Allan McNish: “The R18, a cut above”

Were the tests carried out at Sebring for the second phase of development of the Audi R18 successful?
This session was very useful. We drove for four days, from Monday to Thursday, during which all the Audi Sport drivers were involved. The weather was hot and humid, combined with the unforgiving Sebring track. We encountered conditions strictly identical to those of a race weekend. And for the first time, for a day, the track was wet.

In these conditions, what is it like?
I was pleasantly surprised. In theory, the windshield tends to get dirty quickly when it rains, meaning open prototypes have an advantage. The last time I drove a closed prototype was in 1999 (Toyota GT-One, editor’s note). I have been impressed by the progress made since that time and I feel good in the R18, even in these conditions. In the dry, the car responds with even more precision.

What is the conclusion of these tests with this second evolution?
On Monday, I got behind the wheel of the R15 to make some comparisons. The R18 is a step above in many areas, although due to the new regulations we have a smaller and therefore less powerful engine. We still have a lot to learn from this new car and we still have to launch it into the deep end of competition.