Royal Automobile Club awards Segrave medals

to Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, Tom Kristensen and Loic Duval

The Royal Automobile Club has presented Segrave Medals to Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, Audi’s Head of Motorsport, as well as team drivers Tom Kristensen and Loic Duval. The award was made at Silverstone on Friday 19th April.

Their presentation coincides with the opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship; the six Hours of Silverstone, and the Club’s Tourist Trophy. It also comes three days after Scotsman Allan McNish received the Segrave Trophy itself from the Royal Automobile Club. McNish, now an Audi Sport ambassador, partnered Kristensen and Duval last season.

‘The Segrave Medal is not necessarily an annual award,’ explained Ben Cussons, Chairman of the Club’s Motoring Committee; ‘It is given at the Club’s discretion, in recognition of those whose work has played a fundamental role in helping the Segrave Trophy winner to achieve their goal.’

Dr Ullrich ushered in one of the most dramatic winning streaks that the German Uber-marque has known since the German manufacturer began its sports-prototype programme in 1999. As well as the DTM, he oversees Audi’s LMP programme and witnessed McNish, Kristensen and Duval score Audi’s 12th Le Mans 24 Hour race triumph last June. The trio also won last year’s coveted Tourist Trophy at Silverstone in 2013.

‘We were very aware of the team contribution to Allan’s achievement,’ added Cussons; ‘and as such wanted to recognise the wider accomplishment.’

Allan himself was also very eager to congratulate his team-mates; ‘I’ve enjoyed many seasons racing with Tom and last year with Loïc. 2013 was a great season for us and I’m very glad to see them being recognised too’ he said. ‘Our success is down to a huge effort by Dr Ullrich and the entire Audi Sport Team Joest squad.”

About the Segrave Trophy

The Segrave Trophy is named after British pilot and pre-war racing driver Sir Henry Segrave; a man who pushed himself and his machines to the very limit in the pursuit of ultimate speed. He was the first man to hold both land and water speed records, though the latter would cost him his life in 1930. With such drive and determination in mind, the trophy is awarded for ‘outstanding skill, courage and initiative on land, water and in air – the Spirit of Adventure’. It has been awarded to pilots, drivers and motorcyclists.

Whereas the Segrave Trophy is awarded only to a British National who accomplishes the most outstanding demonstration of the possibilities of transport, the subsidiary award – the Segrave Medal – may be awarded to a person who is not a British national, but would otherwise qualify for recognition.

Previous holders of the Trophy have included Amy Johnson (1932), Donald Campbell (1958), Sir Jackie Stewart (1973) and Carl Fogarty (1994).

About Tom Kristensen

World Champion sports car driver Kristensen (46) is the only person to have won the Le Mans 24-hours nine times – six of them in consecutive years (2000-2005). The Danish driver began in karting in the mid-Eighties where he won several titles, before progressing to Formula Three where he became German Formula 3 Champion in 1991 and Japanese Champion in 1993, and then on to Touring Cars. Kristensen was also a test driver for both Tyrrell and Michelin.

About Loic Duval

Like so many drivers, Frenchman Duval’s (31) racing career began in karts. In 2002 he was the French Formula Campus champion and, in ’03, the French Formula Renault champion. Moving on to Formula Three, he also moved to Japan in 2006 where he competed in Formula Nippon (2009 champion) and Super GT.

Since 2008 Duval has been driving in both the European and Asian Le Mans Series in the LMP1 class. He joined the Audi team for the 2012 season.

About Dr Wolfgang Ullrich

Austrian engineer Ullrich (63) became head of Audi Motorsport and Special Developments in 1993. Beginning with Super Touring Cars in Germany and Italy in 1994, Ullrich and Audi won no less than seven championships in 1996 alone.

With innovations in all-wheel drive, through-body airflow and diesel racing engines, Dr Ullrich’s team progressed through further saloons and into the esoteric world of Le Mans prototypes. Audi came to Le Mans for the first time in 1999, and since then has won the great race 12 times in 15 starts.


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