AUDI WRESTLES LE MANS 24-hr TITLE FROM PEUGEOT
2010-06-14 17:42:57 Author: admin Source:
For the ninth time Audi has won the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans and thus equalized Ferrari’s position in the roll of honor in the French endurance classic. Only Porsche’s track record reflects more victories.
At the 78th edition of the LMP1 category race, efficiency and reliability were the decisive factors yet again - both are special fortes of the Audi brand which has a reputation of developing highly efficient automobiles. The three Audi R15 TDI cars of Audi Sport Team Joest ran without the slightest technical problems over the entire distance and occupied the top three places after the fastest Le Mans race of all time. After 2000, 2002 and 2004, Audi thus managed to achieve a one-two-three triumph at Le Mans for the fourth time, with Richard Dumas (top most image), Timo Bernhard and Mike Rockenfeller leading the charge.
The ninth triumph - in total - of the brand at Le Mans was also made possible by a technology which Audi Sport developed for racing during the past three years in strict secrecy: the V10 TDI engine of the Audi R15 TDI with an approximate power output of 440 kW has a turbo-charger with Variable Turbine Geometry (VTG).
VTG turbo-chargers are standard with Audi TDI engines in production vehicles. Their use at Le Mans helps the Audi engineers to continue to develop the technology for smaller, highly efficient turbo engines to be used in the future. In 2010 the demands made on diesel engines were particularly high due to the restrictions imposed by the regulations.
The victorious Audi R15 TDI with Dumas, Bernhard and Rockenfeller completed a total of 397 laps in the 24 hours. With the covered distance of 5,410 kilometers, the trio broke the 1971 record set by Dr. Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep in the Porsche 917 that was considered unbeatable because the Hunaudières straight at that time had no chicanes.
Dumas, Bernhard and Rockenfeller drove an absolutely flawless race on their way to their first Le Mans victory and the new historic record. Except for a slow puncture shortly before the end of the race and a right-hand mirror that had come off, the race went without the slightest problems for the winners.
Second place was taken by Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Treluyer on whose R15 TDI the front bodywork had to be changed twice after contact with the track barriers.
The 2008 winners, Dindo Capello (above), Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish, who were the best-placed Audi team in the early phase, were struck by major misfortune. Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen had to evade a slow GT2 vehicle on Saturday night and slid backwards against the track barrier of the Porsche corners in the process. With fast lap times, Capello, Kristensen and McNish pushed back into the group of the front runners and in the end were rewarded with a podium result.
Buoyed up by their four consecutive ‘doubles’ and the work undertaken over the last year, Team Peugeot Total arrived serene, fit and determined to take up the challenge of the 2010 24 Heures du Mans.
During qualifying, the Peugeot 908 HDi FAPs filled the top four positions including their fourth pole position in a row. Three works machine and an Oreca Peugeot were on the first four places on the starting grid for the race. In the race, a broken monocoque suspension mounting point eliminated the car of Sébastien Bourdais, Pedro Lamy and Simon Pagenaud in the evening.
The three remaining Peugeots took their place at the head of the race. But the No 1 car of Anthony Davidson, Marc Gené and Alexander Wurz was held up at nightfall with the replacement of a starter motor-alternator-management system, leaving the No 2 car of Nicolas Minassian, Franck Montagny and Stéphane Sarrazin (above) in the lead for the majority of the race. But, the next morning's turn of events unfortunately became worse for Team Peugeot as a broken engine put the No. 2 908 HDi-FAP trio out of the race for good.
Interesting sights at the 78th Le Mans
(Starting grid presentation; The 78th Le Mans gets inderway)
(Peugeot 908 HDi FAP on parade: Jett Girls of Peugeot on the right)
(The Le Mans race at night)Edited.Images: Audi, Peugeot Sport
