As an FIA World Endurance Championship Driver Advisor, former Le Mans winner and F1 racer Yannick Dalmas has been in the spotlight again following a viral video of him drifting the safety car at this year’s 24 hour spectacular.

It’s little surprise that he’s been a popular addition to the Goodwood Festival of Speed driver line-up, as he drove the 1999 Le Mans-winning BMW up the hill climb this weekend.

We have to ask about that amazing video of you sliding in the rain at Le Mans – could you explain your role there first of all?

My job today with the FIA is as a Driver Advisor, and a part of that is checking the track. Working together with the weather reporting team, I have to report the conditions at all the areas of the circuit, as of course it can be very different at different points of the lap. At Le Mans this year it was very extreme – there was 20mm of water on the track, the track and air temperature was very low, so we had to assess the point at which it would be safe to resume the qualifying session.

I set off quickly from the pits and immediately I could feel there was a lot less grip. I went through the Dunlop chicane and just after I felt big aquaplaning. There were some big rivers running across there which is what caused the big show!

The reaction online has been huge – have you been getting lots of messages?

It’s really important to do these checks to make the track safe, but for me it was amazing how much attention that video got online and how many drivers and people have been asking about it.

We’re here at Goodwood this weekend where historic and modern racing meet. Le Mans is an event that really seems to evoke both history and cutting edge technology – would you agree?

Le Mans is special – there is the race on one side, and the rich history on the other. Even this year with the last lap heartbreak for Toyota – Le Mans is always cruel and beautiful in equal amounts. You work like hell day and night and think ‘maybe it is our time’, and then at the last moment it can change its mind. I think that’s why it balances history and modern racing so well – there is not a single moment that is certain.

Have you enjoyed this weekend at the Festival of Speed?

For me it is the first time at Goodwood, but I have heard many times that it is a fantastic event. I think it’s a very good opportunity for the spectators and fans to be very close to the track and the drivers. It’s been a long time since I have signed so many autographs! It has a nice ambiance, it’s an exhibition rather than a race. We have beautiful cars, both old ones and brand new, and the mix between all the different disciplines.

You are driving a very special car that has a lot of history for you – can you tell us about it?

I have of course got some very nice memories with the 1999 BMW LMR – it was a fantastic car to drive and is very popular still today. It’s a bit different here as an exhibition. I was lucky enough to also drive it two years ago at the Le Mans Classic, it was truly amazing – that really brought back the memory of winning the race in 1999.

It’s nice because there is no pressure here – this isn’t about me, it is about sharing this amazing thing with everyone here and talking about the history. The fans in the UK have incredible loyalty, and I couldn’t believe how many pictures from all through my career people asked me to sign, I have a lot of respect for them.

You can watch a video of Yannick’s impressive Le Mans drift below: