FIA WEC: Audi maintains its challenge for WEC title in Japan

Audi Press Release

• Audi in second place of the standings after five of eight races
• Di Grassi/Duval/Kristensen claim fifth at Fuji
• Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer in sixth also score points

Ingolstadt/Fuji, October 12, 2014 – Round five of the FIA World Endurance Championship marked the end of a superb string of results for Audi. Following two consecutive one-two victories and a total of five podium results since May, Audi Sport Team Joest had to settle for positions five and six at Fuji. As a result, the battle for the World Championship is intensifying as the lead of the standings has changed again three races before the end of the season. Audi, as the runner-up in the manufacturers’ classification, now trail Toyota by just 8 points, continues to maintain its challenge.

For the third time in succession, Audi is set on winning the WEC title. In pursuit of this aim, the squad from Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm scored 18 points in Japan in difficult conditions and remains within striking distance of the top. On the 4.563-kilometer circuit south-west of Tokyo that with its combination of a long start-finish straight and a narrow last sector that primarily rewards race cars with extremely powerful hybrid systems, Lucas di Grassi/Loïc Duval/Tom Kristensen (BR/F/DK) managed to improve from grid position six to fifth place. A well-balanced driving performance and a favorably timed third pit stop in a yellow period helped them to do so.

With car number 2 Audi Sport Team Joest had opted for different tactics. Following a brilliant beginning of the race, André Lotterer tried to use his first set of tires a second time beyond the first refueling stop. But the team stopped this attempt early as the lap times did not remain sufficiently consistent. Consequently, the German pitted again after just 17 instead of 35 laps which saved him an additional stop, however. The tires of the hybrid sports car kept picking up rubber from the track on lapping other participants, which caused the lap times to increase.

In spite of this, Audi scored 18 valuable points in the manufacturers’ classification on a track that did not suit the R18 e-tron quattro well. In three weeks from now, on November 2, the sixth race of the season will be on the calendar at Shanghai (China). On its largest single market, Audi achieved its sixth WEC victory of the season last year.

Quotes after the race

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): “Congratulations to Toyota on victory in their home round. We managed a case of damage limitation in Japan because we continue to be in a promising position in the manufacturers’ world championship. It was foreseeable that we’d be having a difficult time at Fuji. Still, our two driver squads and the whole team were not unsettled by this and scored valuable points for us in Japan.”

Chris Reinke (Head of LMP): “Our squad showed a flawless performance – that applies to the team as well as to our drivers. We used different tactics with both cars in order to maintain our chances. In the end, this earned us 18 points that will still be very important in the battle for the title.”

Ralf Jüttner (Team Director Audi Sport Team Joest): “The positive thing about the race was that we made no mistakes. Strategically, we tried everything and all the pit stops were superb. But, unfortunately, the pit stops were the only aspect in which we were quicker than the competition. We didn’t manage to get the tires to work optimally. In the Championship, we relinquished the lead at this juncture. Now we’re planning to attack in the coming round at Shanghai and to recapture the lead.”

Lucas di Grassi (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “We didn’t achieve what we intended to do, although essentially, we didn’t drive a bad race. We gave everything from the beginning, had a good strategy and good pit stops too. Now we’ve noticed that there are still a few things left to improve. But, it’s a fact that there are some race tracks on which you’re less competitive than on others. We mustn’t be disheartened now but have to be better again in the next race.”

Loïc Duval (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “We tried everything today. Principally, there’s nothing we can fault ourselves for because we made no mistakes and had no technical issues whatsoever. We simply weren’t fast enough. But that’s how racing is at times. We’ve got to analyze this and improve before the next race.”

Tom Kristensen (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “Congratulations to Toyota on their deserved victory. We traveled to Japan with great expectations. We were aiming to reward our numerous fans here with a nice result. But our love for Japan is equaled by the challenge for us to prevail at Fuji International Circuit.”

Marcel Fässler (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “It was a difficult race for us because we weren’t able to keep the pace. On my first stint, it was very difficult to get into a reasonable rhythm. Somehow I didn’t find the balance. Fortunately, the car clearly felt better later in the race. But on the whole I’m not satisfied. We need to analyze the entire weekend, look ahead and strike back at Shanghai.”

André Lotterer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “It’s not a great result. Positions five and six are very unusual for us. We’ve got to face the fact that we didn’t have the potential this weekend. We did everything correctly in the race in every respect. We’re going to learn our lessons from this and try and improve. The Championship remains open.”

Benoît Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “It was a difficult race. Today, we weren’t fast enough for a place on the podium. We simply lost too much time to the competition in several places. But that’s racing. We’ve got to improve in order to be in contention at the front on a track configuration like this one as well. Now the preparation for the next race begins.”

Race results

1 Buemi/Davidson (Toyota), 236 laps in 6h 00m 39.367s
2 Nakajima/Sarrazin/Wurz (Toyota) + 25.627s
3 Bernhard/Hartley/Webber (Porsche) – 1 lap
4 Dumas/Jani/Lieb (Porsche) – 2 laps
5 Di Grassi/Duval/Kristensen (Audi R18 e-tron quattro) – 2 laps
6 Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro) – 3 laps
7 Canal/Pla/Rusinov (Ligier-Nissan) – 17 laps
8 Bradley/Howson/Imperatori (Oreca-Nissan) – 17 laps
9 Brundle/Ihara/Yacaman (Morgan-Judd) – 20 laps
10 Mediani/Minassian/Zlobin (Oreca-Nissan) – 21 laps

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

FIA WEC: Audi will start from third row in Japan

Audi Press Release

• Both Audi R18 e-tron quattro cars on third row of the grid
• André Lotterer fastest Audi driver
• Audi expects to have a good chance in the race

Ingolstadt/Fuji, October 11, 2014 – Audi achieved grid positions five and six in qualifying for round five of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at Fuji (Japan). In the practice sessions, the team of Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich and Chris Reinke, Head of LMP, thoroughly prepared for the 6-hour race on Sunday. 

Audi knew that a challenging task had to be mastered in qualifying on the 4.563-kilometer track in the foothills of Mount Fuji. The 1.4-kilometer start-finish straight was not advantageous for the Audi R18 e-tron quattro in the battle for a single fast lap time. André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer on their four fastest laps achieved an average time of 1m 28.118s. As a result, the hybrid sports car of the Le Mans winners will be starting from fifth place. Their team-mates Loïc Duval and Tom Kristensen in the sister car were only 47 thousandths of a second slower on the average of their four best laps. Consequently, car number one will be tackling the race from position six. The fastest single lap of an Audi driver was achieved by André Lotterer setting a time of 1m 27.605s.

However, when the fifth race of the season starts on Sunday at 11 a.m. local time in Japan (4 a.m. CEST), lap times will definitely not be the only crucial aspect. In the last race at Austin (Texas), Audi Sport Team Joest proved that in the end an optimal combination of pace, strategy, reliable driving and good tire management prevails. The TV channel Eurosport will start airing a 60-minute summary of the race from 10.45 a.m. CEST. Fans can also keep up to date with the action on Facebook (AudiSport), Twitter (@Audi__Sport) and the news ticker (www.audi-motorsport.info) on the internet and on the Audi Sport App.

Quotes after qualifying

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): “Grid positions five and six are certainly not what we’d been hoping for although it was to be expected that after qualifying we wouldn’t be at the very front. On the long straight, which has a major influence on lap time, it is possible to take particular advantage of high hybrid output. We have a slight disadvantage in this respect. But I’m confident that we’re going to fare better in the race.”

Chris Reinke (Head of LMP): “Our positions in qualifying tend to be more of a solid than a euphoric result. In spite of this, we see ourselves being well prepared for the race. We’ve still got some unfinished business here and are going to try and live up to this expectation.”

Ralf Jüttner (Team Director Audi Sport Team Joest): “It was a difficult qualifying session today. Yesterday, in free practice, we were looking good. In qualifying, we didn’t manage to up the ante. We’re banking on driving consistently and without any problems throughout the race. We’re optimistic of being further towards the front on Sunday.”

Marcel Fässler (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “We knew beforehand that we’d be having more difficulty in qualifying here than on other tracks. The long straight is very crucial for a timed lap. But I’m confident that our performances will be better in the race. The past rounds have shown that with a well-balanced vehicle performance throughout a race, we can make up quite a bit of ground. That’s why I’m positive and looking forward to the race. It’ll last six hours, so a lot can happen during that time.”

André Lotterer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “We didn’t show the best performance today in qualifying although we did everything correctly. You could see that in spite of this we didn’t have the same speed as our competitors. That’s due to the track characteristics that do not allow us to make full use of our car’s potential. We’re at a disadvantage with the smaller hybrid class. But we’ve got a good race car. That’s going to help us for tomorrow.”

Benoît Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “It was a tough qualifying session. In free practice, we were still in front of the competition and, subsequently, in qualifying we switched positions. That was to be expected. On my stint, I didn’t manage to warm up the tires. André (Lotterer) drove a good qualifying session and delivered decent times which ultimately put us on grid positions five.”

Lucas di Grassi (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “It was a challenging qualifying session. We tried everything and have got to settle for this result. The race is very long and across the distance we can leverage our strengths in a better way. We previously showed that at Austin.”

Loïc Duval (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “More wasn’t possible for us today. The gap between us and our sister car is extremely narrow. Our rivals are very strong here. We were aware of this beforehand. Now we’re going to set up our car as best we can for the race and will thoroughly prepare our strategy. Our aim is to score a large number of points.”

Tom Kristensen (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “Today it was obvious again that qualifying in the World Endurance Championship is a very tough thing to do. We need to improve in this respect so that we can be in contention for the pole position in the future. On the whole, our car worked well, especially yesterday in free practice. I’m confident that we’re going to give the appropriate answer in the race.”

Qualifying results

1 Buemi/Davidson (Toyota) 1m 26.886s
2 Bernhard/Hartley/Webber (Porsche) 1m 26.929s
3 Dumas/Jani/Lieb (Porsche) 1m 27.306s
4 Nakajima/Sarrazin/Wurz (Toyota) 1m 27.437s
5 Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro) 1m 28.118s
6 Di Grassi/Duval/Kristensen (Audi R18 e-tron quattro) 1m 28.165s
7 Beche/Heidfeld/Prost (Rebellion-Toyota) 1m 31.751s
8 Belicchi/Kraihamer/Leimer (Rebellion-Toyota) 1m 32.245s
9 Canal/Pla/Rusinov (Ligier-Nissan) 1m 33.062s
10 Brundle/Ihara/Yacaman (Morgan-Judd) 1m 33.569s

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

FIA WEC: Audi remains on top after free practice 2 at Fuji

By Johan Laubscher

Free practice two at Fuji Speedway concluded with a familiar look at the top of the time sheets. The Audi Sport Team Joest squad once again topped the time sheets with an Audi 1-2.

As was the case during free practice one, it was again the crew of the #1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro, Tom Kristensen, Lucas di Grassi and Loïc Duval, who set the fastest time of 1:27.852. Their teammates, Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer, in the #2 Audi, posted the second fast time of 1:28.403.

Third place was taken by the #14 Porsche 919 Hybrid, followed by the #8 and #7 Toyota TS 040 Hybrids and the #20 Porsche rounding out the top six.

Free practice two results can be seen HERE.

The two free practice sessions concluded Friday’s track running and free practice three and qualifying will be taking place on Saturday.

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

FIA WEC: Audi 1-2 in first free practice session at Fuji

By Johan Laubscher

Round five of the FIA World Endurance Championship has gotten underway at Fuji Speedway in Japan.

The first free practice session kicked off the weekend’s proceedings at 11:00 local time. Audi Sport Team Joest arrived in Japan as the leaders in the LMP1 manufactures’ standings and went on to dominate the first practice session.

The Audi squad secured the top two spots on the time sheets, with the #1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro of Tom Kristensen, Lucas di Grassi and Loïc Duval setting the fastest time of 1:28.628. The #2 Audi squad of Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer set the second fastest time, 0.296 seconds behind their teammates.

Behind the Audis it was the #8 Toyota TS 040 Hybrid, followed by the #20 Porsche 919 Hybrid, #7 Toyota and #20 Porsche.

Free practice one results can be seen HERE.

The second free practice session will be taking place at 15:30 local time. Free practice three and qualifying will be taking place on Saturday. We wish the best of luck to Audi Sport Team Joest and their drivers.

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

FIA WEC: Audi competes in Japan as WEC leader of the standings

Audi Press Release

•     Challenging conditions in the foothills of Mount Fuji
•     Second half of the season begins in Japan
•     Fuji still missing on Audi’s motorsport success map

Ingolstadt, October 6, 2014 – Audi looks at a good interim tally. In the FIA World Endurance Championship that has been held since 2012, the brand has now clinched 13 victories in 20 races. The most recent success at Austin (USA) marked the turnaround in the battle for the title and Audi, for the first time this season, took the lead in the manufacturers’ classification. The team is aiming to further extend this advantage in WEC round five at Fuji (Japan) on October 12.
The hunter has become the hunted. At the season’s midpoint, Audi turned the tables and now, after four of eight rounds, has an 18-point advantage over Toyota. And now the new leader of the standings is facing a major task at the beginning of the second half of the season, as WEC round five is a tough one. The circuit some 100 kilometers southwest of Tokyo features combinations of highly opposite requirements for the aerodynamics of the race cars. Very slow sectors alternate with extremely fast ones on this circuit and the 1.4-kilometer section near the start and finish numbers among the longest straights in international motorsport. This is where engine power is the dominant factor.

Fuji remains an exceptional venue for Audi. Around the world, the brand with the four rings has been victorious at least once on eight of the nine tracks where WEC events have been held since 2012. The circuit near Mount Fuji has been the only blank spot on the WEC calendar to date. In the 2013 round in Japan, Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer (CH/D/F) were on the pole position. However, heavy rain, which is not uncommon in this mountain region, prevented a regular race. After 16 laps behind the safety car, the race director stopped the event and the entrants received only half the number of points. Disappointment was not only great among the teams and drivers but with the crowd as well. The Japanese fans are very fond of sports car racing, fill the grandstands at Fuji year after year, and impress the drivers with great expert knowledge, numerous self-made fan posters, and a big rush for autographs.

This year now, Audi is set on complementing its success tally with a victory at Fuji. Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer have most recently scored WEC wins twice in succession – in the Le Mans 24 Hours and in the turbulent round at Austin. Audi clinched the advantage in the manufacturers’ standings with clever tactical decisions and impeccable driving in Texas. At the same time, the brand’s best driver trio has narrowed the gap to the leading Toyota drivers to eleven points.

But the Lucas di Grassi/Loïc Duval/Tom Kristensen (BR/F/DK) driver squad should not be underrated either. The number one Audi R18 e-tron quattro took second place three consecutive times in the past races. In the Far East, the trio is aiming to battle for the top spot just like their brand colleagues in car number two. Di Grassi and Kristensen are trailing their team-mates in the standings by only 13 points.

The fans in Germany can watch a summary report of the WEC race at Fuji on the TV channel Eurosport starting at 10.30 on race Sunday. On the internet, Audi will be providing reports about all practice and qualifying sessions and the race on Facebook (AudiSport), Twitter (@Audi__Sport), a news ticker on www.audi-motorsport.info, and on the Audi Sport App.

Topics of the weekend

-Will Audi this year manage to take victory at Fuji for the first time?
-Will Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer be able to come closer to the leaders of the standings in Japan?
-Will Audi further extend its advantage in the manufacturers’ classification?
-Will the crowd be giving the same warm support to the German brand and its drivers as in the past two years?

Quotes by the officials

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): “An interesting constellation has emerged in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at the season’s midpoint. Following a tactically clever race at Austin, we took the lead in the manufacturers’ classification and are now closer to our competitors in the drivers’ classification. At the most recent event in Texas, the fans again saw a very thrilling battle by the three brands Audi, Porsche and Toyota, like previously at Le Mans. We know how challenging the race will be at Fuji but are set on making up more ground in the World Championship. And we’d really love to finally win in Japan too.”

Chris Reinke (Head of LMP): “In Japan, we’ve still got something to make up for. Last year, there was a formal race result but factually no race because the drivers were only able to follow the safety car. This year, we’d like to experience a nice race without interruptions and are going to do everything within our means to repeat our performances at Le Mans and Austin in Japan. We’re hoping to be in contention for victory even though the track isn’t exactly ideal for our car.”

Ralf Jüttner (Team Director Audi Sport Team Joest): “We’re very much looking forward to Fuji. The Japanese fans have a tremendous capacity for enthusiasm and love endurance racing in the WEC. The track at Fuji is very special. A year ago, we were on pole there but the race literally became a washout. It’ll be exciting to compete against Toyota in their home race and to challenge them. We’re going to leave no stone unturned to win at Fuji for the first time.”

Facts and quotes by the Audi drivers

Lucas di Grassi (30/BR), Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1 (Audi Sport Team Joest)
-Is experiencing his debut at Fuji this year
-Was the runner-up at Spa, Le Mans and Austin
“I’ll be driving at Fuji for the first time and am preparing for my debut in the simulator. I’m trying to build a wealth of experience this way without ever having been on this track before. That’s important because all of us can only do relatively few laps before the race, as there are three of us sharing a car in endurance racing. All of my team-mates have been there before, so I’m beginning with a small deficit. But I’m sure that with proper preparation I’ll be able to quickly achieve good lap times and hope that we’re going to score as many points as possible in the championship battle.”

Loïc Duval (32/F), Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1 (Audi Sport Team Joest)
-Together with his team-mates completed a one-two victory for Audi at Austin
-Has regularly been racing in Japan since 2006
“Some of us Audi drivers have a special relationship with Japan due to our careers – and I’m one of them. This year, we’re aiming to deliver a particularly good performance at Fuji after last year’s race was held only behind the safety car. Fuji is a unique track in a beautiful region in the foothills of Mount Fuji. We’re set on showing an equally beautiful result to our many fans. It would be great to win there.”

Tom Kristensen (47/DK), Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1 (Audi Sport Team Joest)
-Spent his career in Japan from 1992 to 1995
-Is in third place of the standings together with his team-mate Lucas di Grassi
“I’m happy to be returning to a country that I owe a lot to. At the beginning of my career, I lived near Fuji and often raced on this track. This country played a decisive part in opening up the opportunity of a professional racing career for me. I’ve still got many friends there from the old days. Traveling to Japan with the world’s best automobile manufacturer today is a great feeling. I’ve competed at Fuji in the WEC twice before. The first track sector is very fast, the second one is still relatively fast, and the third one is narrow and slow.”

Marcel Fässler (38/CH), Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2 (Audi Sport Team Joest)
-Won the last WEC race at Austin with André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer
“Two years ago, I drove in Japan for the first time and have very positive memories of my two WEC runs at Fuji. Japan is a beautiful country with fantastic fans that enthusiastically support us. As this is a kind of home round for my two team-mates, we’re aiming to battle for victory with particularly great determination. Driving in the mountains with Mount Fuji in the background is an unusual feeling. It almost reminds me a bit of the Swiss mountains. The track has a unique character with its many different types of corners.”

André Lotterer (32/D), Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2 (Audi Sport Team Joest)
-Won the Le Mans 24 Hours with his team-mates in June
-Was on the pole position in Japan last year
“The race is a very special one for me because I’ve been living in Japan for more than ten years and am active in racing there as well. I’m highly motivated to battle for Audi’s first victory in Japan in front of many fans. Benoît Tréluyer knows the track very well. I’ve frequently driven there before too and by now Marcel Fässler feels comfortable in Japan as well. The track is very demanding and the set-up isn’t easy to achieve. On the long straight, our car mustn’t lose too much speed due to downforce but we’ve still got to be fast in the turns.”

Benoît Tréluyer (37/F), Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2 (Audi Sport Team Joest)
-Has spent twelve years of his career in Japan
-Is the runner-up in the standings together with his team-mates
“Fuji is the race track on which I’ve won most of the races in my life. I really like the circuit and would now also like to win there with Audi. A year ago, we were on pole but unfortunately there was no real race. Our Japanese fans are important to me and we’d like to show them a great performance this year. The battle with Toyota and Porsche is promising.”

The Audi drivers at Fuji

Lucas di Grassi (BR): * Aug 11, 1984 in São Paulo (BR), residence: Monaco (MC); married to Anna; height: 1.79 m; weight: 75 kg; Audi driver since 2012; Le Mans victories: 0; WEC races: 7; WEC victories: 0; WEC pole positions: 0; fastest WEC laps: 1; best result WEC Fuji: –

Loïc Duval (F): * Jun 12, 1982 in Chartres (F); residence: Geneva (CH); married to Gaëlle, two sons (Hugo and Martin); height: 1.78 m; weight: 70 kg; Audi driver since 2012; Le Mans victories: 1; WEC races: 14; WEC victories: 4; WEC pole positions: 2; fastest WEC laps: 1; best result WEC Fuji: 2

Marcel Fässler (CH): * May 27, 1976 in Einsiedeln (CH); residence: Gross (CH); married to Isabel, four daughters (Shana, Elin, Yael and Delia); height: 1.78 m; weight: 78 kg; Audi driver since 2008; Le Mans victories: 3; WEC races: 20; WEC victories: 8; WEC pole positions: 2; fastest WEC laps: 1; best result WEC Fuji: 2

Tom Kristensen (DK): * Jul 07, 1967 in Hobro (DK); residence: Hobro (DK); single (partner: Hanne), two sons (Oliver and Oswald) and one daughter (Carla Marlou); height: 1.74 m; weight: 72 kg; Audi driver since 2000, Le Mans victories: 9; WEC races: 20; WEC victories: 4; WEC pole positions: 0; fastest WEC laps: 2; best result WEC Fuji: 2

André Lotterer (D): * Nov 19, 1981 in Duisburg (D); residence: Tokyo (J); single; height: 1.84 m; weight: 74 kg; Audi driver since 2010; Le Mans victories: 3; WEC races: 20; WEC victories: 8; WEC pole positions: 4; fastest WEC laps: 6; best result WEC Fuji: 2

Benoît Tréluyer (F): * Dec 07, 1976 in Alençon (F); residence: Gordes (F); married to Melanie, one son (Jules); height: 1.78 m; weight: 68 kg; Audi driver since 2010; Le Mans victories: 3; WEC races: 20; WEC victories: 8; WEC pole positions: 3; fastest WEC laps: 2; best result WEC Fuji: 2

 

All Fuji winners (since 1999)

1999 Comas/Motoyama/Kageyama (Nissan)
2007 Noda/Yamazaki (Zytek)
2012 Lapierre/Nakajima/Wurz (Toyota)
2013 Lapierre/Nakajima/Wurz (Toyota)

Track info

Track length: 4.563 km
Race duration: 6 hours
Qualifying record on this track: André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer (Audi), 1m 26.577s (189.736 km/h), Oct 19, 2013
Race record on this track: Kazuki Nakajima (Toyota), 1m 28.088s (186.482 km/h), Oct 14, 2012
Pole position 2013: André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer (Audi), 1m 26.577s (189.736 km/h), Oct 19, 2013
Fastest lap 2013: André Lotterer (Audi), 2m 04.095s (132.373 km/h), Oct 20, 2013

FIA WEC World Championship titles
2012 Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer (Audi)
2013 Loïc Duval/Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish (Audi)

André Lotterer about the track at Fuji

“Fuji is a track I’m intimately familiar with from the many years of my career in Japan. It has many extremes. The start-finish straight is one of the longest ones on the calendar. Good top speed, in other words low aerodynamic downforce, is crucial there. A narrow right-hand turn follows. The middle section of the circuit then poses a challenge. There is a 180-degree Omega-shaped turn called 100 R. However, due to the large radius we reach a speed of more than 200 km/h at the apex. Good downforce is important there. You should accelerate early out of the subsequent left-hand hairpin in order to gain time. It is followed by a straight containing two slight right-hand turns. When the tarmac is dry we run flat-out there. The last section of the track is very narrow. Here, maximum downforce is crucial. We drive mainly in second and third gear. Due to the track’s encircled location in the mountains at an elevation of 600 meters the weather can be unpredictable.”

Schedule (local times; CEST = –7 hours)

Friday, October 10
11.00–12.30 Free practice 1
15.30–17.00 Free practice 2

Saturday, October 11
09.30–10.30 Free practice 3
13.55–14.20 Qualifying LMP1 and LMP2

Sunday, October 12
11.00–17.00 6-hour race

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

FIA WEC: Audi celebrates second WEC season victory at Austin

Audi Press Release

•          Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer won turbulent race in Texas
•          Audi took lead of the standings with second victory of the season
•          Audi R18 e-tron quattro celebrates one-two victory

Ingolstadt/Austin, September 20, 2014 – Audi has celebrated the second consecutive one-two win in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Following their victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours in June, Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer (CH/D/F) in the fourth race of the season at Austin prevailed again. A sudden downpour of rain, red flags after a series of spins and a tactically challenging course of the race on a drying track converted the night race in Texas into a real thriller. Lucas di Grassi/Loïc Duval/Tom Kristensen (BR/F/DK) completed Audi’s success by taking second place.

The 20th race in the young history of the WEC was a classic that remained open up to the very end. After six hours of racing, the victorious Audi driver trio prevailed with a very narrow margin of 53 seconds against their team-mates. The round at the Circuit of the Americas treated the spectators to supreme suspense up to the checkered flag. The race had a regular beginning in bright sunshine and temperatures of more than 30 degrees centigrade. Audi put down an early tactical marker, opted not to change tires at the first pit stop, and advanced position by position. One and a half hours into the race drizzling rain set in that soon changed into a downpour. Audi made a timely switch from slicks to wets on both R18 e-tron quattro cars. While Benoît Tréluyer took the lead and Tom Kristensen third place, numerous competitors slipped into the gravel and came to a halt in dangerous places. Therefore, race control decided to red flag the race. 

About 50 minutes later, the teams resumed the race behind the safety car. Both Audi diesel hybrid sports cars kept their rain tires when the race was restarted on a wet track. Fifteen minutes later, Audi Sport Team Joest decided to switch car number 2 to intermediates. On the tires designed for mixed conditions, Benoît Tréluyer defended the lead before changing to slicks an hour later. In the case of the sister car, the team opted for a different strategy. To save the switch to intermediates, the squad wanted to use the rain tires until conditions became dry enough for slicks. This tactical option resulted in one less pit stop. However, Tom Kristensen also had to first change to intermediate tires before being able to switch to slicks at the next pit stop. Following a recovery by Lucas di Grassi at the end of the race, car number 1 finished as the runner-up. 

Audi decided the WEC race in North America in its favor last year as well. For Audi, this marked the 13th victory in 20 WEC races since the beginning of the World Championship in 2012. On achieving this most recent success the squad of Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich and Chris Reinke, Head of LMP, after four of eight races, took the lead in the WEC manufacturers’ standings for the first time. Round five on the WEC calendar will be held on the track at Fuji in Japan in three weeks from now. 

Quotes after the race

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): “It was a very difficult race. The heavy downpour that washed some of the cars off track and our decision at the right moment to be the first to switch to rain tires all played a crucial part in our one-two victory. But so did our good pace. Everything perfectly fit: we had a good car, the drivers performed superbly and there were fast pit stops. We can enjoy this success. It’s great that things are continuing so positively after Le Mans.”

Chris Reinke (Head of LMP): “Following our victory at Le Mans, it was our aim to leave Austin as the leaders of the World Championship. We managed to do that. We delivered a commanding performance. We were briefly unfortunate in qualifying but regained our strength in the race. We acted sensibly in changing conditions because there were many obstacles to overcome. We clinched a well-deserved victory.” 

Ralf Jüttner (Team Director Audi Sport Team Joest): “It was a very turbulent race. When we used the tires for two stints we started to advance. In the rain, we made exactly the right decision this time. ‘Thank you’ to the spotter, who announced all the dangers to the drivers via radio transmission. After the interruption by the red flags we moved forward with an all-out attack. It was difficult because our rivals were very fast too. We were able to manage our tires well and had sensational drivers. The one-two victory is brilliant and we’re heading the manufacturers’ world championship. We wouldn’t mind things continuing like this.”

Marcel Fässler (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “We’re very happy because the victory was perfect – unlike our qualifying session. The race was a bit wild in the beginning, with the rain shower in the early phase. But the Audi team did the best job of maintaining an overview of the situation and took the right actions. My team-mates drove brilliantly. Towards the end of the race, I still achieved an advantage knowing that I had to make a final splash-and-dash refueling stop. It’s great that we managed to clinch a one-two victory.”

André Lotterer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “A superb result for the team. You can’t wish for anything better than first and second place. The team performance today was superb. This also applies to our partner Michelin. The technical crew was confident that we’d only have to change the tires at every other stop. We didn’t make any mistakes in the rain either. This was an important step in the Championship.”

Benoît Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “It was a fantastic race. A lot happened. The number 8 Toyota was very fast in the beginning, but initially they always are. Then we had a good pace and were close to them. After the rain interruption we started at the front. That made it possible for me to control the pace and the advantage. I didn’t take too many risks and am happy with my stint. André (Lotterer) and Marcel (Fässler) drove superbly too. As at Le Mans, we didn’t touch any rivals. This is one of the key factors this year for mounting the very top of the podium.”

Lucas di Grassi (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “This was a repetition of Le Mans – first and second place. I’m very happy about this result after the difficult qualifying. We had a wrong tire choice in the rain about halfway through the race, so our strategy no longer fit and we needed an additional stop. The car was very good. I was able to overtake two cars on my stint. I’m happy about the podium. Two podium results within two weeks aren’t too bad, are they?”

Loïc Duval (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “A fantastic result for Audi, because now we’re heading the manufacturers’ standings. The race result, with first and second place, couldn’t have been any better either. Our car number 1 was in contention for victory this weekend as well but there were too many incidents with the rain and the red flags. We were also lacking a bit of fortune and our tire strategy didn’t pan out completely. But I’m happy about Audi’s one-two victory.” 

Tom Kristensen (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “What a race. The conditions were tough from the beginning to the end. A lot here depended on the strategy and tire choice. A one-two result following the difficult day in qualifying is fantastic. I’m already looking forward to the next race in Japan.” 

Race results

1 Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro), 157 laps in 6h 01m52.122s
2 Di Grassi/Duval/Kristensen (Audi R18 e-tron quattro) + 53.016s
3 Buemi/Davidson/Lapierre (Toyota) + 1m 03.945s 
4 Dumas/Jani/Lieb (Porsche) – 1 lap
5 Bernhard/Hartley/Webber (Porsche) – 2 laps
6 Conway/Sarrazin/Wurz (Toyota) – 2 laps 
7 Beche/Heidfeld/Prost (Rebellion-Toyota) – 8 laps
8 Bradley/Howson/Matsuda (Oreca-Nissan) – 12 laps
9 Mediani/Minassian/Zlobin (Oreca-Nissan) – 12 laps
10 Brown/Dalziel/Sharp (HPD-Honda) – 16 laps

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

FIA WEC: Audi and Toyota trade fastest times during Friday free practice sessions at COTA

By Johan Laubscher

Three long months of waiting as come to an end as the FIA World Endurance Championship gets underway with round 4 at the Circuit of The Americas this weekend. The track action kicked off with two free practice sessions on Thursday.

The heavyweight factory LMP1 battle is resuming in Texas with all three manufacturers ready to hit the track following the Le Mans 24 Hours in June. Toyota, current championship leaders, has arrived in North America with two of their Toyota TS040 Hybrid cars, joined by two-car entries from Audi and Porsche. The Audi Sport Team Joest squad sees the #1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro being driven by Tom Kristensen, Lucas di Grassi and the returning Loïc Duval. The Le Mans winning squad of Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer will again be behind the wheel of the #2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro. 

Free practice 1 got proceedings underway at 14:45 and concluded with Audi topping the times. Marcel Fässler set the fastest time with a 1:51.136 in the #2 Audi. Tom Kristensen set the second fastest time, ensuring an Audi 1-2 at the top of the time sheets. Porsche #20 placed third, ahead of the two Toyotas and the second Porsche in sixth.

The second and final session on Friday saw dark and wet conditions. The #8 Toyota lead the way, followed by Audi #1, Toyota #7 and Audi #2 rounding out the top four. The Porsches placed fifth and eighth.

The free practice results can be seen here:
Free Practice 1
Free Practice 2

Track running will continue on Friday with the third and final free practice session, followed by qualifying during the early evening.

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport
 

VIDEO: Le Mans 24 Hours highlights by Mobil 1 The Grid

A great video highlights about the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours by the talented team at Mobil 1 The Grid.



Photo credit: Audi Media

VIDEO: Audi gives credits to Toyota and Porsche after an emotional 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours

A great video by the talented team at Audi Media. The Ingolstadt brand victorious at the Le Mans 24 Hours gives credits to both Toyota and Porsche after a thrilling race at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

Photo credit: Audi Media

Audi wins Le Mans Hours 2014 beating Porsche and Toyota

By Tarek Ramchani

Audi has just won the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours in dramatic fashion. The #2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro
crossed the finih line victorious after a thrilling and demanding 24-hour endurance event at the Circuit de La Sarthe.

The Audi brand bring home a thirteenth overall win at the big French classic. Joest Racing as team scored a record fifteenth win, eleven came with Audi Le Mans Prototype cars. Audi Sport Team Joest scored a fantastic 1-2 victory and took big and vital points in the FIA World Endurance Championship standings

The winning car shared by drivers André Lotterer, Benoit Tréluyer and Marcel Fassler took the race lead back with two hours and half before the end of the race. The #2 Audi was leading earlier this morning before dropping in the standing with 23 minutes lost in its garage after a change of the turbocharger. The trio of drivers never gave up and was able to bounce back and retake the lead to the finish. This is the third outright victory for the three drivers together after the 2011 and 2012 wins.

Their team-mates Tom Kristensen, Lucas di Grassi and Marc Gené finished the race in a strong second place. The drivers of the #1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro faced bad luck too losing three laps whilst they were strongly leading overall. The #1 Audi took full advantage from the very long stop of the #20 Porsche 919 Hybrid to take second and give Audi a fine 1-2 result. Bad luck yesterday hit the #3 Audi R18 e-tron quattro. The car with Marco Bonanomi, Oliver Jarvis and Filipe Albuquerque was forced to retire after a heavy crash.

Third place for the #8 Toyota TS040 Hybrid driven by Anthony Davidson, Nicolas Lapierre and Sébastien Buemi. The very same car involved in a heavy crash yesterday which took the #3 Audi R18 e-tron quattro out of the race. This is the second straight year with Toyota cars on the podium.

Credits to Rebellion Racing, the only privateer and LMP1-L team in the field took a sensational fourth place overall with the brand new Rebellion R-One Toyota. The #12 machine was driven by Nicolas Prost, Nick Heidfeld and Mathias Beche.

Porsche for their return at Le Mans performed very well but faced a lot of bad luck. The Stutgart brand took honorable fifth and sixth places in LMP1. The #14 Porsche 919 Hybrid shared by Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb in fifth just ahead of the sister and unlucky #20 in sixth place with Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber.

That was the 82nd running Le Mans 24 Hours. Next stop for FIA WEC teams and drivers will be at the Circuit of the Americas, September 20th.

Photo credit: Audi Media

Le Mans 24 Hours: Audi drivers and officials quotes after qualifying

Audi Press Release

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): “For us, it was important to put the three cars on the grid prepared as best we could despite the serious accident on Wednesday. Although there was another minor accident with our car No. 1 on Thursday, we managed to do this well. Afterwards, we fully concentrated on the optimal race set-up and have now created a good starting base for all three teams.”

Chris Reinke (Head of LMP): “This was an intensive day for the whole squad. Not only because we put in a night shift after the accident yesterday but also because we were obviously concerned about Loïc’s (Duval) condition. Now we’re all relieved that he’s well and has left the hospital. We completed our program for qualifying with concentration and clearly placed the main focus on preparing for the race. All drivers are feeling comfortable in the car – that makes me optimistic that we’re going to deliver a solid and hopefully successful performance.”

Ralf Jüttner (Team Director Audi Sport Team Joest): “The positive part first: We had three cars in qualifying, the No. 1 that was prepared from scratch again overnight and the other completely rebuilt ones. Initially, No. 1 had some problems with a sensor and then another, this time fortunately, minor accident. We let Marc Gené drive the largest number of laps in the car. I’m particularly pleased with the way our No. 3 fared. But No. 2 was doing well on track too although we’ve got to say that due to the many interruptions and danger zones there was no way to regularly check off all the items on our list. But in total, all our drivers are happy with their cars.”

Filipe Albuquerque (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #3): “I’m pleased with our qualifying session. Although we weren’t in contention for the pole position we’re not so far away with our time. The most important part is that we drove many laps – also at night – and have prepared our car well for the race.”

Marco Bonanomi (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #3): “A qualifying session with two different sides of the coin. On one side of the coin, our car was the fastest Audi and on the other I’m not completely happy with my own times. On two fast laps, I got stuck in traffic shortly before the end. That cost me half a second each time. Aside from that, I’m optimistic for the race. Our R18 is fast and so are we, especially Filipe (Albuquerque) put some great lap times on track at night.”

Oliver Jarvis (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #3): “We knew that qualifying would be a tough battle. Our focus was placed on preparing for the race as best we could. I think we managed to do that well. That’s why I’m very much looking forward to the race.”

Marcel Fässler (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “We weren’t focused on the fastest lap. Qualifying was secondary for us. We just worked on the set-up of the car. At the end of the session, we wanted to drive a qualifying run. Unfortunately, there was a yellow period – that was a shame and not necessary either in my view.”

André Lotterer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “On the one hand, it was a good qualifying session and on the other a frustrating one. We managed to properly set up the car and to sort the tires. But in the end, the spectators were deprived of a spectacle because there was this long ‘slow zone’ through to the end of the session although there was nothing happening there anymore. As a result, I was able to drive good times only in the first two sectors.”

Benoît Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): “Qualifying was difficult but we did a good job in setting up the car for the race. It was a bit disappointing that qualifying at the end was used to test ‘slow zones.’ The track was clean, so I don’t know why this test had to be so extensive. But now only the race counts. We’re ready for it and are going to play our hand.”

Marc Gené (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “The most important thing today was that we confirmed the excellent work of the mechanics with our laps. They put in a night shift to prepare a new car for us that was immediately running well. After car #1 did almost no laps on Wednesday, Tom (Kristensen), Lucas (di Grassi) and I concentrated on completing our mandatory laps. The main thing was to drive many kilometers and the thought of qualifying was just secondary. We’re prepared for the race.”

Lucas di Grassi (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “After Loïc’s massive accident on Wednesday, qualifying on Thursday for us was more like a roll-out with the new car. We had a few issues that we completely resolved. Especially in qualifying three we were able to drive many laps – the car is ready for the race.”

Tom Kristensen (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): “The past two days were a tough experience. Our mechanics did a fantastic job overnight. That’s why we were able to use the last session after there’d previously been problems with a sensor. For us, the qualifying session was a roll-out in a way. All three drivers are happy with the car. It wasn’t about the grid position but about preparing the car for the race. I’m looking towards the race with a positive feeling.”

Photo credit: Audi Media