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Motorsport

Nick Tandy isn’t focused on the Triple Crown — He just wants to win Le Mans

Nick Tandy Le Mans (Facility) Felipe Nasr Porsche Laurens Vanthoor Pascal Wehrlein Porsche Penske Motorsport Daytona 24 Hours of Le Mans Sebring

Nick Tandy knows he’s standing on the precipice of history. With wins at Daytona and Sebring this year, he’s in the unique position — alongside fellow Porsche Penske Motorsport drivers Felipe Nasr and Laurens Vanthoor — to be the first to win the triple crown of endurance racing within the space of a calendar year. But, that won’t change his approach to this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“Of course it would be something unbelievably special, however... the idea of winning Le Mans in any year stands alone by itself,” Tandy tells Motorsport.com, “If you get it and you add to making a triple crown, it’s just extra special, of course, but it doesn’t change what we’re going to do, it doesn’t change anything preparation wise or anything going into Le Mans because as a standalone event, it’s our World Cup final, it’s premier event in motorsport.

“Anytime you go there with a good car and a good team, and a potential chance to win, you have to put in a 100-percent effort and 100-percent preparation in any way.”

#7: Porsche Penske Motorsports, Porsche 963, GTP: Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy, Laurens Vanthoor, on the podium celebrating their 2025 Rolex 24 win (Photo by: LAT Images)

Tandy’s Daytona win in January made him the first driver to win all the major 24-hour endurance races in the world outright, Daytona, Spa, Nürburgring, and Le Mans. He says that it was only after the Daytona win that he started to appreciate the feat. He has a similar view about Le Mans.

“When you look back after, and see the accomplishment, that’s when it starts to mean something,” he says. “When you’re actually part of the event, or part of the race, or part of the sport, each event and each week is just as important as any other. For sure it would be great in 30 years to say, ‘Wow, we were the first, or the only drivers and team to do the Triple Crown in a single season,’ but the focus and being in the moment now, winning Le Mans is its own standalone event.”

This year, Tandy will run in the #4 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963, an additional entry for Le Mans, alongside his IMSA teammate Nasr and defending Formula E champion Pascal Wehrlein. With Nasr, Tandy has won the first three of five rounds already completed in the 2025 IMSA Sportscar Championship, with podiums at every race. And while Ferrari has dominated WEC this year and won Le Mans the last two, you can never count out Porsche at Le Mans.

Tandy says that the prep has been “a lot” smoother this year than in previous years, simply because of this team’s prior experience with this car at Le Mans. “We’re better prepared for sure. We know what to expect, we know what we’re going to struggle with, what we’re going to be good with, and how to manage those things. So, from a driver’s point of view, it’s no real changes.” He also notes that the 963’s reliability has improved in its two years of running.

Still, smoother prep doesn’t mean there’s no pressure. “When Porsche Motorsport goes to Le Mans with any car, any entry, they’re going for a reason,” Tandy says. There is a big pressure racing for a brand like that because you’re expected to be performing, you’re expected to be at the front, and you’re expected to win ultimately.”

But the team’s operational improvements and the car’s reliability gains alleviate some pressure and allow Tandy and the team to focus on finer details. “If it’s all relaxed and nobody’s worried about ‘Are we going to get this right? Are we going to get this wrong? Are we capable of doing things? Are we not?’ Everyone has more mental capacity and more time to focus on performance.”

#4 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy, Pascal Wehrlein (Photo by: Andreas Beil)

Tandy also has the fun challenge of integrating Wehrlein into the team. Not only is this his first 24 Hours of Le Mans, but it's also his third endurance race ever. He made his debut with a Porsche customer team at Daytona earlier this year and ran with the factory team at the Spa 6 Hours in prep for this race.

“Pascal’s a world-champion professional, so we’ll find out on race weekend, but it didn’t work out too badly the last time Porsche got a group of drivers that hadn’t raced together and put them in a car at Le Mans,” Tandy says. He’s of course referring to his 2015 Le Mans victory in the Porsche 919, where he was paired with Earl Bamber and Nico Hulkenberg.

“I think it’s important to pass on your experience and let them know what’s likely to be expected from all of us, and honestly, it’s like building a family bond,” Tandy says. “Because this is the thing, you give your baby, effectively, which is the race car, you might be with your baby for three to four hours on track, and then you hand it off to somebody else.”

Tandy says it’s his job to elevate the team as much as it is to turn quick laps. “I think an underestimated part of endurance racing especially is being able to motivate and work with and help teammates and help the team.

“It hasn’t worked too badly for us in the past, and in the recent past, so I’m looking forward to it.”