Audi drivers moved after their success

While Audi was lacking success since Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) last May, the R18 crews allowed the brand with the Rings to withdraw from the WEC with honors by signing a double at the 6 Hours of Bahrain after dominating the last event of the season.

Lucas di Grassi, driver of the victorious Audi n°8 on the Sakhir circuit who also took 2nd place in the Championship against the Toyota No. 6, was not the least emotional after the checkered flag was lowered.

“It’s a good feeling to end this season with a golden result for the team, commented the resident of ABT Audi Sport in Formula e. We proved that we had evolved as a crew by winning twice this year. »

“I am obviously sad that Audi and most of us are leaving the WEC which is such a big family. It's not just the races that I'm going to miss, but also the people in the paddock. I wasn't used to endurance racing when I started driving for Audi in 2012, but it became something I loved. I will miss these cars and the adrenaline of endurance racing”, added the Brazilian.

His teammate Loïc duval, which also has a program in Formula e with Faraday Future Dragon Racing, was also marked by the outcome of the weekend.

“It means a lot to us to be the last drivers to win at the wheel of a Le Mans prototype for Audi, declared the Frenchman. We were really competitive. I was a little short on downforce in the car, but the mechanics cleaned the bodywork and discovered that a plastic bag was disrupting the aero. It’s a very emotional weekend. My feelings are even stronger than when I won the title in 2013. I am happy and proud. »

André Lotterer, driver of the No. 7 Audi which finished in 2nd place, was more reserved since the German is expected at Porsche next year (see: AUTO n°2088hebdo).

“We showed what the car was truly capable of, underlined the teammate of Benoît Tréluyer and Marcel Fässler. The team worked hard to achieve this this year. It won't be easy to take another path. We were kind of a dream team and I'm going to miss that a lot. »

Discover the analysis of the 6 Hours of Bahrain carried out by our special correspondent in issue 2090 of AUTOhebdo, available from Monday evening in digital version on all platforms, and from Wednesday on newsstands.