Tell us about your first 24 Hours of Le Mans as a driver: It was in 1999, in LMP1 with Panoz Motorsports. I shared the Panoz with Johnny O’Connell and Max Papis. To begin with it wasn’t a great experience as I didn’t know the first thing about the race. I was at a point in my career when all I could think about was Formula One and not about sportscar racing. The Panoz wasn’t super competitive, it was OK on lap times, but super unreliable. Early on in the race we had trouble with the gearbox, which meant long pit stops. We were getting further and further behind and because of my lack of experience I didn’t really understand what Le Mans was all about and I admit I got fed up with driving around out there and running into problems all the time. Actually at one stage, I even said to my family, I’m never coming back, this is not a place for me. But luckily I got to drive the car across the finish line. We were a long way back, about 17th, many many laps behind. I got to experience all the marshals out on the track, the joy of the team when I came back in, they who had worked so hard for so many hours to get the car to the finish. That’s when I realised what Le Mans was all about. I got to experience the true Le Mans spirit of never giving up. Now it’s the most important date in the year. It’s the race I really enjoy doing and look forward to the most. But although the first one was an emotional rollercoaster, it’s the most fantastic race in the world.

What is your best memory of the race? It’s the first time across the finish line. The wins are special [Magnussen has won four times in LMGT1] but that moment when I crossed the line and realised the immensity of it all was the best.

And the worst? Last year, crashing the car in the Porsche Curves during the qualifiers. Unfortunately we had a small mechanical problem. Something got stuck in the throttle. I crashed hard into the wall and we couldn’t get the car ready for the race. That was really hard.

Has a teammate inspired you in any way? I have to say I really, really enjoy the partnership with Antonio [Garcia]. He’s super fast, super reliable and easy to work with. We’ve been racing together for some years now and it’s probably the best partnership I’ve had.

Do the design and colour of your helmet mean anything in particular? My wife is a graphic designer. She does all my designs. They’re usually different every year. What matters to me is that she designs them!

How important is the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Denmark? Le Mans has a fantastic image in Denmark. There are more Danish people at Le Mans than at any racetrack in Denmark. Tom Kristensen, John Nielsen and myself have contributed to the success of the race in Denmark. This weekend there are eight Danish drivers here and the fans support all of us. It’s fantastic to have that support.