Man, these guys are dominating Le Mans like Porsche did in the 70's and 80's... :sweat:
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Audi Wins Le Mans, Finishing First, Second and Third
By BRAD SPURGEON
It may have been one of the fastest 24 Hours of Le Mans in history, with average speeds of 220 kilometers an hour, but at the end of the worldfs most illustrious endurance race, the Audi car manufacturer proved once again that winning in Le Mans is not about setting the fastest lap times.
In a crushing, humiliating and more convincing victory than anyone could have imagined 24 hours ago, three Audi cars finished in first, second and third positions. It was almost the opposite result to the 3 p.m. starting grid on Saturday in Le Mans, in western France. Yesterday, the top three cars starting were Peugeots. By the end of the race, not a single one of the Peugeots crossed the finished line.
Peugeot last year had finally broken Audifs iron grip on this race over the last decade by beating the team at its own game with a diesel engine. This year, Peugeot had the faster car and in the eyes of many people was the clear favorite for victory. But Audi improved the carsf speed and handling from last year, and also knew from experience the importance of enduring with cars that had practically no mechanical problems or breakdowns.
And so it is that Audi won its ninth Le Mans 24 Hours race, equaling the result of Ferrari. The winning car was driven this weekend by Timo Bernhard, 29, a German; Romain Dumas, 32, a Frenchman; and Mike Rockenfeller, 26, another German.
Shortly before the end of the race, Wolfgang Ullrich, the director of the Audi team, told Eurosport the secret of the victory.
gWe were confident that the cars would be reliable and last the 24 hours,h he said. gWe knew we were not as fast as the Peugeots, and I told the drivers to drive fast, but without taking risks.h
Allan McNish, who drove the Audi that finished third, said the team was surprised, delighted and a little let down.
gWe didnft believe we would be able to do a one-two-three, thatfs for sure,h McNish said in a television interview, adding. gWe didnft like to see the Peugeots go out like that \ I like to fight to the end.h
But for the spectators who watched the race over 24 hours, it was one of the biggest upsets in decades.
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