End of an era for Audi
For the first time since 2008, an Audi did not triumph at Le Mans. But the drivers of the brand with the rings, being good sports, all acknowledged that their competitors from Porsche deserved their victory this year.
In 2014, Porsche came within just a few hours of a surprising victory. In 2015, the threat was much more palpable, and Audi finally had to concede, much like against Peugeot in 2008.
Nevertheless, after the arrival, the team members of the first Audi, the No. 7 (more than two laps behind the leader), acknowledged that the best had triumphed, as the Frenchman Benoît Tréluyer said: « Porsche surprised us without really surprising us. Let’s say the tire degradation wasn’t as significant as in the other WEC races [Silverstone and Spa, won by the Audi No. 7]. You can’t always have luck on your side, and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, you need a bit of it. But we really fought hard, the show was great, and we’re still happy to be on the podium. »
Winner of the first two races of the season as well, André Lotterer pointed to the speed of his car: « We did a good job, the fastest lap [set by Audi No. 7] shows it. No one will remember it because it’s the winner people remember. The race was great, and Porsche was really good. »
If Audi was on point in terms of pure performance, it was reliability that surprisingly failed the robust German manufacturer. Marcel Fässler recalled: We had the fastest car, but we always experienced several issues… Andre’s puncture at the beginning, the hood coming off when I was driving… we had to repair and it cost us two laps. At Le Mans, when you see the competition, if you lose two laps, it’s almost over for you…
The Lotterer-Tréluyer-Fässler crew remains at the top of the World Endurance Championship, with a twenty-three-point lead over the Lieb-Jani-Dumas trio (Porsche).
