The Brabham family is more like a dynasty. Father Jack is a Formula 1 world champion and Geoff, one of his sons, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1993. Now this is another son’s turn. Indeed David took the victory with Peugeot last June in the Sarthe but this is behind the wheel of an Acura that he is running for the rest of the season…

David, what have been your first thought when your car crossed the finish line at Le Mans?

“I had so many at the time, but I was so pleased for the team, my team mates and myself for winning the race. It was more of a relief for me to win.”

What does the victory at Le Mans mean for you after such a good 2008 season?

“It means a lot to me, as I see Le Mans as my biggest race of the year, and winning the last 3 years, twice with Aston Martin in GT1 and this year in a P1 for Peugeot, the race has been good to me. 2008 was such a great year for me that I was wondering how I could better it, but winning overall is the icing on the cake.”

How has been your relationship with your team-mates at Le Mans?

“Alex, Marc and myself got on really well; I enjoyed working with them very much.”

Before Le Mans, car Nr.9 was seen as the “slowest” one of the Peugeot, what do you think about this?

“That was true, because we were on a different strategy; we paid more attention to having a perfect race and not overall speed, which turned out to be the best solution.”

What is the main difference between diesel and petrol cars?

“The biggest differences are weight distribution and the way the power comes in. The diesel car has a lot of torque and power compared to the petrol cars.”

What are your goals for the remaining races in ALMS?

“Simple, to win every race, because that is what it will take to win the championship.”

Is it frustrating to have only one “real” rival in LMP1?

“For sure you would like more cars to race against, but it is what it is and the fight between the two Acuras means it is a close battle every race, which is fun.”

What development do you work on currently with Acura?

“None at the moment, but we are still learning about the car and how to get the best out of it.”

Would you like Acura to be at Le Mans next year?

“Only if they were competitive.”

You are employed by two car-makers whereas many good drivers have a hard to find a wheel. How can you explain that?

“I feel very lucky to be able to have two great drives at the same time. I had a great year last year, which helped to show what I can do and I have a lot of experience. I also conduct myself in a professional way, which seems to be working for me.”

Who’s next in the Brabham family?

“My brother Geoff has a son who is doing really well in Australian karting, plus my own son will do some karting this year….! So there are more Brabhams to come.”

David is leading the LMP1 class in the American Le Mans Series, but the fight should be tough between both Acuras till the end of the season.

Interview by Cécile Bonardel