Audi had the potential to aim for pole

Two races from the end of his program in WEC, Audi is keen to complete its journey in Endurance on a good note. The manufacturer with the Rings took third place on the grid for the 6 Hours of Shanghai (China) with the No. 18 R1 of Loïc duval and Oliver Jarvis, Lucas di Grassi's teammates requisitioned for qualifying.

The German brand hoped to obtain a fifth consecutive pole, but the No. 8 Audi lost 0 seconds behind the Porsche 919 Hybrid n°1 Brendon Hartley and Timo Bernhard as she lost time with traffic.

“Loïc Duval was forced to overtake a competitor in a very unfavorable sector, which caused him to lose a lot of time. This is why we are a little disappointed, explained Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, head of Audi Motorsport. It is still positive that both crews are satisfied with their settings, that is what matters most for tomorrow. »

The sister car No. 7 entrusted for qualifying to Marcel Fässler and Benoît Tréluyer took fifth position, finishing four tenths from pole.

“We tried to save the tires for Sunday's race, explained the Swiss. Our qualifications could therefore not be perfect. It was simply a tactical choice that could pay off on Sunday. »

The start of the 6 Hours of Shanghai will take place tomorrow at 4 a.m. (French time) and will be followed live on Motors TV and L’Équipe 21.