Fire still burns for Herbert.

Johnny Herbert may have seen his Formula One dream flicker and die last year, but he is back in the hot seat this weekend at Le Mans.

The three time grand prix winner retired from the top flight at the end of the 2000 season after a disastrous year with Jaguar and is now chasing a Champcar deal for next season. In the meantime, however, the 1991 Le Mans winner for Mazda is keeping his hand in by contesting this year's Le Mans 24 hours for the Champion Audi team, sharing the R8 with Belgian Didier Theys and Germany's Ralf Kelleners.

The 36-year-old from Essex was in line for a drive in the Bentley EXP Speed 8, even going so far as to be quoted as having the deal done and just the contracts to sign. It was not to be, Martin Brundle popping up as a surprise signing at the last minute, and he was consequently a surprise signing for Champion.

The chassis that the team will use is the same as that which won at Sebring in March, the works car on loan for this race only as Maraj was not expected to bring his own, 2000-spec item from the States.

''I wanted to be in an Audi this year,'' said Herbert, ''The Audi is quick, reliable and proven, and I wanted a top-line drive. I don't need to do Le Mans again. Once you have won it, it stays with you for the rest of your life, but I wanted to go back because it is a great race and a great weekend for the drivers and spectators alike.''

So what'll she do, mister?

''The car is very nice to drive,'' says Herbert, ''A job well done on Audi's part. You jump in and you are as comfortable as you would be in an Audi A6. You sit straight in it and it is comfortable to drive. We know that it is reliable, we know that it is competitive.''

How is Herbert adapting to the different characteristics of such a relatively heavy car after nearly ten years in F1?

''It is easy to get to a certain point, but it is just a question of knowing where the weight becomes an issue,'' says Herbert, ''We have carbon fibre brakes, it is just building up to the braking because an F1 car is much, much lighter.''

But, after more than ten years touring the world with the Formula One circus, is Herbert missing the racing.

''This is like having a year off, in some respects,'' he admits, ''I can have a relationship with my daughters, which I have not had for a long, long time. A proper relationship, things like that are good and I am working on next year, anyway.''

Having only recently done the deal with Maraj and Champion, Herbert got his first taste of the R8 at the pre-Le Mans trial in May, and has still to get to know the team properly.

''This team has some nice experience in the States, but this race comes down to strategies, and that is going to be important,'' points out, ''We have a chance, it is not going to be easy, if everything goes like clockwork and we don't have any silly little problems, we will be alright.

Whether or not he wins at La Sarthe this year, however, Herbert does not see a full-time return to sportscars as his immediate motor racing future.

''Not at the moment, no,'' he insists, ''My future is still in single seaters, but this is a nice one to do because it still has the prestige. Obviously Formula One is the exception, the Champcars are the next exception as far as single seaters go, the Indy 500 and this [Le Mans]. Hopefully, I will be too busy in the States to come back next year.''