With over 25,000 followers on X (Twitter), Fifth Gear has become one of the most recognisable motorsport voices on social media. He joined the platform in May 2021 and has since built a space dedicated to putting all forms of motorsport in a positive light. Having been featured by Netflix and ESPN, the question has shifted from “Who is Fifth Gear?” to “Who doesn’t know Fifth Gear!”

Teams and drivers interact with him regularly on social media, but also off it, as he spoke with Edward Pearson, driver for the LMP2 team Nielsen Racing, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he had been invited to join them during the Test Day.

He tells his story to GT REPORT about the Testing Day and what happened before it as he also visited Le Pesage on Friday:

The Fifth Take: From Timeline to Trackside

Earlier this spring, the kind folks over at Nielsen Racing accepted my request to visit their garage at Le Mans. It was my first time attending a motorsport event of such scale, so no—this likely wouldn’t be the same experience as someone simply flying out to France. Hopefully, though, it’ll help more people understand why every year, thousands upon thousands gather around, entirely fixated on cars running lap after lap.

Getting to this point, as a driver who snatched extra points thanks to the lead car breaking down in the final hour would say, really all comes down to being in the right place at the right time. I can’t say whether my Twitter reach is massive or anything, but the platform did give me a space built on long‑term commitment. Sportscar racing was on the rise and needed people to talk about it, and I was more than happy to take part. Years went by, and I gradually accumulated a few dozen races that I stayed up late reacting to with my circle.

There were some good moments and some bad ones across the years. This one was especially bad.

Even then, they were really just pictures on my screen. I never could have dreamed of being so close to a car as delicate as the Aston Martin Valkyrie, or as rigidly and sturdily built as the Oreca LMP2 with its stupidly consistent performance. But that was exactly what happened on Friday when I went to my first town inspection, known as the Pesage, in the Le Mans city centre.

The first car I saw was Inter Europol’s famed bread machine. I knew these cars were supposed to be small, but the actual size still surprised me. A small crowd had already gathered, and I could no longer contain my excitement. It truly felt like a festival for racing enthusiasts, with fans clapping and cheering for each passing car.

A very cool detail was how many teams placed mascots on their cars during inspection. Here’s Shy Guy on a Porsche GT3.

French drivers and brands are always crowd favourites. Sébastien Bourdais, who was born just 20 minutes outside this town, and Kevin Estre, who is basically a national hero at this point, immediately came to mind. But there were also plenty of people standing outside in the drizzling rain waiting to see Toyota unveil their TR010 at Le Mans for the first time this year, along with, of course, the defending three‑time winners of this famed race: Ferrari’s 499P.

What really surprised me was how popular Genesis Magma Racing already was with the crowd. Fans still love André Lotterer, even if he’s “83 years old,” as Goaticello would like you to believe.

Genesis looked great in Magma Orange.

The merchandise representation on the ground was dominated by the biggest brands, notably Ferrari and Porsche—even though the latter pulled out of the top class at the end of last year.

The 963’s absence was notable. Also notably absent was the letter “R” outside Porsche’s sign at their Experience Center.

Le Mans was also a great place to meet drivers. I’m sure I missed some, but seeing the Akkodis Lexus lineup ordering breakfast coffee was quite refreshing. Visiting the paddock also gave me chances to glimpse Genesis’ Paul‑Loup Chatin and Jamie Chadwick, along with Alex Riberas from Aston Martin and Malthe Jakobsen of Peugeot. Paul Di Resta also looked as grumpy as always.

Aside from being blown away by the sight of the cars—which felt like looking at the world’s largest Hot Wheels collection—my highlight from the town inspection came when I managed to collect some signatures. After their interview sessions on the main stage and taking team photos with the cars, the drivers would sometimes loop around Republic Square to sign merchandise and programs for fans. That’s how I got autographs for both the #7 and #8 Toyota cars, though I just barely missed out on Kamui Kobayashi (which will probably continue to annoy me until I get to properly greet him one day!)

The absolute highlight of the weekend came on Sunday, an hour into the first Test Day session, when I was able to walk into the paddock for the first time ever with the help of Nielsen Racing. I was completely blown away, but nothing compares to actually stepping inside the garage itself to see the assembly process and the various car parts. While there are a lot of details I can’t go through in full, I did note down my brief chat with Ed Pearson right after his scheduled stint:

Do you pronounce it as ‘weck’ or ‘W‑E‑C’?
Ed: “I call it ‘weck,’ obviously. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone call it the latter.”

Given the choice, which Hypercar would you want to drive the most?
Ed: “The Toyota TR010. I was following the car through practice earlier and it looked amazing.”

Now, Le Mans will probably be the biggest race of your career, but aside from that, what would you say is a notable track you’ve visited before or look forward to checking out?
Ed: “Probably Silverstone.”

How different does the track feel compared to the simulator?
Ed: “Very different. There are many bumps and details that you only notice once you’ve actually been on the track.”

Note: Coming from a single‑seater background, these LMP2 cars feel completely different to drive, but Ed Pearson was hooked immediately. It did take Nielsen Racing some time to convince him to try the car out—rumour has it he was heavily considering Indy Lights, but he jumped ship immediately after his first day with the Oreca. Pearson has one of the brightest futures in sportscar racing, and we wish him good luck for the rest of this season!

I also noticed he had a jar of Mentos sitting next to his helmet—a design I was told is set to change to a purple theme this week.

Shortly after our chat, Jack Doohan pulled the Oreca LMP2 back into the garage. We could hear some of the other cars being prepared, and they were incredibly loud—way louder than they ever sound on the broadcast. It’s hard to put into words, but it felt exactly like the opening scene of Pacific Rim, except the Jaegers were Gibson engines firing up down the pit lane. I’m still somewhat shell‑shocked and dazed by the experience as a whole.

Nothing compares to hearing the Cadillac V‑LMDh V8 roar for the first time.

That pretty much concludes my first three days at Le Mans. Massive thanks to Nielsen Racing, my good friend Lazy, the guys over at Endurance24 who suggested the best spot for viewing the scrutineering parade—right next to the cathedral—and of course GT REPORT for giving me the opportunity to write this article. Hopefully, this is enough to convince you, the readers, to think about a trip to the 24 Hours next year, or at least for the Test Day. But if you’re at the Test Day already, you might as well stay for the rest of the week! I can’t wait for this weekend already.

Oh, and the Nielsen admin told me their car was on fire 10 minutes after I left their garage. I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.