Audi focused on racing

Two Porsche in front of two Toyota and two Audis. Here is the face of the starting grid for the 84th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which will begin tomorrow at 15 p.m. (to follow in full live on our website).

If you feel like you want to take the Audi R18 conceded three full seconds on the Porsches, the drivers of Dr Wolfgang Ullrich's team did not seek an all-out attack. “It would have been very difficult to beat the 919 Hybrid, told us Loïc duval. This is not what worries us the most because we know there is less difference in racing. On the other hand, underwater, we saw that we didn't have a very good pace at the start. »

The German clan was also faced with some mechanical problems, notably on the No. 8 after the free practice session. “As we passed the first Mulsanne chicane, while braking, Lucas missed the rope and climbed onto the outside curb. With the impact, there was a problem with the hybrid system drive shaft which was damaged. We were forced to modify it for qualifying. We haven't encountered this problem before. »

In the Audi clan, racing remains the priority, hence the search for maximum reliability, as Benoît Tréluyer reminds us. « We still take less safety margin than a few years ago. We probably have less comfort. We had small problems with parts that came from a supplier with whom we had never had problems. These are things that happen. It’s motorsport.

We had problems in the preparation for Le Mans, but at Audi, every time a problem arises, we only encounter it once. In each camp, we pushed the limits, with an impact on reliability, but it makes the race more attractive. »

The Audi drivers, however, remained confident about the set-up of their LM P1 in dry conditions. If showers remain forecast tomorrow Saturday, the weather should improve for the day on Sunday.