As the #5 NAVI Team Goh Porsche RS Spyder was heading for a second place in the LMP2 category , Seiji Ara had a big crash in the first chicane of the Musanne straight, very close to the finish, the car being badly damaged and having to retire. Tetsuya Kato, NAVI Team Goh Director, has agreed to answer a few questions about Le Mans and about the near future of the team.

Has the Le Mans result been a big disappointment for the team?

Of course, it is big shame that we retired from the race just 70 minuites before finish. But, in spite of the crash which happened when braking at the speed of over 300km/h, our driver had no problem. It was really lucky for us.

As the #5 Porsche was during the race behind the Essex RS Spyder, was there a slight problem on the NAVI Team Goh Porsche?

We had no big problem during the race. But we had an off course at high speed before the Tertre Rouge n Saturday at 11 p.m. Then the car has damaged, splitter and body work. For repairing them, we needed three laps. It was big disadvantage for us.

What did exactly happen for the Seiji Ara’s crash in the end of the race?

We don’t know the real reason of this crash. But it is definitely sure that a trouble had happened with the brakes or the suspensions. Actually, we had already the same kind of situation. When Kunimoto drove in the night, he reported that the brakes has been turned spongy suddenly, and then, the car wanted to slide away.

Has the RS Spyder been badly damaged? Is it repaired now?

The dameges just concerned front and rear suspensions for left side, body work and crushable structures. No damages on monocoque, engine or gearbox. We all are really impressed in the excellence of Porsche’s design.

Keisuke Kunimoto was a Le Mans rookie, what can be said of his first race in the Sarthe?

Keisuke is a rookie for Le Mans and he is still twenty years old, he showed us an excellent performance. He was also really adaptable to the difficult Sarthe circuit. His only problem was the speed on in-lap/out-lap, and sometimes his lap times have been affected by the trafic.

The NAVI Team Goh should now race in the Asian Le Mans Series at Okayama and Shangaï, so has the team already scheduled some testing sessions? Where and when, possibly?

Now, we have no schedule for testing. We will bring our car by air to Japan for Asian Le Mans Series at Okayama in the same time than other European teams.

As the Asian Le Mans Series will be short races, 500 km long, what will be the line-up of the NAVI Team Goh RS Spyder? Seiji Ara/Keisuke Kunimoto? Someone else? Sascha Maassen?

We are thinking about drivers line-up for Okayama round, now.
It looks difficult to participate to Shang-hai round, because the date of race clashes with the Japanese “Super GT ” series. Ara and Kunimoto are both SUPER GT regular drivers.

Will NAVI Team Goh continue their commitment to sportscars racing next year and after? Le Mans, Le Mans Series, something else?

Sorry, but we have decided nothing for next year, now.

We do warmly thank Tetsuya Kato for his answers.

Claude Foubert