Dr. Ullrich: The hardest 24 hours

The start of the 79th edition of 24 hours of Le Mans seemed to turn into a nightmare for Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich's men. Allan McNish?s first accident made the headlines, as the images were so appalling. Mike Rockenfeller's second accident was just as impressive. After eight hours of racing, Audi only had one R18 left on the track.

But the German manufacturer's team did not break away and the reassuring news on the state of health of the two injured drivers allowed the German team to concentrate on the race which it won bravely. “The fact that Allan (McNish) and Mike (Rockenfeller) escaped these violent accidents virtually unscathed is at least as good news as Audi?s tenth victory”, comments the director of Audi Motorsport after completing the double lap at Le Mans in the lead.

If Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich is delighted with the performance displayed by the new prototype, he will especially remember how difficult this race was. “This edition of Le Mans was the most difficult from an emotional point of view for us, particularly after these two accidents”, adds the Audi sporting director. “The fact that our team managed to keep strong adversity at bay for over 16 hours is almost unbelievable. Everyone at Audi can be proud of this triumph. »

Find the complete report of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (42 pages) in an exceptional issue, on sale from Wednesday on all newsstands.