McNish: “certain to have a competitive Audi”

Sunday June 14, 2009: Marc Gené crosses the finish line of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. At Audi the faces are sad. There Peugeot 908 HDi FAP has just achieved an unusual feat by putting an end to ten years of undivided domination by Dr Ullrich's team (apart from the 2003 interlude and the victory of a Bentley powered by a V8 from the brand with the rings) . There was no race, as the French car dominated its German rival whose performances were too inconsistent and too dependent on weather conditions.

In 2010, the Ingolstadt firm returned to Sarthe with a fierce desire to wash away this affront, with an R15, a further evolution of the model seen last year. Last year the drivers complained of a very difficult prototype to tame, with a very lively rear axle. In fact, several of them will make mistakes. But the car proved it could be fast. The base is good, it just needed to be refined to make it a racing beast, a real winning machine.

This is what engineers from across the Rhine set about this winter. “New” elaborate car, it had to be tested. Thousands of kilometers were therefore traveled in order to validate all the new elements. Nothing was left to chance. The lack of tests last year was costly, there is no question of doing it again.

“Contrary to what many people think, the R15 is a good car, otherwise it would not have won at Sebring (2009 edition, editor's note) in its debut, explains Allan McNish in the official program of the 24 Hours of Le Mans AUTOhebdo. We didn't know? or we didn?t have time? to find the right handling and cooling settings for problems that have nothing to do with the car. Our tests were hampered by the weather, then by an accident, so Peugeot was ready and we were not. This year, that will not be the case. So, I had no worries and I was certain of having a competitive Audi this year. Dr. Ullrich knew how to find the words to motivate everyone. We come with serious hope of winning again. And if it's not our car, it doesn't matter as long as it's an Audi? »

It remains to be realized on the track. At the end of qualifying, the three Audis were ahead of the four Peugeots. But have we really played all our cards among the Germans? Nothing is less sure. In pure performance, is the R15 plus up to par with the 908 HDi FAP? Response after the first laps of the race, this afternoon, shortly after 15 p.m. The Scottish leprechaun then, as usual, tried to sow discord in the French clan. If he succeeds, then we will experience a Dantesque double turn of the Sarthe clock. Watch out, McNish is hungry?

Find the full interview with Allan McNish in our Guide to the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2010, and in the official program.