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Michael Fassbenderlived out his dreams of becoming a race car driver earlier this month.
According toGQ, the 45-year-old actor drove a Porsche 911 RSR-19 for the German racing team, Proton Competition, during his debut at the iconic Le Mans endurance race in France on June 11.
The race wasn’t a complete success, though. The team finished 51st out of 62 teams that included both amateur and professional drivers, the outlet said. Fassbender reportedly crashed his vehicle twice during the race. He was also involved in another collision in one of the qualifying rounds.
But the two-time Academy Award nominee has “always wanted to drive” cars, he toldTop Gear.
“Anything with four wheels, basically. I wasn’t really interested in bicycles. All I wanted was one of those little pedal karts. I was always obsessed with cars,” he said.
Fassbender practiced for the epic race for several years before officially competing —he chronicled his progress ina series for Porshe’s YouTube channel.
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“I’ve done quite a few races, it’s my third season in ELMS (European Le Mans Series), dealing with LMP (Le Mans Prototype) cars and traffic management, so I’ve got some experience of that,” he told Top Gear.
“But this is a major place with some of the best drivers in the world, it’s intimidating being on this circuit with them, so it’s a lot to take on board mentally,” he added.
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Fassbender explained he has a long way to go in developing his talent. He’s “thinking too much in the car,” he told Top Gear, though he hopes his skills will become second nature in time.
The actor stands on the shoulders of several other famous actors who have tried motorsports, including his friend Patrick Dempsey, who reportedly introduced Fassbender to the Porsche team, according to theNew York Times.
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Yet, Fassbender told Top Gear he’s “never going to be a professional racing driver,” though he remains “super passionate” about motorsports.
“It means so much to me,” he said. “And I want to reach my full potential. So it’s a different type of nervousness, it’s a different type of stress. I want more and more seat time so I get to a place where it’s about muscle memory or becomes second nature.”
source: people.com
