• Unchanged formation for 24 Hours of Le Mans• 2010 Le Mans winners also race at Sebring• Bernhard, Fässler, Kristensen and McNish form ILMC core team
Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich has managed to sign all nine drivers who mounted the podium after last year’s historical one-two-three Audi finish in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Le Mans in 2011. The drivers who compete for the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) for Audi are also confirmed.
“Over the last few years we’ve had a very strong and harmonious driver line-up at LeMans,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “Any one of our threecars could have won, which explains why it was our aim to compete with anunchanged driver squad at Le Mans in 2011. I’m delighted that we achieved this.Now we can concentrate solely on the development of the Audi R18 and need notintegrate any new drivers into the team, which would have been associated withadditional work and risks. The schedule to Le Mans is tight enough as it is.”
The three new Audi R18, competing in the 79th running of the endurance classic on11/12 June 2011, will be occupied exactly as the three R15 TDI that broke the olddistance record on the way to claiming the first three finishing positions. The R18with start number “1” is driven by last year’s winners Timo Bernhard (Germany),Romain Dumas (France) and Mike Rockenfeller (Germany). Le Mans record winnerTom Kristensen (Denmark) once again forms a team with Dindo Capello (Italy) andAllan McNish (Scotland) with whom he triumphed in 2008 at Le Mans. Last year’ssecond placed finishers Marcel Fässler (Switzerland), André Lotterer (Germany) andBenoît Treluyer (France) share the third R18.
The same Audi Sport Team Joest squad also contests the official Le Mans test day on April 24 and the 6-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) on May 8, which Audi uses as dress rehearsal for Le Mans again this year and in which the technically innovative Audi R18 will celebrate its race debut.
For the opening round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) at Sebring (USstate Florida) on March 19, Audi Sport Team Joest will compete with two Audi R15TDI cars modified to comply with the new technical regulations. At the wheel sitcurrent Le Mans winners Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Mike Rockenfeller aswell as 2009 Sebring winners Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish.Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish and Timo Bernhard/Marcel Fässler are regular racedrivers for the four remaining Intercontinental Le Mans Cup races held after the 24Hours of Le Mans. If required, Audi can fall back on Porsche “factory” driver RomainDumas to reinforce its squad at Road Atlanta.
“Due to the clashing dates in the DTM and ILMC it wasn’t easy to form the driversquad,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “For example, itprevented Mike Rockenfeller from driving a complete season in the R18. But withPorsche ‘factory’ driver Timo Bernhard, Marcel Fässler, Tom Kristensen and AllanMcNish for the sport prototypes we have a strong core squad with which we are wellplaced.”
In addition to the races a comprehensive test program with the Audi R18 is on theagenda for all nine Audi sportscar drivers. The tests will be held in the USA andEurope.
The 2011 Audi driver line-ups
SebringDindo Capello/Tom Kristensen/Allan McNishTimo Bernhard/Romain Dumas/Mike Rockenfeller
Spa, Le MansDindo Capello/Tom Kristensen/Allan McNishTimo Bernhard/Romain Dumas/Mike RockenfellerMarcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Treluyer
ILMC after Le MansTom Kristensen/Allan McNishTimo Bernhard/Marcel Fässler
