Allan McNish backs Sir Chris Hoy for Le Mans

Sir Chris Hoy: Competitive instinct. Picture: Robert Perry

Allan McNish is backing Chris Hoy’s ambition to compete in the Le Mans 24-hour event he himself won on three occasions. Eyebrows were raised when six-time Olympic cycling champion Hoy announced he was swapping two wheels for four after such a success-laden career.

In a sensible move, one of the first people Hoy turned to for advice was compatriot McNish, who won the race in 1998, 2008 and 2013. McNish was immediately supportive. He told Hoy the basic principles are the same. It’s just that now an engine is doing a lot of the work. Jokingly, McNish said success could hinge on one crucial factor – Hoy being able to reduce his famously well-developed leg muscle.

Being able to fit and feel comfortable inside the cockpit of a car is important in a race that is such a test of endurance. It was only partly in jest when McNish advised Hoy to think about trimming down his sturdy thighs. The cyclist will be required to strengthen his neck muscles in order to combat the lateral g-forces, which McNish knows all about after a long career spanning karting to Formula 1.

But McNish believes Hoy’s competitive instincts will stand him in good stead in his new career. The cyclist has already started along this new road, having competed in this year’s British GT championship. But the Le Mans 24-hour event next year is the ultimate goal. “If you know sport, and he knows sport very well – you don’t win six Olympics by chance – then you understand what is required to be successful,” said McNish. “They are very different categories, two and four wheels. But at the end of the day some of the basic principles are the same.

“He is young enough. He has the competitive edge. He lacks experience in terms of what actually happens on a racetrack. The British GT championship he did in 2014 was a good starter. Now he is going into the closed cockpit LMP3 category. He is slowly building himself up. There is no reason why he cannot achieve his goal.

“Le Mans is about many things,” he continued. “It is not just the ultimate race victory. It is a kind of Mount 
Everest – everyone has their different reasons for tackling it. For some people it is about finishing the race. Others want to finish on the podium, others want to win outright. But from Chris’s point of view getting there is a big achievement – and an achievable one.

“I am behind him,” added McNish, who retired from full-time racing at the end of 2013, after becoming World Endurance champion. “I have watched his successes on track and look forward to seeing a few more. He needs less leg strength and more neck strength! At the end of the day, his whole life was built around being successful on track and two wheels. The requirement has slightly changed.

“Now he has an engine to do some of that work. What he has to do is develop his body and alter his mindset to the new situation – as a sportsperson you often have to adapt. From a physical point of view, it will be a little more about core fitness because of of g-forces and a little bit less in the leg. I know he is already working on that. It’s not very easy to work on your neck – the best way to do it is just drive a racing car!”

McNish spent yesterday promoting his new role as patron for plans for a new