The pacemaker: Part 2

In the second part of our interview with Herr Lange, we talk cornering, driving against the front axle and how the 911 just keeps getting better.

4y ago
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Q: Speed and perfection go hand in hand with you. How do you advise everyday Porsche drivers? Is it better to focus on perfection than pace?

A: Perfection, clearly. The pace comes by itself. And never forget: entering the curve is the slowest point. After that, all you have to do is counter-steer and steadily accelerate from the middle. Just make sure you don’t enter the corner too fast. It’s all a matter of timing.

Q: You have driven countless cars at the limit with hard bursts of acceleration. Is this the true art of rally driving? Steering on the throttle?

A: This is certainly an art, but actually it’s totally logical: I make the transition from stable to unstable driving by load changes. Which in turn means I drive fast up to the corner, ease off the gas in time and use targeted bursts of acceleration to keep the car in the drifting phase. The main thing is not to drive against the front axle.

Q: How do you drive against the front axle?

A: By entering the corner too fast in search of the ideal line, then counter-steering too far and losing traction. Smooth driving is better than hard driving.

Q: Your driving style is considered to be very controlled and composed. How would you describe it yourself?

A: Very minimalist. My secret: steer sparsely, steer softly, steer early. And from the middle of the curve, open up the steering. I drive sporty, safe and focused – it keeps you mentally fit, too, when you are focused on the task.

Q: You have repeatedly taken the ’70 Porsche 911 ST to the limits of what is possible – and yet were in control at all times. What’s going through your mind at a time like that?

A: It was always vital at high speeds to feel every movement of the car, to counter-steer at the right angle and to open up the steering in time. In the rain, it was necessary to maintain control and to come off the drift onto the straight smoothly. Either you have a sense for it or you don’t.

Q: Your favourite 911 was your rally car of the 70s Bavaria Rally: a 911 2.0 S from 1967. What made it so good?

A: That it completely and totally applied its force to the ground. And that its short wheelbase made it very tricky to manoeuvre.

Q: What used to be the fundamental equipment of the 911 driver?

A: A good amount of respect and a willingness to be focused on the task at hand at all times.

Q: What do you recommend today – other than time for detours?

A: Still respect, but now especially for the high speeds that can be reached so easily today and are no longer noticeable, because everything is so perfect in the 911.

Q: Each new 911 generation is superior to its predecessor. Will there ever be any limits, and if so, in what way?

A: With each 911 generation, I thought things couldn’t get any better. And then the tyres got better, the response more precise – driving became even more perfect. I think that in the future, attention will be paid so that the charm of driving isn’t lost due to sheer electronics. I don’t know where the limits are, but I suspect that the steps are getting smaller. They will always work to reduce the consumption and weight of the car. Just as long as I still get to hear a few naturally aspirated engines ...

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Comments (1)

  • Legend! And e comes across being such a nice and just humble person, regardless is "aura" and achievements.

    Thank you Jethro

      4 years ago
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