3/24/2020

Racing for the line.

When endurance champion Neel Jani and alpine ski racer Aksel Lund Svindal get together to philosophize about their respective sports, the result is a rather inspiring and enlightening conversation – about the thrill of finding the line, about precision and heroic stories, and ultimately about what makes the timeless fascination of competition so amazing.

Neel Jani is one of the two regular drivers in the debut season of our TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team. In 2016, at the wheel of the Porsche 919 Hybrid, he was the overall Le Mans winner and FIA World Endurance Champion.

Aksel Lund Svindal is one of the most successful ski athletes today. The Norwegian alpine ski racer has won Olympic gold twice, been world champion five times and is a two-time overall World Cup winner. His fans call him “King of Speed”.

We spoke with the two on the sidelines of the GP Ice Race in Zell am See.

The nice thing is that you actually only want to do curves. Anyone can go fast straight ahead. But doing curves and going over bumps at high speeds is what makes skiing so appealing.

Aksel Lund Svindal

It’s always about finding the line, which ultimately results from speed and g-forces. It is even possible to calculate the perfect line, through in both cases you just don’t have the time to do it. You have to feel it.

Neel Jani

Of course, we don’t have a steering wheel, gas or brake in skiing. So I always have to learn a lot in this area. But I have a feel for the line in my blood.

Aksel Lund Svindal

We ask ourselves the same questions: When and how much do I brake? When do I turn? When do I let go? When do I come out of the turn? Or in skiing: when do I point the skis facing downhill again?

Neel Jani

Ten to fifteen percent is improvisation because everything is always in motion and extremely fast. In the true sense of the word.

Neel Jani

The goal of the sport is to write heroic stories. And that only works if you get back up and win after falling down.

Aksel Lund Svindal

Read the full interview here: https://ramp.space/en/post/porsche_motorsport_svindal_jani_en