'Le Mans win is box I need to tick' - racer Cullen

Ryan Cullen began his racing journey with the British Formula Ford team in 2012

Ryan Cullen has experienced a lot in his racing career, but the Somerset-born Irishman believes he has the stamina to reach the top in endurance racing.

Switching his focus away from a journey to Formula 1 has meant longer distances, durations ranging from four hours to 24 hours and a focus on stamina over speed.

Now competing in the European Le Mans Series, Cullen is targeting a win in the most famous endurance race of them all, in which he has competed since 2019.

"[I want] to win Le Mans 24 Hours," he told BBC Radio Somerset. "I haven't won it and not many people can say it. I've won other endurance races but Le Mans is the tick in the box I need.

"I'm pushing to the point where until I do it, I won't stop. It is the whole event; there could be 600,000 people there. The sheer mass of everyone there, the pressure.

"It is pretty electric; it is special to be on the track, on the main roads, with the history of everything with the long straights, the change of weather.

"It brings out the best in drivers and the level is high. There are 60 cars, three drivers each; 180 drivers, there are some really good drivers in there."

The 34-year-old's journey has unorthodox to say the least. While he showed racing prowess as a youngster, he stepped away from the sport in his teens before returning and beginning a journey towards Formula 1.

"My dad took me go-karting when I was four or five; I don't really remember it," he said.

"He was working in Germany so I would go and see him and race against the workers. Apparently, I was as good as adults at that age, so he thought 'lets buy a go-kart and go club racing'.

"It got serious at 12 or 13; the karts were getting quicker, the professionalism was getting better and you really had to apply yourself.

"Then I took a bit of a break, went to school, did my GCSEs, played other sports and went back at it when I was 20. It is a bit of a jump; I was at a crossroads in my life.

"When I was 20, I did my race license and went straight into British Formula 4, into the championships and did OK as a rookie.

"I shocked myself, and then made another jump to F3. It was enough of a gamble for me to think, 'do I know what I'm doing?' I still had a natural feel to driving but had to relearn everything; it was tough because you are racing guys who have done it for two or three years."

'My hero' - competing with Rossi and Button

Like many others, including some of motorsport's biggest names, he changed course and never looked back. He competes for Vector Sport, a British team based in Stratford, formed in 2021.

It has been a mixed start to life there, but he has earned a couple of podiums. The team is second in the European Le Mans Series table after two races out of six this season.

"I raced with a good British Formula Ford team, then went on to Marussia F1 junior team, which was a big step. I raced against a lot of guys in that era who are now in F1 like Carlos Sainz, [Daniil] Kvyat," he said.

"The biggest jump in my career was F4 to F3, just by pure experience and the level everyone was at; you could generally go from that championship straight to F1.

"I never looked at [the endurance] side of motorsport when I was on the road to F1. A lot of drivers bring the level from other series; you can get guys from Formula 1, from NASCAR, even MotoGP.

"It brings the level up so high; I'm on the track with some of my heroes like Valentino Rossi. I used to watch him with my dad; Jenson [Button] is on the grid, you get to meet some cool people."

Although F1 remains the most popular sport, Cullen believes Le Mans' growing popularity can see that change.

"In the next three years [the sport] is going to peak quite a lot; it is so hard to know where it is all going to go, but this is the golden era of sports car racing and you go to one of these big endurance races, there are a lot of fans.

"I'm surprised more fans watch endurance races than F1 because they can get so close to the fans and drivers and everything. I think they are doing a great job promoting the endurance side of racing."

The likes of Button and Rossi continuing to race well into their 40s sets an example to Cullen, who still believes he has much more to give as he chases down success.

"There is longevity in the sport; experience counts for a lot. When you are doing 24-hour races, or even four, six, eight hours, you don't need to be always finding the extra tenths in yourself and the car," he said.

"I still feel young. I've always dreamt of being a driver so I feel like a kid when I'm back in the car. I still remember go-karting and how privileged I am. I keeps me youthful."