In relation to automotive racing, it’s all about timing with the best precision, appreciation of remarkable engineering and a penchant for design. The parallel and enchantment to lots of the similar passions are straightforward to watch with watch fans. We spoke to Garmin MARQ® Driver ambassadors and motorsport greats — legendary Dakar and Le Mans driver René Metge and High Gear presenter and former Le Mans racer Bruce Jouanny. They take us by means of their journey by means of the game through the years, how ardour stays the good fixed and the way this distinctive Garmin instrument watch would have helped them again within the day.
It’s All About Precision
Santa Claus was beneficiant when Bruce Jouanny obtained a go-kart for Christmas on the age of 10. He was quick straight out of the blocks and from his first race till as we speak, 30 years later, his ardour for motorsport continues to be the identical. “The intuition was there! The sense for the course, the best way the corners seem and the straight capability to take dangers. I imagine you might be born to be aggressive. The key to success is ardour,” Bruce recollects. “Perseverance and the attempt for perfection had been key. As a result of all of it takes time — nothing occurs in a single day. You must get out on the monitor, do your laps, over and over. You must outline and goal your goal and by no means get out of focus. Racing is in your thoughts 24 hours a day. You assume … no, you truly reside, racing.”
After his first main win within the French Nationals in Formulation Renault, he was fueled to pursue a profession in automotive racing. He succeeded with benefit and claimed a seat within the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans within the high class. “We certified fifth total, and it was nice to start out that race in such a promising place. What made it so very particular was to see and really feel the emotional assist of the French crowd. That meant lots to me.” However reaching the highest and staying on the high isn’t all the time straightforward.
“After you have a giant purpose, a setback is usually the second while you be taught and while you get higher. It could sound like a platitude, nevertheless it’s so true: You be taught extra by shedding than by successful. My goal was all the time the proper lap and with that mindset, you by no means cease chasing it. So that you go on the market on the racecourse many times and you retain striving, practising with a view to discover this good lap.”
As racers know, discovering the proper lap is all about precision. Not simply the racing behind the wheel, however much more necessary discovering the proper setup in your automotive. “Oh, man. I’m a precision freak. I’ve spent half my life analyzing knowledge and dealing on the automotive setup. I used to be again in Formulation Renault when knowledge logging methods got here up. At the moment, it was actual primary stuff corresponding to velocity hint, throttle, brake and steering hint. However this was the start of a revolution and a unique method of working. Testing and timing is totally totally different as of late, and that’s why I’m utilizing Garmin. I can completely depend on its precision. My MARQ® Driver is mainly a automotive knowledge logging system hooked up to my wrist! It’s exhausting to imagine, nevertheless it’s precisely that. You possibly can enhance your driving efficiency, at no matter degree, simply with this watch. It’s surreal. I really like the titanium face and the ergonomics of the bracelet. So many individuals ask me about it and are sometimes shocked at how a lot know-how is condensed into one thing you possibly can put on in your wrist. I additionally actually just like the sensible features that enable me to pay with it, take heed to music and use streaming providers.”
Racing could be very demanding, so conserving your health at a excessive degree is essential to staying centered throughout an occasion. “I comply with the coaching applications for cardio and physique constructing on my watch, which has modified my method of coaching. Realizing that I’m effectively ready and that I’ve reached my coaching targets offers me confidence. In that respect, Garmin helps me to refine my targets and retains me in a optimistic mindset by by no means shedding sight of each element concerning my efficiency. I really feel prefer it actually offers me an edge. It tells me how exhausting my coronary heart has been working throughout actions, it even alerts me if it’s too excessive or too low.”
A Totally different Breed
The alert for a excessive coronary heart price will surely have gone off for many people if we’d have sat proper subsequent to René Metge in his rally automotive within the roaring ’80s. Bruce describes him as a legend and a pioneer. “He has achieved a lot in racing. He’s an idol for everybody who loves motorsport. What’s so particular about René is his potential to modify automobiles. Coming from a single seater background, he raced monsters within the 24 hours of Le Mans and he received the Dakar Rally thrice! However he then may leap again on a racetrack on the highest degree, racing GTs, prototype or tremendous touring. It’s nuts. That is practically unattainable as we speak, only some can grasp this. Fernando Alonso is the one one who involves my thoughts. That claims all of it! And above all — he’s such a personality … there isn’t any one like him.”
“We had been actually a unique breed,” René begins. “The races I competed in through the Nineteen Eighties turned legendary, largely because of the automobiles we had been racing on the time. I liked the ambiance, pushing your limits and making progress. It was a enjoyable time, touring the world, assembly folks and sharing the journey. The Dakar Rally was a singular journey. It was by way over a race within the desert. It’s a protracted journey — greater than 3 weeks. You be taught lots about your self too. Opposite to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, you aren’t by yourself within the automotive, however you share it along with your co-pilot, which typically turned an journey in itself. Moreover the racing, it’s the overseas cultures, alluring landscapes, which makes it so fascinating.”
René adjustments his tone. “Nevertheless, it was harmful. Every time the routing was totally different, which meant that you simply confronted totally different challenges every single day. All day lengthy you needed to focus, take note of each element, carry out on the highest degree. You rev the engine, scent the petrol, the oil, the new tires. And never for just one or two days, however for weeks. It’s noisy, broiling sizzling. Exhausting and nerve-racking. For the motive force and the automotive. And we did this with none GPS know-how in any respect, nothing to assist with the journey. Oh, to have had a Garmin! Alternatively, it was in all probability higher to not see my degree of adrenaline,” he laughed.
“Navigation methods did exist however had been solely utilized by the military. We needed to depend on the Highway E book, which we ready by ourselves each night. It gave us the details about street situations, floor, corners, bumps, stones, boulders, dunes, and so on. Whereas the motive force was racing, the co-pilot was completely studying the guide, truly shouting out the knowledge. We obtained some obscure info throughout pit stops or at factors of time registration. It could have been implausible to have all of the sensible options, alerts — that are these days actually at my wrist — within the automotive. It’s unimaginable that as we speak all the information is conveniently packed in my little magnificence, MARQ Driver. Minutes, seconds resolve whether or not you’re the winner or the runner up. Timekeeping, chronometry has been an immensely necessary a part of my life.”
Whereas Bruce is exercising lots to keep up and enhance his health degree, again within the day this was simply not part of the job for a racer. “There’s a level in a rally the place you hit your limits, and it’s a must to push your self. So far as psychological coaching is worried, it merely didn’t exist in my time. I keep in mind the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1986. As an alternative of three or 4 drivers, we had been solely 2. After a few hours, we had been within the lead. In the long run, I used to be completely exhausted and had misplaced 7 kilos inside 24 hours due to the acute warmth we needed to face in 1986. We received the class. If I had a MARQ Driver that day, I ponder what my Physique Battery™ would’ve been!”
The Secret of Success
Dwelling within the quick lane could sound interesting to many people, however successful races by no means comes straightforward. What’s the key ingredient of successful the Dakar Rally thrice? “Being calm is in my nature, however I’ve discovered the advantages of being affected person,” René explains. “As a racing driver you all the time need to go quick; nevertheless, in lots of conditions it’s a must to management the eagerness. Throughout a 24-hour race, all of it is determined by technique and your timing. For those who completely flooring the accelerator and go at an unrelenting tempo from begin to end, the automotive won’t make it to the end line. Ready for the exact moments to assault, to overhaul, is the key. That’s much more necessary through the Dakar Rally, while you spend three weeks within the automotive. Attacking from the very first second would smash the automotive. However aside from being prudent and calm, it’s a must to be quick. Little question. It doesn’t matter whether or not the race lasts for 1 hour, 24 hours or 3 weeks, conserving time is important.”
And it’s precisely that what makes the Garmin MARQ Driver stand out of all the opposite sensible instrument watches: It actually makes you a sooner racer. It not solely has greater than 480 preloaded tracks of the world’s most well-known circuits, it additionally has a tachymeter and a chronograph that allow you to time your lap and calculate speeds on the monitor. On this method you keep on high of your efficiency with stats on each single lap. “I take advantage of the preloaded tracks, which convey again nice reminiscences. I take advantage of the GPS to tag sure factors — I really feel like I’m again on the racetrack. It’s beautiful. Together with the standard and design, as we speak it’s the sensible alerts/notifications I really like greatest. I by no means hear my telephone; now I’ve every part at my wrist. Emails, apps, music — it even helps me to search out my telephone. And I solely must recharge it as soon as a month,” the retired René concludes.
Though they belong to totally different generations with a unique method to racing, René and Bruce share the eagerness for precision and perfection. Their mutual appreciation of high quality and design in chronometry is met by their MARQ Driver.
Picture credit: Vivien Lavau, Aurelien Vialatte, Ugo Richard
