Audi has continued its string of podium results in the 24-hour race at Le Mans but missed taking the 14th victory it was aiming for in the world’s most famous endurance race in positions three, four and seven.
The tally of the brand with the four rings remains impressive. In all 17 Le Mans runs, at least one Audi team has been on the podium. This time it was last year’s winners André Lotterer (D), Marcel Fässler (CH) and Benoît Tréluyer (F). In their Audi R18 e-tron quattro, they took third place behind two Porsche cars. In addition, with a lap time of 3m 17.475s, Lotterer achieved a new track record in the race.
“That was motorsport at the very highest level. The spectators witnessed a tremendous endurance race in which the two Group sisters, Audi and Porsche, fought the expected fierce and thrilling duel for victory,” said Prof. Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, who was one of the first people to extend congratulations in the Porsche pits after the checkered flag fell. “We can only congratulate our colleagues from Stuttgart on this success because we know exactly how difficult it is to win this race.”
“I found it particularly impressive that Audi and Porsche with two completely different concepts of hybrid race cars were practically driving on the same level throughout the entire race,” said Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development, who watched the race in the garage of Audi Sport Team Joest. “Both Group brands with their concepts were clearly faster than Toyota. And that’s exactly what we’d like to show in the WEC and at Le Mans.”
Victory in the 83rd running of the iconic endurance race was decided between Audi and Porsche. The lead kept changing between both manufacturers before deciding factors occured on Sunday morning.
All three Audi R18 e-tron quattro cars were fast but unfortunate. André Lotterer, Marcel Fässler and Benoît Tréluyer, despite an early puncture, were battling for victory before a large section of the engine hood came adrift on their R18 on Sunday shortly before 7.00 and caused further damage to the car. The repair was accomplished in 6.56 minutes, but the two lost laps could no longer be recovered.
