SCOTSMAN AIMING TO SCORE HIS MAIDEN HYBRID DIESEL AUDI VICTORY TO SNATCH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CROWN

Allan McNish must win the eighth and final round of the FIA World Endurance Championship on Sunday (28 Oct) to snatch the prestigious crown from the Scotsmans Audi Sport team-mates.McNish and co-driver Tom Kristensen (Den) start the Shanghai Six Hour race 16.5-points behind Marcel Fssler (CH)/Andr Lotterer (D)/Benot Trluyer (F) who drive a similar factory hybrid diesel Audi R18 e-tron quattro.Even a second WEC victory for McNish and Kristensen may not be enough as a sixth place finish would still give this years Le Mans 24 Hour race winners Fssler/Lotterer/Trluyer the world title.Victory is the only thing that can keep us in contention, confirmed Allan. Tom and I cannot afford to worry about where our sister car placesits just a case of us going on full out attack after recent race results. Leading the title race going into Silverstone in late August, McNishs home race and subsequent three races have yielded one second place and three thirdscompared to their title rivals two wins and two second place finishes.Allan continued: After Le Mans where we finished second in the hybrid diesel Audi, we then raced the conventional diesel-engined R18 ultra at Silverstone and in Brazil. In those races we could see that the R18 e-tron quattro was faster in traffic and Audi Sport generously gave us equal equipment for the remaining races in Bahrain, Japan and China.I claimed pole-position in Bahrain, like I had done at Spa prior to Le Mans, with the R18 e-tron quattro, but a brake balance issue caused excessive tyre wear while we had to change the front bodywork three times for various reasons.In Japan, our car mysteriously lacked pace compared to our team-mates which all combines to leave Tom and I with an up hill battle in Shanghai but well give it our best shot thats for sure.The six hour race will be staged on the 3.39-mile Grand Prix circuit located 30-miles north-west of the city.I have never been to Shanghai having only raced in China at the Zhuhai circuit for the last couple of years, continued McNish.The circuit characteristics look similar to those of Bahrain and maybe Fuji where the majority of the corners are slow and long. It definitely will be a climax to the season. The drivers of one of the Audi cars are going to come out as the winners of the Championship and Im hoping that will be Tom and I.The Audi R18 e-tron quattro is powered by a conventional V6 turbocharged diesel engine delivering around 510hp through the rear wheels but benefits briefly from an extra near 200hp, transmitted only through its front axle above 75mph at four specific zones using power harvested under braking.The race is scheduled to begin at 0300*.* Race time is -8hrs ShanghaiMcNish WEC Title Permutations* Allan wins title if McNish/Kristensen claims pole-position, then wins race, with Fssler/Lotterer/Trluyer sister Audi sixth or lower* Allan wins title if neither Audi starts from pole-position, McNish/Kristensen wins race, with Fssler/Lotterer/Trluyer sister Audi sixth or lower* Allan wins title if neither Audi starts from pole-position, McNish/Kristensen finishes second or better with Fssler/Lotterer/Trluyer sister Audi 10th or lower2012 FIA World Endurance Championship (after 7 rounds)Drivers: 1st Marcel Fssler (CH)/Andr Lotterer (D)/Benot Trluyer (F), 157.5pts. 2nd Allan McNish (GB)/Tom Kristensen (DEN), 141pts. LMP1 Manufacturers': 1st Audi*, 191pts. 2nd Toyota, 70pts (*Audi already Champions).