Mark Webber – no1 Porsche Team Porsche 919 Hybrid

“It’s always good to race in America. In Austin my first experiences were in a Formula One car, which is a little bit more agile, especially in the first sector, but the biggest difference is that in a Grand Prix you don’t have to deal with the permanent traffic of cars to lap. The track in Austin is very demanding and a beautiful one for our prototypes. Different to in Mexico City, at COTA the 919 can really open its speed up. I also love night racing. Our cars are able to do that and it creates a bit of a Le Mans feeling. Probably we will not be as dominant as in 2015 in Texas, but, of course, car crew number one wants to repeat last year’s victory. COTA can be hard work in several regards. The temperatures are extreme and the weather can be very changeable as well.”

Romain Dumas - no2 Porsche Team Porsche 919 Hybrid

“COTA is a great track with a nice atmosphere and good mixture of very fast curves, long straights and tighter corners – it is like it is tailor made for our Le Mans prototype. After we were strong there the last two years, I hope we will be in good shape again this year. The weather conditions can be unpredictable. Two years ago we had a tremendous downpour. If it stays dry we have to be careful with tyre wear.”

Anthony Davidson – no5 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota TS050 Hybrid

Austin is a fantastic track and it’s a real challenge. You have high-speed, fast-flowing corners, a big elevation change, and some very technical, tight corners. It’s a great combination and I haven’t met a driver yet who doesn’t like it. The only downside for a driver is the extreme heat and humidity. I’m happy to be back in the car again. Of course it was frustrating to sit out Mexico but it was the right thing to do.”

Stéphane Sarrazin – no6 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota TS050 Hybrid

 “I can’t wait to race in Austin after our performance in Mexico. The whole package feels stronger now and I think we can fight at the front. I know the team has worked really hard to get back to this position with the ultra-high-downforce package and I appreciate that effort. It will not be easy in Austin but we will give our all to prepare the best possible car for the race and, like in Mexico, we will not stop pushing.”

Darren Turner – no97 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage V8

“I do like CoTA.  I think we have such a great championship with all the different places we visit around the world, it just makes the world championship a bit more magical.  Austin and CoTA is a fun place to come to.  The circuit, for a grand prix track, and I am not a big fan of modern grand prix tracks, but this one is a really good one.  The elevation changes into turn one and the fast sector down the hill to turn 3 is really good. And there is also the challenge of racing somewhere which is very hot all the time.  So I really enjoy it.”

Marino Franchitti – no67 Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK Ford GT

“It is a brilliant circuit and a beautiful city.  I’m not a fan of some of the more modern circuits but this one is fantastic, it has everything and is a joy to drive.  Austin is one of those places you look forward to coming to; the music and food gives Austin a real energy and is a fun, fun place to be.  This is Ford’s home race and it is nice for us to have the four cars together as we get double the information which is great for us as we’ve never been here before with the Ford GT.  For me the pressure peaked at Le Mans and there wasn’t too much there.  When you have a plan, the resources to do something and the right people in the right places the pressure becomes less.  For us in the 67 car, we’ve had a tough couple of races and we are just looking to get back on the podium.”