Sep 14, 2008
After the triumph at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the early title win in the American Le Mans Series, AUDI AG performed another feat with the Audi R10 TDI diesel sportscar: At the 1000-kilometre race at Silverstone (Great Britain), Audi Sport Team Joest – clinching victory as well as fourth place – secured also the champion’s title in the European Le Mans Series (LMS).
In front of a record turnout of 53,000 spectators (throughout the weekend) Dindo Capello (Italy) and Allan McNish (Scotland) at the season’s finalé scored the first victory of the Audi R10 TDI, which is powered by over 650 hp, in the Le Mans Series. For Alexandre Prémat (France) and Mike Rockenfeller (Germany) a fourth place at Silverstone was sufficient to win the drivers’ title in the LM P1 class. The LMS manufacturers’ and team titles went to Audi as well.
From the outset, the two Audi R10 TDI cars of Audi Sport Team Joest were able to keep the pace of the two Peugeot 908s in the race and put the French diesel sportscars under massive pressure. As a result, Peugeot driver Nicolas Minassian in a duel with Allan McNish spun as early as in the first turn and later retired due to an accident.
After the premature end of the race for their only remaining rivals in the fight for the drivers’ title, Alexandre Prémat and Mike Rockenfeller would have merely needed a sixth-place finish to win the title. The two youngsters were leading the race most of the time, did not take any unnecessary risks and were heading for the title win when they were forced to make an unscheduled pit stop 20 minutes before race end due to a defect on the right rear suspension. Thanks to a quick repair the car bearing number 2 in the race lost only four laps.
A slight contact and a stop-and-go penalty due to overtaking under a yellow flag caused some additional drama on the final laps. In the end, Prémat/Rockenfeller crossed the finish line in fourth place, though, and thus secured the champion’s title.
Another nerve-racking experience was the victory drive of Dindo Capello and Allan McNish. Due to a quicker pit stop Audi Sport Team Joest in the second hour of the race managed moving their R10 TDI past the previously leading Peugeot. When Peugeot driver Stéphane Sarrazin after a safety car period tried overtaking Capello on the outside in turn 1, he turned in too early and collided with the Audi. Capello together with Sarrazin spun off the track, losing three laps in the gravel trap and due to a cut tyre.
From 17th place, Capello and McNish managed to make up ground again with consistently fast lap times, a good strategy and perfect pit stops to take the lead again 20 minutes before race end. This locked in the first victory of the Audi R10 TDI in the LMS as well as Audi’s title win in the manufacturers’ classification.
The results at Silverstone
1 Capello/McNish (Audi R10 TDI) 195 laps in 5h 40m24.862s
2 Mücke/Charouz (Lola-Aston-Martin) - 2 laps
3 Dumas/Boullion (Pescarolo-Judd) - 4 laps
4 Prémat/Rockenfeller (Audi R10 TDI) - 4 laps
5 van Merksteijn/Verstappen (Porsche) - 4 laps
6 Campbell-Walter/Hall (Creation-Aim) - 4 laps
7 Primat/Tinseau (Pescarolo-Judd) - 5 laps
8 Ortelli/Ayari (Courage-Oreca-Judd) - 6 laps
9 Lienhard/Theys/Lammers (Porsche) - 8 laps
10 Amaral/Pla (Lola-AER) - 10 laps
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