From “cannon fodder” in Qatar to a 0.3-second victory in Imola: Richard Lietz looks back on an eventful WEC season ahead of Le Mans 2025
When Richard Lietz says he’s only had one beer in five weeks, you know things are getting serious. “It’s hard,” admits the Austrian, “I really enjoy a drink.” Lietz talks about his preparations for the 2025 24-hour race – and this time he has extra motivation.
Lietz will be at the starting line as the reigning class winner in the LMGT3 category. But he doesn’t want to hear anything about additional pressure: “Le Mans always has its own rules. The cards are always reshuffled,“ he explains in an interview with iiiMotorsport Totaliii before the start. ”If we had restarted the race in 2024 right after that, they would have been reshuffled again.”
2024 was not an easy race: “It was exhausting, a tough battle. The weather conditions didn’t make it easy,” he recalls of last year’s finish. “There’s always a certain sense of relief when you finish the race well and get the job done.”
Lietz has set realistic goals for the upcoming race: “A top 5 finish would be a great success. Ideally, we would just make the mandatory pit stops, stay out of the pits, and just drive.”
Team spirit and a mixed season
The atmosphere within the team is important to the Porsche works driver. “Motorsport is a team sport. You can only win this marathon if everyone dares to take risks,” he emphasizes to iiiMotorsport Totaliii. His philosophy: “There has to be a certain amount of empathy for each other. If the team and all the drivers are in good spirits, the chances of achieving a good result are higher.”
The 2025 WEC season has not gone well for Lietz and his team so far. In Qatar, they were “cannon fodder,” as he puts it bluntly: “We didn’t stand a chance, which was unexpected. We finished the race, but didn’t even get any points. It wasn’t ideal, but we’ve come out of the slump.”
Only in Imola did they manage to break free with a narrow victory: “There we had a car that performed well. We certainly looked better than we actually were. In the end, luck was on our side, even though the charging BMW was significantly faster. We were able to win the race by the narrowest margin ever in the WEC – I managed to hold on to the finish line by 0.3 seconds.”
In Spa, disillusionment set in again: “That was another track with long straights, and we simply didn’t have a chance to defend ourselves there. The race was frustrating for us again.” These experiences have grounded the team, but not discouraged them. “We don’t need to do much differently. We just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing. That wasn’t wrong,” analyzes the Austrian.
The future of the LMGT3 class and big dreams
As one of the most experienced drivers in the still young LMGT3 category, Lietz has clear ideas about its future. He sees the variety of brands as a big advantage: “That’s always good. It helps the fans because each brand brings a certain fan base with it and means significantly more spectators and interest in Le Mans. Many manufacturers also create a lot of work for drivers, mechanics, and engineers—that’s good for business.”
He is less enthusiastic about the ABS system: “I think ABS is a bit of a shame, but it’s probably a sign of the times. All race cars have to have it now. It makes a lot of things easier and is pleasant to drive, but a track with little downforce and no ABS is more demanding.”
One thing is particularly close to Lietz’s heart: “The diversity of brands in the GT class and the class race with GT and prototype sports cars is what makes Le Mans unique today. I hope they continue on this successful path.” He is concerned about a possible reduction in the number of participants in the GT classes: “I hope that they won’t reduce the GT classes due to the LMDH and Hypercar situation, because many manufacturers are pushing to enter this class.”
Despite his impressive Le Mans record – five class wins in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2022, and 2024 – Lietz still has one big dream. In an interview with iiiMotorsport Totaliii, he says: “I would like to win the championship this year or be part of the team that wins the championship.”
And despite his great successes, he remains modest: “A racing driver is always judged by the last lap he drives. It doesn’t really matter what you did a few years ago. If the last lap wasn’t fast, they ask what’s wrong. The important thing is that you perform well at the moment and add value to the team.”