Michael Fassbender appeared to be in excellent spirits as he got behind the wheel of a green sports car ahead of making his debut at the 90th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France this weekend.
The German-Irish actor, 45, donned a green jumpsuit as he sped round the track in a Porsche just days ahead of competing at the endurance-focused sports car race on Saturday.
He flashed a huge grin as he sat behind the wheel of the vehicle during his training session, where he tackled the hunt twice around the clock at the wheel of the 911 RSR.
Petrolhead: Michael Fassbender appeared to be in excellent spirits as he got behind the wheel of a green sports car ahead of making his debut at the 90th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France this weekend
Racer: The German-Irish actor, 45, sported a green jumpsuit as he sped round the track in a Porsche vehicle and posed for snaps just days ahead of competing at the endurance-focused sports car race on Saturday
The X Men star is sharing the cockpit of the No. 93 Porsche 911 in the GTE-Am category with the Australian works driver Matt Campbell and Canadian Zacharie Robichon.
Michael has been intensely preparing for the race and has been training for three years as he described it as his ‘dream’ to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which is the world’s oldest active endurance racing event.
Speaking of his upcoming race, Michael said: ‘The thing with dreams is you don’t think about how much work you’ve invested or how many setbacks you’ve had to face. I not only learned what it takes to contest a race weekend but also how to be competitive.
Driver: The X Men star is sharing the cockpit of the No. 93 Porsche 911 in the GTE-Am category with the Australian works driver Matt Campbell and Canadian Zacharie Robichon
Training: He sat behind the wheel of the vehicle during his training session, where he tackled the hunt twice around the clock at the wheel of the 911 RSR
‘It’s giving me a fascinating opportunity to show my full potential. It could be a one-off chance so I simply want to do my best.’
Le Mans will see 60 racing cars take two trips around the clock at the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans on Saturday and Sunday in the endurance race, which first began in 1923.
Michael began his motor racing career when he met actor Patrick Dempsey on a long-haul flight from London to Los Angeles a few years ago.
After Michael shared his passion for the sport, the owner of Dempsey Racing and former Le Mans driver contacted the heads of Porsche Motorsport Marketing and kickstarted the actor’s racing career.
Goal: Michael has been intensely preparing for the race and has been training for three years as he described it as his ‘dream’ to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which is the world’s oldest active endurance racing event
Competition: Speaking of his upcoming race, Michael (pictured behind the wheel) said: ‘The thing with dreams is you don’t think about how much work you’ve invested or how many setbacks you’ve had to face’
Michael visited Le Mans in 2018 and quickly took his first steps towards becoming a racing driver at the Porsche Driving Experience, the entry-level programme for motorsport enthusiasts.
The Macbeth actor went on to complete the Porsche Racing Experience, did a season in the Porsche Sports Cup Deutschland and had guest appearances in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at the wheel of the 911 GT3 Cup.
During his racing career, Michael has competed in a total of 36 races – including the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup – where he has secured one win and reached the podium seven times.
He also launched a weekly YouTube series Road to Le Mans, which he began in 2019 and documented his epic journey to reach the French car race.
Annual event: Le Mans will see 60 racing cars take two trips around the clock at the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans on Saturday and Sunday in the endurance race, which first began in 1923. Pictured: Michael Fassbender training
Start: He began his motor racing career when he met actor Patrick Dempsey on a flight from London to Los Angeles a few years ago. The former Le Mans driver contacted the heads of Porsche Motorsport Marketing and kickstarted his racing career
Strides: Michael visited Le Mans in 2018 and started the Porsche Driving Experience, the entry-level programme for motorsport enthusiasts. He is pictured racing at the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at Red Bull Ring on July 04, 2021
One episode in November 2019 saw him compete in the Oschersleben race, with Michael reflecting on the challenges of the competition.
He explained: ‘I was in position 3, so I needed to get past car number 3 as soon as I could.
‘Managed to do that, my stint went on, I spent most of the time defending and that became very stressful.’
Reliving the moment he made a speeding error, he continued: ‘I came in because of that exhaustion, got a little flustered hit the wrong button, broke the speed limit.’
As well as his motor racing career, Michael also reached a milestone in his personal life as he welcomed his first child with Alicia Vikander last year.
Impressive: He launched a weekly YouTube series Road to Le Mans, which he began in 2019 and documented his epic journey to compete in the Le Mans car race. Pictured: Michael before the start of the Grand prix at the Silverstone circuit in 2014
Goal: During his racing training, Michael has competed in an impressive 36 races, where he has secured one win and reached the podium seven times. Pictured: Michael competes at the 2nd round of the 2021 European Le Mans Series
Alicia has since avoided discussing their child publicly – or revealing their name or sex – but in an interview in April, the Oscar-winning star opened up about motherhood, stating she always puts her ‘little family’ first.
She said: ‘In my little family, with my husband and my child, we travel together, always. That’s the rule. We do jobs so one of us can always be with the baby.’
The couple, who currently live together in Lisbon, Portugal, are known for being notoriously private and hadn’t previously spoken about whether they would have children together.
Michael and Alicia tied the knot in October 2017 – three years after they began dating, following meeting on set of The Light Between Oceans.
Achievement: As well as his motor racing career, Michael also reached a milestone in his personal life as he welcomed his first child with Alicia Vikander last year
