Tandy: Porsche IMSA role, not LMP1, the priority

Le Mans 24 Hours winner Nick Tandy is not concerned about his future in the Porsche LMP1 team, as he prepares to return to his LMP2 and GT programs.

The Briton won Le Mans in a third Porsche 919 Hybrid entered for him, Formula 1 driver Nico Hulkenberg and 2014 Porsche Supercup champion Earl Bamber. Tandy will now resume his full-time factory role with the Porsche North America team in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship for the remainder of 2015, alongside completing the World Endurance Championship season with the LMP2-leading KCMG team.

The 30-year-old said aiding both title bids was his priority now, not trying to get into Porsche's full-time LMP1 lineup.

"I'm not thinking about that," he told AUTOSPORT. "There are six guys in the seat, so until one of them leaves [it's not an option]. If Porsche bring out an extra car again for Le Mans, then I'd hope they'd think about the three of us that drove this year. It would be nice to go back and have another shot at it.

"There's so much talk about Nico, but I'd love for Earl to be able to come back as well. The pair of them were equally strong in the car and are both top-class professional racing drivers.

"It would be a pleasure to drive a car with them again in the future. But the cut-off was Sunday 3pm, that's my project with the LMP1 team done and dusted. Now I'm back full-time in America and with KCMG. The aim is to help win both championships. That will go along nicely with winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans."

Tandy started racing on short-oval circuits, becoming a Ministox champion, before moving into circuit racing in the Mini Seven series and belatedly starting an open-wheel career at 21. He said the route he took makes helping Porsche win its record 17th Le Mans "even sweeter."

"It [racing] was a hobby until I was 23 years old, and the days I was starting my career in Formula Ford don't seem that long ago," he added. "To be right at the very pinnacle of the sport as a winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours a few years later makes me feel very proud."

Originally on Autosport.com