Allan McNish will bid for a second consecutive Le Mans 24 Hours race victory when the Briton drives a new diesel engined Audi in this year’s race next weekend (13-14 June).
The 39-year-old Scotsman drives a “factory” entered Audi R15 TDI aiming to repeat last year’s victory which earned Dumfries-born McNish his second and the German manufacturer an eighth Le Mans win.
“It was fantastic to finally score another Le Mans victory, especially after duelling with Peugeot for 23 hours and 45 minutes, but I am conscious that the competition is always getting stronger and as reigning champions, we are the ones everyone else is aiming to shoot down,” commented McNish.
“I believe this race will be even tougher than 2008 because Peugeot want revenge, Aston Martin want to prove they have what it takes and we [Audi] want to continue our incredible winning streak.”
The Monaco-based Scotsman’s co-drivers are again Dindo Capello (44/Italy) and Tom Kristensen (41/Denmark) – the “Great Dane” gunning for his ninth Le Mans triumph – the same Le Mans driver combination for the past three years.
The trio scored a début race win for the R15 TDI in the Sebring 12 Hours (Florida) in March – the new sports-prototype’s only race so far – which marked Allan’s third consecutive race win.
“I’ve won three of the four races I’ve done since winning Le Mans last June,” added Allan. “I won at Silverstone [September] and Road Atlanta [October] last year and then at Sebring [March], so I’d very much like to continue that winning sequence – especially in what is the biggest sportscar race in the world.
“We have a new car, the R15 TDI, again a diesel but utilising a smaller, lighter V10 engine that while, still producing good power and torque, allows for a better handling chassis – a big benefit in the faster corner sections at Le Mans.
“Le Mans is an F1 season’s racing in 24 hours, is now a flat out ‘sprint’ race from start-to-finish and requires absolutely everyone, the mechanics, engineers and drivers to make a perfect, mistake-free race to be in with a chance of winning, and the one thing you can be sure of, is to expect the unexpected at Le Mans.”
The 77th Le Mans 24 Hours will feature 55-cars – including three “factory” Audi R15 TDI sports-prototypes – plus two R10 TDI cars entered by the “customer” Team Kolles – battling for honours around the 8.47-mile circuit comprising of closed public roads.
Allan added: “Although the R15 TDI has only contested one race, we’ve spent the last three months vigorously testing it throughout Europe. There was no official test day unusually at Le Mans this year, which means the first time we see what ‘true’ speed everyone has will be in qualifying on Thursday evening.”
Joining McNish/Capello/Kristensen in driving the latest V10 diesel-engined Audi R15 TDI will be Lucas Luhr (29/Germany), Mike Rockenfeller (25/Germany) and Marco Werner (43/Germany) plus Timo Bernhard (28/Germany), Romain Dumas (31/France) and Alexandre Prémat (27/France).
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Audi at Le Mans #1 Allan McNish (GB) / Dindo Capello (I) / Tom Kristensen (Den)#2 Lucas Luhr (D) / Mike Rockenfeller (D) / Marco Werner (D)#3 Timo Bernhard (D) / Romain Dumas (F) / Alexandre Prémat (F)
Timetable
Monday 8 June1430-1500 Scrutineering for #11440-1510 Scrutineering for #21450-1520 Scrutineering for #3
Wednesday 10 June1800-0000 Free Practice
Thursday 11 June1900-2100 Qualifying Session – Part 1 2200-0000 Qualifying Session – Part 2
Friday 12 June1400-1500 Audi Press Conference, Audi Racing Arena, Parc du Raccordement1800-1900 Drivers’ parade (city centre)
Saturday 13 June0900-0945 Warm-up 1500 Start of 77th Le Mans 24 Hours
Sunday 14 June1500 Finish of 77th Le Mans 24 Hours* All times above are local and are local and are +1hr BST
Allan McNish Biography . . .Allan McNish (GB). Age: 39. Born: Dumfries, Scotland. Lives: Monte Carlo, Monaco. Married to Kelly, one son (Finlay, 4yrs), one daughter (Charlotte, 8 months)1981-82 Kart1983 British Kart Champion1985 3rd Kart World Championship1986 British Kart Champion1987 2nd Formula Ford 1600 Championship1988 1st Formula Opel Lotus1989 2nd British Formula 3 Championship1990 4th International Formula 3000 Championship, Formula 1 test driver1991-2 Formula 1 test driver, Int. Formula 3000 Championship1993 Formula 1 test driver1994 Formula 1 test driver, Int. Formula 3000 Championship1995 Int. Formula 3000 Championship1996 Formula 1 test driver1997 Won three sportscar races in USA1998 1st Le Mans 24 Hours, 5th FIA GT Championship1999 24 Hours of Le Mans, 2nd in 24 Hours of Daytona2000 1st American Le Mans Series (Audi R8)2001 Formula 1 test driver, 24 Hours of Daytona2002 Formula 12003 Formula 1 test driver2004 2nd Le Mans Endurance Series (Audi R8): 1st Nürburgring 1,000km and 1st Silverstone 1,000km (Audi R8). 1st Sebring 12 Hours (Audi R8)2005 3rd Le Mans Endurance Series (Audi R8). 1st Silverstone; 2nd Nurburgring & Istanbul 1,000km (Audi R8). 2nd Sebring 12 Hours (Audi R8). German Touring Car Masters (Audi A4DTM)2006 1st American Le Mans Series (Audi R8 & Audi R10 TDI): 7 outright/8 LM P1 class wins (from 10 races). 3rd Le Mans 24 Hours. British Racing Drivers’ Club / Automobile Club de l'Ouest Trophy and Scottish Motor Racing Club's William Lyons Trophy winner. 2007 1st American Le Mans Series (Audi R10 TDI): 3 outright wins/9 LM P1 wins (from 12 races).2008 1st Le Mans 24 Hour race (Audi R10 TDI), 3rd Le Mans Series (Audi R10 TDI), 3rd Sebring 12 Hour race (Audi R10 TDI), 1st "Petit Le Mans" race (Audi R10 TDI). “Drive of the Race Award” (award created by SPEEDtv.com to honour the most stirring performance in an ALMS/LM24 race). Autosport Magazine Sportscar Driver of the Year. Voted Driver of the Decade by ALMS fans. Audi Driver Magazine Personality of the Year. British Racing Drivers' Club ACO Award for the highest-placed British driver in the Le Mans 24 Hours race. British Racing Drivers' Club Silverstone/Le Mans Challenge Award. Awarded the British Competition Driver of the Year Award at the Autosport Awards. 2009 1st Sebring 12 Hour race (Audi R15 TDI).
Allan McNish at Le Mans (10th career appearance in 24 Hours):1997 Roock Racing Porsche 911 GT1. Qualified: 11th. Race: Retired Retired due to accident damage after 30mins.
1998 Porsche AG Porsche 911 GT1-98. Qualified: 5th (AM). Race: 1st Led opening five hours building almost a one lap lead. Water pipe split after 14hrs losing 30mins for repairs. Swapped lead with Toyota GT1 around pit stops until it retired with 75mins to run.
1999 Toyota Motorsports Toyota GT-One. Qualified: 2nd. Race: RetiredLed initially then traded lead with BMW for next 12hrs until co-driver Boutsen retired after accident with backmarker.
2000 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R8. Qualified: 1st (AM). Race: 2nd + Fastest Lap (AM)Led for opening 6hrs but lost over 6mins when rear section changed after almost 7hrs due to gear shift problems. Two pit-stops (losing almost 5mins) with rear diffuser problems after 9hrs, 2mins lost when front brake disc/pad changed after 17hrs
2004 Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx Audi R8. Qualified: 2nd (AM). Race: 5thLed early stages but Allan crashed at high-speed on oil after two hours. Although suffering no injuries and declared physically fit, he was advised by race officials not to take any further part in the race. Two pit-stops for repairs cost 75mins.
2005 Champion Racing Audi R8. Qualified: 3rd (AM). Race: 3rd Led after 2½ hrs but lost 3mins with a pit-stop for repairs after 3½ hrs when Pirro slid off at slow speed following a Safety Car period. Allan cashed out of 2nd approaching two-thirds distance when tyre delaminated. 4mins lost getting out of gravel trap and a further 18mins to repair the front suspension.
2006 Audi Sport Audi R10 TDI. Qualified: 1st. Race: 3rd Led most of the opening three hours. After 3½ hours, right bank of injectors were changed (losing 21 mins), 11mins lost for suspension repairs after Capello contacted backmarker, a further 19mins for additional repairs and another 15mins to change turbo.
2007 Audi Sport Audi R10 TDI. Qualified: 2nd (AM). Race: Retired Led from the first corner on the opening lap, dominated the race for over 16½ hours, led by over three laps but left rear wheel came off at Indianapolis Corner at around 150mph with co-driver Dindo Capello at the wheel causing instant retirement.
2008 Audi Sport Audi R10 TDI. Qualified: 4th (AM). Race: 1st Led after 2½ hours, slipped to second on four hours then to third an hour later but back up to second place on seven hours. Rain shower after 13 hours handed the initiative back to Audi with Kristensen sweeping into the lead an hour later. With six hours to run and the rain falling harder, McNish led by two minutes ultimately finishing over four minutes ahead of the second-placed car having completed 381-laps, 3,227 miles at an average speed of 149.34mph in front of a record crowd of 258,000 – including an estimated 70,000 British fans.
Audi R15 TDI at a glance . . .V10 5.5-litre diesel engine, twin-turbochargers, producing over 600hp (over 1050 Newton metres torque). 5-speed sequential gearbox, rear-wheel-drive, 930kg, fuel tank capacity 81 litres (17.82 gallons) of Shell V-Power Diesel fuel.
Audi at Le Mans . . .Made race début in 1999 (finishing 3rd & 4th). Has since won on eight occasions (2000-2, 2004 & 2005 with the petrol-engined Audi R8 and 2006-08 with diesel-engined Audi R10 TDI). Three “factory” Audi R15 TDI sports-prototypes will race in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours.
