ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA

January 30, 2022

Steve Bortolotti

Chris Pfaff

Matt Campbell

Mathieu Jaminet

Felipe Nasr

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: GTD Pro winners, No. 9 Porsche, come on up.

We're pleased to be joined by Pfaff Motorsports at the 60th Rolex 24 at Daytona. Co-drivers of the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche, Mathieu Jaminet, Matt Campbell, Felipe Nasr. First Rolex 24 for all three drivers. First win also in the Rolex 24 for Pfaff Motorsports. The 70th and 71st wins at the Rolex 24 for Porsche. They won both GTD Pro as well as the GTD class.

Let's start with the drivers, with Matt Campbell. Matt, put into some words, if you could, what it means to you to get this win.

MATT CAMPBELL: Holy shit (laughter).

Obviously extremely happy to be able to bring home the win. We were watching in the last couple hours, it was pretty hectic at times. Yeah, extremely happy to be able to win the race with these two guys, also bring the win home for Pfaff Motorsports.

It's a fantastic start to the year, super happy. Been able to do the Rolex a couple times now. Had a podium and also a very new win. Now to be able to finally clinch it in the first year is an amazing feeling.

Super happy. Hopefully we can try to get a couple more of these as well. Absolutely stoked.

THE MODERATOR: Mathieu, what a battle.

MATHIEU JAMINET: Yeah, these last two hours have been maybe the most stressful of my life. Yeah, I mean, what a crazy fight with Lawrence. We all know how good he is, one of the best GT drivers out there in the world. We had a great fight. It was sometimes on the limit, maybe even over.

In the end we took care, let's say, and tried to made it to the end even though we had some small contacts. Last chicane was kind of crazy.

Yeah, for us, we made it so I'm really pleased. Just can't thank the team, first race for me in the team. Yeah, thanks to everyone. Thanks to the boys. They did an amazing job on strategy, on fuel especially. This what bring us back to the front.

These two guys, especially Felipe, has been a wild road for you. I mean, he just jumped in. We know how tough is it for the Prototype drivers, single-seater drivers to jump into the GT car. Especially the Porsche with the rear engine, it's tough. He did a pretty good job. Hats off to him and to Matt who bring the car back to the front. Yeah, great race until the end. This is what people want to see.

THE MODERATOR: To your right, Felipe Nasr. New to GTD Pro racing, new to Porsche. Can you think of a better way to start your relationship than this?

FELIPE NASR: Well, I have to say this guy made us go crazy the last laps. We were really jumping out of our seats. I've lost my voice. It's hard when you're off the car, you're just watching. What an incredible race. Those final laps were proper racing.

I have a huge respect for the class, so this transition from the DPi to GTD Pro was probably one of the most challenging things I've done in the last few years, getting out of my comfort zone. I was so used to the DPi.

I have to say everybody within Pfaff Motorsports, two incredible teammates, they helped me through every session, through every kind of procedure. Every time I was out in the car, had more laps, I just felt very comfortable.

Winning the race was like, Wow, what an incredible feeling. To finally have that on the list, I've been very close a couple of times at this race, but finally being able to win it feels incredible.

I just want to thank those guys for the opportunity in my first-ever race for Porsche as well, couldn't have gone a better way of starting this relationship. Pretty good beginning of the year. Thank you very much, guys.

THE MODERATOR: Pfaff Motorsports owner, Chris Pfaff. First win. What does it mean for you?

CHRIS PFAFF: It still isn't sinking in. It was an exciting finish. Larry drove for us last year so we knew how good he was. He actually played a big compliment to you Mathieu, about how you guys are very competitive. We saw that on the track. It was a lot of fun.

Steve to my right here, he runs the team. I'm more the commercial guy, the structure guy. He's got a great thing going on. We won Sebring, Daytona championship last year. We have great momentum. I'm proud of the team. They work so well together.

THE MODERATOR: Finally we go to Steve Bortolotti. Steve, big win for you guys. How nerve-wracking was it on the box for you guys?

STEVE BORTOLOTTI: Yeah, my voice is nonexistent these days (smiling).

We knew as the last two hours was unfolding, our strategist Bruno, he's an incredible strategist, he was thinking of things. I trust you. Big part of hiring people is you trust them to do their jobs. I don't get it, but we're going to do it, save fuel.

Every pit stop, the gap would go from 30 seconds to 15 seconds, 15 seconds to seven and a half seconds. Every time it's being cut in half. This guy is onto something here.

The problem is, when the gap was smaller, the margins between us and the 2 car were very small. When we went the final stint there, All right, this is how it's going to go down. Like Chris said, we worked with Larry last year, we kind of knew where he was at. We felt like we had a superior car for the race, although it felt like he might have had some space. Jam Jam was getting everything. We made our brake change a bit too early which kind of handicapped Mathieu, but he drove the wheels off it, yeah, brought us home the win in the 24 Hours of Daytona.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Steve, we saw your car factory supported Porsche. I don't think we've seen that close of racing between two manufacturer cars. Were you guys given any direction from Porsche? Was it go for the win?

STEVE BORTOLOTTI: These are the only three Porsche employees in my program. It's all the same people as last year. The support is these three individuals on the stage.

Hats off to Chris on the commercial side for helping us put this all together. We don't have people from Manthey. This isn't a Porsche factory program. This is our Pfaff Motorsports team, the same group that some of us started working together in Porsche Cup Canada in 2014. We appreciate the confidence Porsche had in our team, giving us the three amazing drivers we have on the stage.

This is our people, this is the talent we've groomed over the years. This is kind of the result of our hard work.

Q. I was referring to the drivers in general.

STEVE BORTOLOTTI: Yeah, the drivers were plug-and-play. There was no conversation. Just don't embarrass us on TV was the only text I got (laughter). I don't think we did that, so that was good.

Q. Take me through the banging and beating which was the second-place car at the time.

MATHIEU JAMINET: Well, difficult to say. I mean, I was just like trying to stay calm, but I know also the mate I have behind me because I race with him. He hit us quite some time.

I knew it's going to be a hard fight until the end. That's going to come down to the last lap. Yeah, when he pass me, I knew, Okay, maybe I'll get another chance, but it's going to be only one and not more. I just went for it, like he did on me. I just did the same.

I think that was a great battle. Yeah, was good fun, for sure very stressful for the people watching and also for myself. In the end was a great achievement for Matt especially and myself. The young guys also today could show we can be up there and prove to the people that we can get the job done.

Q. Going into the bus stop on the last lap, pretty much his last chance, what is going through your mind at that point?

MATHIEU JAMINET: At that point I didn't know it was the last lap, to be honest. I was just on the inside. I braked like very late. He was braking later than me, so I knew this is not going to work (laughter).

We basically both tried to make the corner. Yeah, we just couldn't make it. He hit my rear right. I kind of lost the car. We touched and he spun. I nearly spun as well. In the end went for the grass on power again.

It just worked out. For sure it was an edge.

Q. As you're watching this tussle on the last few laps, what is going through your mind?

MATT CAMPBELL: Yeah, I don't know. Mixed emotions for sure. To be honest, I was quite calm the whole time until the last lap. That's when I knew shit was going to get wild. I knew something was going to go down for sure. I know both of the drivers well. Someone was going to win the race.

Yeah, we were all going crazy as soon as it started to go down at turn three. Obviously racing hard, battling. Larry was giving us a fair few touch-ups. It was about time we gave one back. Mathieu brought it home for us.

I think I've never screamed so hard in my entire life. Yeah, it was bloody crazy. I think Felipe can back me up on that.

Q. Were you concerned at any time by the Ferrari or any of the other competitors? Did you really think it was a two-car race?

STEVE BORTOLOTTI: When we were sideways in the bus stop, everybody was celebrating. Guys there's a 62 car coming that wasn't that far back. Trying to get everyone calmed down. Stop, we got to get there first.

Yeah, we were certainly concerned about it in the overnight period. They were so fast overnight. How is this even possible? Obviously they were in a different class year. We saw them have tons of speed overnight. They seemed to fall off in the hotter weather.

When the sun came up, we felt like it was between us and the 2 car as the strategy was playing out. Yeah, thankfully Mathieu brought it home for us.

Q. Matt, this is the first race for GTD Pro. You're running for the championship. Initial thoughts on the category and prospects for the rest of the year?

MATT CAMPBELL: Yeah, I think I can speak on behalf of Mathieu as well. First of all, we're extremely excited to be in an effort with IMSA. We've been in the series for quite a number of years now, but obviously the endurance races or one-offs or something like that.

To finally be in the full-season effort is exciting, especially with first half, it's a new era with GTD Pro. That's also something new. We've been driving together for the last couple years. IMSA is always an our radar. Now to be doing that, starting off the year and season like we did in such a fashion with Mathieu behind the wheel, it's really great feeling.

Obviously only really getting more excited for the remainder of the year as well. I think it's going to be extremely tough. You look at the competition, the teams involved. I think it's a really good thing for the category.

Q. How does a 24-hour race come down to the final laps like that?

MATHIEU JAMINET: I don't know (smiling).

Yeah, I mean, obviously the performance between the cars is super close, between the drivers as well. In the last hours there's not been many, many yellows. Even though we race for I think the last 31 minutes, but before that we were also super close with the KCMG.

In the end this is also why we love American racing and IMSA as a driver. It was really for me a target to race full season for this kind of racing, for this kind of season you can see in Sebring, Petit Le Mans in the dark where everything can happen till the last lap.

This is why in the end we love the sport. We are here to race. We love the speed. We love the risk. Then we try to put on a good show.

Q. Felipe, you closed last year two and a half months ago with a championship, then you win the Rolex. Did you see that coming?

FELIPE NASR: Not at all. As I said, great way to start the year. What an incredible year I had already in 2021, winning the DPi championship. I love the IMSA dynamics of racing where everything is decided by the last few laps. I was there at Atlanta to prove that. It's just so intense. Anything can change.

Once again, I have huge respect for these drivers that never been on the GTD class. These guys are on it. I've learned a lot this weekend. Jumping in the car for the first time as well. Hey, hopefully Sebring, another one. What can I say? I hope we can stay at the top.

These guys had a fantastic run here so far. As I'm only doing the four endurance races, my job this year coming here was not to (expletive) it up, let's say. I feel like I've accomplished a goal of being in a car with very little time, just getting used to everything. Just feels amazing. What a great time to be here racing, getting ourselves prepared for the future.

Q. What are your thoughts about the ageless Helio Castroneves?

FELIPE NASR: Fantastic. What a great day for all Brazilian drivers. Helio won on the DPi class. Myself on GTD. Fraga has won the LMP3 class, as well. What a great day. I guess it's time to celebrate soon.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations.