At home with Romain Dumas, Volkswagen-driver in the most famous mountain race of the world
Regain strength for Pikes Peak
Romain Dumas: motor sportsman through and through, Le Mans winner and driver of Volkswagen’s wholly electric prototype in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb 2018
Discretion is a matter of honour in this small town on the outskirts of Geneva. The woman who runs the bakery obviously knows full well who she just sold a baguette and a few croissants to. With a population of just under 3,000 you know each other. There are several celebrities living here, so one of the world’s best endurance racers popping in is anything all that exceptional. And as the local bakery owner emphasises, it’s de rigueur to afford your famous neighbours a little peace.
The private side of a motor sportsman: at home with Romain Dumas
This is precisely why Romain Dumas, who grew up in Alès in the south of France, moved here with his partner Elysia and their son Gabin. The world endurance champion and two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans lives in a wholly unassuming house with a view of Lake Geneva. It’s in this private setting that Dumas finds the distraction and relaxation that give him mental strength. To deliver top performances as Porsche’s factory driver in, among other things, the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and as the driver of Volkswagen’s electric racing car I.D. R Pikes Peak for the mountain race on 24 June 2018 he needs it.
Only a hint of motorsport by Lake Geneva
‘I spend more than half the year travelling, so this is my place of retreat,’ says Dumas. ‘When I’m at home, my family takes precedence. And when I meet friends, we talk about all sorts of things, just not motorsport.’ Indeed, there is relatively little in Dumas’s home that hints at his profession. There’s an old picture of a Formula 3 race taken in the 1960s hanging in the hallway. And on a sideboard in the living room, there’s a model of the Porsche 911 in which Dumas celebrated his Pikes Peak premiere in 2012, alongside a Le Mans winner’s trophy.
Otherwise, it’s his son Gabin who has made more of a mark in the living room, with toys, colouring books and model cars strewn all over the floor. ‘That’s nothing!’ Dumas laughs. ‘His bedroom looks like a hurricane hit it. We’re just your average family.’
Models of success in the living room: Romain Dumas with a miniature version of the Porsche 911 in which he entered the 2012 Pikes Peak event and one of his two trophies for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans
A place of retreat with a stunning view: Romain Dumas in his private reading room with a view of Lake Geneva
Picture postcard panorama that includes Mont Blanc
Things do then get a little more motorsport-oriented on the first floor, where there is a bookcase full of books about racing cars, events and drivers. ‘A nice little reading room, don’t you think?’, says Dumas, grinning as he steps over to the floor-to-ceiling window that offers a panoramic view, which looks almost like famous postcard motives. The waters of Lake Geneva glisten some five kilometres away, and the backdrop is made up of snow-capped mountains. ‘When the weather’s good, you can even see Mont Blanc from here,’ says Dumas, pointing into the distance. He pauses and takes a sip of his water with almond syrup, visibly enjoying the moment – when it comes to his favourite drink, he has remained true to his southern French roots. This is a stunning place in which to relax. ‘I’m rarely here though,’ admits Dumas, who spends most of his home time engaging in sport too.
Trophies are banned – with some exceptions
A few trophies are to be found among all the motorsport books after all, all of them from the Pikes Peak hill climb event, which Dumas has already won three times. You could be forgiven for suspecting that his partner Elysia has had a certain influence on the relatively sparse collection of trophies around the house.
King of the Mountain: only a handful of trophies have made it into Romain Dumas’s home, but those from the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb have clearly taken pole position
‘Most of the trophies have ended up in the garage,’ explains Dumas, as he briskly heads to the courtyard. If you were expecting that at least the garage might be fitted with attention-grabbing illuminated glass display cabinets, prepare to be disappointed – Dumas keeps his trophies on a simple workbench. There are trophies from the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Spa, and then there’s the trophy from the international automobile federation FIA for his win in the 2016 World Endurance Championship, still in its original box. ‘I only keep the most important trophies,’ explains Dumas, who began his racing career 26 years ago. ‘I’ve given most of them away to my mechanics.’
Back inside, the guided tour now takes us down to the basement, where the Dumas family has a bunker with thick steel walls and an air purification system, as it has been mandatory in Switzerland since cold war times. ‘This is checked by the municipal authorities. If you don’t have a bunker, you pay a fine,’ explains Dumas. There are no rules regarding how homeowners then use their bunkers, however. ‘Many of my friends use theirs as a wine cellar. I’ve turned mine into an office.’
The small pool one door further on is more the domain of his son Gabin. ‘I’m not really much of a swimmer,’ says father Romain, who has put a small piece of strength training equipment in the corner for himself instead. ‘Too much muscle isn’t good for a racing driver, though,’ admits Dumas, who has the perfect physique for a jockey with his weight of just over 60 kilogrammes. There’s a helmet on the seat of the training equipment which has a number of eyelets. ‘I made that myself. I hang weights from it to exercise my neck muscles,’ explains Dumas. ‘It’s not quite as high-tech as the equipment that Formula 1 drivers use, but it works just as well. Incidentally, that’s the helmet I wore in my first 24 Hours of Le Mans.’
High-tech simulator under the stairs
In contrast, the racing simulator tucked away under the stairs in the basement is most definitely high-tech. Three large screens replicate the view from the cockpit of a racing car. The sport seat, which is naturally fitted with a six-point seat belt, moves hydraulically to match the visuals. The steering wheel comes from a racing Porsche. Dumas spends a lot of time here, preparing for unfamiliar routes. ‘I work with the original vehicle data to make it all as realistic as possible,’ he divulges. It goes without saying that the route of the Pikes Peak hill climb is stored on his computer’s hard drive too. ‘I’m very familiar with the route already, but a bit of a refresher never hurts.’
All-round preparation
When he’s not training virtually, Dumas engages in a lot of real sport. ‘The great thing about this region is that I can step outside and go skiing in the winter, and in the summer I can jump on my mountain bike or go for a jog,’ says the wiry professional racing driver, describing the advantages of his adopted home.
There’s even a professional fitness centre nearby. ‘It’s where the French biathlon team train,’ says Romain Dumas, adding with a mischievous grin, ‘but I try not to train with them. You should see their training programme! I would rather run and hide.’
Fifth time of entering the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb: Romain Dumas will compete for Volkswagen in an electric racing car on 24 June 2018
