Allan McNish endured disappointment in the 80th running of Le Mans 24 Hour race which saw Audi claim a historic 11th victory and 1-2-3 result in the legendary sportscar endurance race today (17 June) attended by 240,000 spectators. McNish plus co-drivers Tom Kristensen (Denmark) and Dindo Capello (Italy) ultimately brought their revolutionary diesel hybrid Audi R18 e-tron quattro home second -one-lap down on the similar hybrid drive Audi of 2011 Le Mans winners Marcel Fässler (CH)/André Lotterer (D)/Benoît Tréluyer (F).
“I am absolutely devastated for the entire team – my co-drivers Dindo and Tom, our engineers and mechanics – they all did a superb job throughout the race,” commented McNish who was in the Audi for over 9½ hours in four separate driving “stints”.
“We came back from some problems and were in a good position and fighting for victory with only a few hours to go.”
Dumfries-born McNish started the twice-around-the-clock endurance race from fourth on the 56-car grid in the R18 e-tron quattro that only made its race debut six weeks ago and has now become the first ever sportscar with this technology to win the annual Le Mans marathon.
A five minute pit-stop with 2.5hrs on the clock to rectify a handling imbalance dropped the McNish Audi from second to fifth place but was back up to second behind the “sister” diesel hybrid of Lotterer/ Fässler/Tréluyer in the seventh hour.
McNish briefly led twice in the early hours but when Fässler pitted for repairs after lightly contacting the barriers attempting to avoid a spun car, it triggered an intense battle between the two hybrid drive Audi sports cars until leader McNish went off with less than three hours remaining when attempting to lap a backmarker.
McNish added: “I came through the Porsche Curves, where it narrows, and there was a slower GT car and I expected him to move out to the right, which he didn’t do. I’m not sure why he didn’t but the next thing I remember was spinning backwards and hitting the barrier with the right front. I got the car back to the pits and the team did a fantastic job to change damaged suspension and bodywork but we lost us a lap and any chance of victory. I’m hugely disappointed.”
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 seven specific “zones” around the 8.47-mile track, using power “harvested” under braking.
Despite his Le Mans setback McNish, a previous winner of the annual French race in 1998 & 2008, now leads the eight-race FIA World Endurance Championship by 6.5pts after three rounds and sets his sights on achieving title success come October. The fourth round of the WEC is staged at Silverstone on 26 August.
Source : Allan McNish