Inter Europol Competition driver Fabio Scherer spoke to Motorsport Week in-depth about the Centenary Le Mans 24 Hours, nursing an injured foot en route to the LMP2 win, and more.

A tale of perseverance and resilience propelled Scherer and Inter Europol Competition to become Centenary Le Mans winners and title-contenders for the final World Endurance Championship LMP2 title.

Scherer joined the Inter Europol Competition team in 2022 across a select number of WEC races, the full European Le Mans Series campaigns, and Le Mans inbetween.

His FIA silver licence was uprated to gold by the end of 2021, which meant that he could not continue with the WEC United Autosports team he was part of during his debut sportscar season.

This year has been the most successful for the Polish bakery privateer, most notably winning in a highly competitive LMP2 category at the Centenary Le Mans 24 Hours.

With an injured foot, Scherer won the race with Jakub ‘Kuba’ Smiechowski and Albert Costa in the team’s WEC #34 Oreca 07 LMP2 car.

“Working with Albert and Kuba has been great,” said Scherer.

“Albert is a quick driver, and Kuba has been a great silver because he doesn’t make any mistakes.” 

“I have seen a massive improvement from the whole team since last year.”

Scherer has competed in both European Le Mans Series and WEC campaigns for IE Competition, most notably at the 2022 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps when the team charged from last on the grid to second place.

Earlier this year at the 6 Hours of Spa, Inter Europol finished on their first WEC podium after a rain-soaked race, and without tyre warmers.

One of the highlights, for both Scherer and the Inter Europol team, has been the Centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans, which marked 100 years since the inception of the famed endurance race at La Sarthe.

Costa qualified the car in 13th position in LMP2, after his best attempts were unable to get the team through to the Hyperpole session.

Scherer, meanwhile, took the race start again this year in one of two Inter Europol Oreca 07s.

However, early in the race a very localised rain shower affected the first sector, as a mixture of the 62 cars opted for slicks or wet compound tyres.

“Driving at Le Mans start on slicks, we decided to be cautious,” he said, with the car amidst a fiesty LMP2 field.

“The race is not won on the opening lap or the opening hours.”

Unlike at Spa-Francorchamps, the rain at the start decreased in intensity.

Ten minutes after the safety car was deployed for Jack Aitken’s opening-lap incident — which caused debris at the first chicane on the Mulsanne straight — the team changed to Kuba as a “tactical decision” to start fulfilling his drive time.

At such an early point, it was during this pit stop when Scherer’s left foot was run over by the Corvette. 

It was only after the race when the full details of the injury became apparent: ligament damage and an incomplete fracture, which had caused him to limp in and out of the car for the majority of the race.

Following intervention from the team’s physiotherapist, while still uncomfortable, Scherer was well aware of the speed in the package; his determination was stronger than ever to continue pushing, with the car in winning contention.

“The adrenaline helped mask the pain during the course of the race, plus my professional background in skiing helped me find ways of coping with the injury.

“I still braked with my left foot, but instead of turning the ankle, I pushed my left leg, having never braked with my right foot so I did not decide to do so.

By the sixth hour, the team’s #34 Oreca 07 climbed up into the lead of 22 LMP2 cars which were running.

“We were fighting for a potential Le Mans victory, and I did not think much about the injury — just our target to win.”

It was, however, not until the night phase arrived when the rain became more present, and caused several cars to go off the track as others steadily nursed their slicks back around to the pit box for wets.

“Surviving and keeping the lead during the heavy rain conditions in the night truly earned us the win.

“The long safety car period meant we couldn’t keep tyres up to temperature, but we just wanted to make it through the most critical phase.”

Kuba and Costa primarily interchanged driving duties during the early hours of the morning, until Scherer got back in the car at approximately 6.30 am local time.

A quadruple stint by Costa preceded Scherer’s final stint to lead Inter Europol towards their maiden victory, albeit with Swiss compatriot Louis Deletraz catching behind for Team WRT.

“I was not able to fulfil my best potential nursing the injury, but I was able to do enough to keep [Louis] Deletraz from catching me in the final stint.”

By the chequered flag, Scherer finished 21 seconds ahead of second-placed Deletraz of the #41 WRT.

The #34’s quickest race lap time was a 3:37.180 by the Swiss driver set on Lap 158, enough for the fifth-fastest race lap in the LMP2 category by the end.

“Taking the chequered flag was an unbelievable high, a memory I’ll never forget.

“After showing potential for the win last year and encountering an alternator failure, it felt like we completed something we started a long time ago.

“Our reliability was fine throughout the race, apart from a brief trip through a gravel trap.

“Compared to the start, the car felt dramatically different after various weather conditions, components like the clutch and brakes were worn in, and the track was rubbered in.”

The team won from 13th on the grid, a feat never achieved in the LMP2 category before, and Scherer described the podium view over a record-high attendance of fans.

“Wherever you looked, there were people.

“The atmosphere was incredible at the Centenary Le Mans.

“It was amazing to stand on the top step of the podium, and share the celebrations with the team — it was a crazy, emotional positive from a small team from Poland against big names like JOTA, WRT and United Autosports.”

“After the race, we saw and stopped by some fans on a roundabout and decided to share the champagne with them and show them the trophy.

“Hearing (car) horns as others joined in celebrations, it was amazing to see how much the win meant to everyone else as well as our own team.”

The injury took three weeks to recover through bespoke training, although the time passed quicker than expected, according to Scherer.

After securing the full 50 points from Le Mans, the #34 crew scored fourth place and 10 points at Monza just four weeks after Le Mans.

Their title rivals, the #41 WRT crew, won the 6 Hours of Fuji in LMP2 whilst the #34 IE Competition team managed ninth place and two points.

WRT’s #41 crew of Rui Andrade, Louis Deletraz and Robert Kubica lead the LMP2 standings on 135 points, as the #34 crew sit on 102.

Most crucially, Inter Europol must win in Bahrain to narrow down the gap, if not also to defend their P2 spot from the #22 United Autosports team situated one point behind.

After a difficult 6 Hours of Fuji, Scherer consolidated on the team’s expectations into the 8 Hours of Bahrain finale on 4 November.

“We want to finish the season on a high in Bahrain, and Fuji was our low and consistency was lacking a bit.

“Bahrain will be full-risk with no opportunity to waste if we want to become LMP2 champions from P2 in the standings.

“We should be very proud of our performance this year regardless of the result.”

Scherer shared the disappointment for LMP2’s WEC departure in regards to IE Competition’s recent progression, but points out the expectations of a growing Hypercar class.

As winners this year, Inter Europol are automatically invited to next year’s Le Mans 24 Hours which will still feature LMP2 competition, even if not in the full-season WEC package.

Above all, Scherer’s ardour to win the Centenary Le Mans was so intense, that even a foot injury did not overshadow his perseverance having spent much of the year preparing for one of the most decorated editions of Le Mans since 1923.

Fabio Scherer will join High Class Racing for the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship.

The Gold-rated Swiss driver will join the squad for the four rounds of the Michelin Endurance Cup at Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen and Petit Le Mans. He will join Anders Fjordbach and Dennis Andersen aboard the team’s ORECA 07-Gibson.

“I’m really excited to be joining High Class Racing and to race in the United States,” said Scherer. “It will be a fresh challenge and it’ll be great to compete on such great old-school circuits. In fact, I have never even been to the US before, so it will be all new for me!

“High Class Racing have a strong record and we’re all looking forward to the first round in Daytona where they ran well last year. As I have moved from being a Silver-graded driver to Gold, it will be great to help lead the team in what is an exciting new adventure.”

Scherer completed his first season in LMP2 with United Autosports in the FIA World Endurance Championship, scoring two class wins at Spa-Francorchamps and Monza alongside Filipe Albuquerque and Phil Hanson.

“We are delighted to welcome Fabio to the team in this new challenge in the United States,” said Team Coordinator Gustavo Fornell. “It will be all new for him too because he has never raced on these circuits, but he has great talent and will quickly adapt and form a great line-up with Anders and Dennis.”

The 2022 IMSA season kicks off with the Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 28-30.

United Autosports driver Fabio Scherer has tested positive for COVID-19, and will not be taking part in the Eight Hours of Portimao.

The Swiss driver was due to take part in his second FIA World Endurance Championship event alongside Phil Hanson and Paul di Resta, but was ruled out after a positive test result on Friday morning.

“United Autosports can confirm that following a positive COVID 19 test result this morning, Fabio Scherer will not be racing for the team during round two of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Portimao,” the team wrote in a statement.

“Wayne Boyd is on standby in Portugal to join Phil Hanson and Paul Di Resta in the #22 Oreca 07 pending the results of his COVID 19 test taken this morning. Further updates will be provided in due course.”

Boyd has a long history with the Anglo-American squad, but has primarily raced LMP3 machinery. He raced for the team’s LMP2 squad in the European Le Mans Series in 2018 and raced an ORECA 07 in the Twelve Hours of Sebring earlier this year.

The late replacement would be the series debut for the 30-year-old, who has never raced in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Former DTM driver Fabio Scherer will join United Autosports for the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship.

Scherer will partner reigning champions Filipe Albuquerque and Phil Hanson behind the wheel of its ORECA 07-Gibson, with which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and LMP2 title in 2020.

The Swiss driver previously raced in Formula 3 as part of the Sauber Junior Team and made his DTM debut with Team WRT in 2020, during the last year of DTM’s Class One era.

“I am very happy to be part of the United Autosports team for 2021,” Scherer said. “To team up with the reigning champions and Le Mans winners Phil Hanson and Filipe Albuquerque is a great opportunity and another big step in my career.

“The World Endurance Championship is one of the best known and competitive championships out there. The Le Mans 24 Hours will be the highlight of my racing career so far.

“To be able to race such iconic race tracks next to Le Mans, like Sebring, Spa, Fuji, Monza and Bahrain is a great chance to prove myself in endurance racing.”

“I am already counting down the days until the season opener in March. At this point, I want to say thank you to my sponsors and all those who supported me in the recent days. It seems like Christmas came one week earlier for me this year.”

Scherer effectively replaces Paul di Resta as Hanson, who will be given a Gold driver rating in 2021, reunites with Filipe Albuquerque.

“I am delighted to welcome Fabio to the team alongside our double LMP2 champions and Le Mans winners Phil and Filipe,” team co-owner Zak Brown said about his new signing. “I’m sure he will fit into the team well and they will have a good year in the FIA WEC.”

Hanson, 21, has been racing with United Autosports since 2018 and has won multiple championships along the way, including both the WEC and ELMS titles in 2020.

“Returning to United Autosports was always the plan for next year given the success we have had together this year, winning both the WEC and ELMS championships and of course Le Mans,” Hanson said. “It sets the bar very high for 2021, but I have confidence in the team and I am excited to start working with Filipe again and welcoming our new team mate Fabio as well.”

Albuquerque, meanwhile, will combine his WEC programme with United Autosports with a full-season drive in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship with Wayne Taylor Racing.

“Back in 2017 when I first met Zak and Richard in Daytona, I never thought I was signing for a team that I would come to love so much and that would mean so much to me and my career,” said Albuquerque. “And now we are going into 2021 for another World Championship.

‘It makes sense to continue together with United and Phil. It was one of my priorities to race with them again and having Fabio on board will be great. I’m looking forward to racing with him and I think we have a great team to win.

“I’m just super happy to be with United for my fifth season. They are becoming one of the teams I’ve been with the longest in my career. I cannot thank Richard and Zak enough for having me on board.”

“We are delighted to have Phil and Filipe with us once again,” concluded team owner Richard Dean. “They are very much part of the United family. They have both shown what they are capable of by winning the World Endurance Championship, Le Mans and the ELMS together last season and it is an exciting challenge for us to attempt to retain our titles in 2021.”

“I’m also delighted to welcome Fabio to the team. His F3 and DTM experience will help him adapt to sports cars and although it will be his first-time racing in the WEC, I’m sure he will settle into the team and get up to speed quickly to help us defend our FIA WEC LMP2 title.”

Belgian privateers Team WRT have unveiled the livery with which DTM rookie Fabio Scherer will contest the 2020 season.

Former F3 racer Scherer is part of an all-new line-up for the team, which also includes IndyCar refugee Ed Jones and Ferdinand Habsburg, who joined the team after completing his maiden campaign with R-Motorsport’s Aston Martin squad.

The team joined DTM in 2019 and had a strong maiden season with Pietro Fittipaldi and Jonathan Aberdein, with the latter scoring a pair of fourth-placed finishes and qualifying on the front row on multiple occasions en route to tenth in the driver’s standings while the team came in seventh ahead of R-Motorsport.

Like most other series, the start of the 2020 DTM campaign had suffered significant delays in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the championship is set to return to the track with a three-day test session at the Nürburgring on June 8-11 before the proposed season opener on July 10-12 at the Norisring in Nürnberg.