2019 was the year that Zacharie Robichon emerged on the GT racing scene. The young Canadian was 3rd in the GTD standings with the Pfaff Porsche, in his first year in the IMSA WeatherTech series. He was previously the 2018 Porsche GT3 Cup Canada champion.

It’s tough to improve upon third with two wins in your rookie campaign, but Robichon has a great chance to in 2020. He is partnered with Porsche supported driver Dennis Olsen, and is joined by fellow factory drivers Lars Kern and Patrick Pilet for the Rolex.

Just before race week got underway I asked Robichon some quick questions about the upcoming season.

Can you reflect on what a good 2019 season it was?

The beginning of the 2019 season was a big eye opener for myself and the team. We learnt quickly that to be successful in endurance racing it was as much about being smart as it was about being fast.

Once we settled in, we had a great run to end the year which ultimately finished in the sprint cup championship for myself. Looking back it, I don’t think I ever imagined we would be able to perform at that level by the end of the season but it certainly gives us confidence moving forward.

What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of the Porsche at Daytona?

The Porsche has always been strong on the brakes and in the infield, I think that trend will continue this year. There are so many questions marks regarding which setup you decide to run so it is hard to say exactly where the car will be at its strongest / weakest compared to the other competitors.

The one thing we do know is that Porsche always provides us with a car capable of winning and I don’t expect anything different this time around.

What is it like being joined by Porsche factory drivers Patrick Pilet and Lars Kern for Daytona?

Anytime you get the opportunity to share the car with drivers of that caliber its very special. Obviously Patrick’s success and experience from this race in the past is something that we will lean on heavily throughout the race to make the best decisions as a team to put us in the best situation throughout the race.

I’m very happy to have Lars joining us once again not only for Daytona but for the four long races this year. He was a great addition to our team last year and I expect him to keep learning and improving as he gets to know the North American tracks better.

Who are your main rivals at the Rolex 24 this year?

It’s so hard to pick any one team. This year in GTD I believe the level has stepped up to another level over last year and just about any car on the grid could win the race with the right decisions and luck!

What are the biggest things the team can improve upon in 2020?

The team has stepped up immensely and grown since this time last year. We are much calmer as a group then we were this time last year and if we can keep that mentality and focus that we finished the year off with last year I believe we have a great chance at success not only at Daytona but for the entire season.

Would you be interested in racing international GT3 events in the future?

I would love the opportunity to do some international races, the beauty of the GT3 platform is that the cars and rules are extremely similar around the world which gives drivers the opportunity to move around in familiar equipment if the opportunity were to present itself.

My thanks go to Zacharie for these great answers. I wish him and his #9 team the best of luck this season! Find me on Twitter @JWjournalism if you liked this article!