, I think you can relax and congratulate your team mate, I think that is what they did, and it was great to see that. I was sure it would be like that, because we all respect each other and we are happy for each one of our team if they have success and the team has success. So I think it is quite normal for our team the way they reacted.

TRT: What are your thoughts about coming to the final ALMS race at Road Atlanta? Do you like that track?

MR: Well first of all I don’t know if I will drive Atlanta or not, because it is not necessarily me in the car, it could be another driver, I don’t know, but definitely it is a great track. It will be four drivers, but it could be six drivers if we have two cars,  it would be four drivers. You don’t know with Audi we have so many drivers , and I am busy with DTM, I could do it but it is hard to say. Definitely Atlanta is a great track it is one of my favorites. 

TRT: You have been the overall winner at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, and this year at the 24 Hours of Daytona, and recently winning the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans. How do you go about preparing for a 24 hour race?

MR: Not really, the physical fitness you need anyway, that’s clear, but that you need for a DTM race which is an hour and 20 minutes as well. You try to be rested well before the 24 hour race that’s clear. You try not to waste your energy during the week at Le Mans, or Daytona or wherever. Sometimes I try to go to sleep before the race, if I don’t do the start as well. To really get all the sleep I can, to feel fit, to not be ill, and then drive every stint 100 per cent, or to the limit that you can go, or the lap times you need to go. Then afterwards get out of the car, and sometimes get a massage, and then sometimes go to sleep or take a shower if there is a possibility. Then get back in the car. So just step-by-step, because you can only do your best, then you give the car to your teammate and they do the same, and at the end after 24 hours if you are lucky you can win the race. That’s how it works; it’s not a big secret. It is just do whatever you can, and make no mistakes then you have a chance. Then of course you always think, hopefully the car is not breaking, which at Audi I have to say I am always quite confident that there is no problem. Also in Daytona you never know and at the end we had some issues, and you think, if the car breaks now you don’t win. It’s not easy, you can just influence when you are in the car, the rest you cannot influence.

TRT: What kind of a workout do you to keep in shape for driving? Is it something that you are religiously doing all year?

MR: Nothing special. I try and do some running and cycling, but more running; I prefer that it takes less time for the same result, and then in the winter time I go in the gym, to do some neck training, but that is basically it. Just try and do some sport every week, not every day, but four times a week if possible. That’s it, like I said to try and be healthy also. To not eat fast food every day — that’s a joke — but really to try and do what is good for your body; to stay in shape, and check your weight. So far I don’t have big problems: you know that I gain weight or anything. Also for my mental strength, you know that you are fit and can go through the race and the weekend and you know you are strong as well.

TRT: Outside of racing are there other hobbies you are good at or enjoy?

MR: It’s not like I have a hobby that I am really into, and am thinking about it every day. In the wintertime I like to go skiing a bit, but I am not very good; then in the summertime now I am living close to a lake, to be on a boat, to wakeboard, and enjoy being on the water, and enjoy life. There isn’t really a hobby that I am 100 percent involved.

TRT: Are you reading anything right now, or are there any books you take to the racetrack?

MR: Not really, sometimes I am reading a book, I have the one now, I don’t know what you call in English, but the last one from Dan Brown. That was a good one, but usually I am listening to some music, and reading some car magazines. Because of course I am interested in cars, in also road cars, and like to read the reports about them and check out the cars, but I am quite tight on money, so I don’t like to spend a lot of money on cars.

TRT: What is the most played artist on your ipod? What are you listening to while driving you I would presume RS4 company car on the Autobahn?

MR: It depends, on the mood;  well we have a company car that is clear, I am lucky to get the RS5 next week. All the Audis I have to say are all nice, and good to drive. Right now I have an A4 Diesel, and it is very good. The songs just depends, I like to have songs from the 80’s to listen to them. I like Rock, and Punk Rock as well. Not really rap, or hip hop, it is more rock, or punk rock to listen to and songs from the 80s. Sometimes before the race I listen to some music as well, it depends, sometimes some new songs as well when I like them. It’s not like I have a favorite one, a really favorite one, of course Eye of the Tiger.

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