WEC – Audi wants to “rectify the situation”

The two chassis used at Silverstone having been damaged by the track exits suffered by Lucas di Grassi and Benoît Tréluyer, the Audi Sport Team Joest mechanics had to quickly get back to work to mount new cars on the chassis of reserve. We have known better to prepare to face the 6 Hours of Spa, next week, second round of the world championshipEndurance 2014. “We have to prepare two new cars for Spa, emphasizes Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, Director of Audi Motorsport. Then we will focus on our goal, which is to have an impeccable race. At Spa, we want to rectify the situation after this Silverstone event which was very unfortunate for us. In recent years, Spa has been quite successful for us. »

And for good reason, the Ingolstadt firm remains on two victories in the Belgian Ardennes, and even on a hat-trick last year led by the trio Marcel Fässler-André Lotterer-Benoît Tréluyer. To make it three, the German firm will be able to count on three R18 e-tron quattros, the No. 3 of Marco Bonanomi and Filipe Albuquerque (Oliver Jarvis is retained in Japan, in Super GT), in Le Mans version, adding to the two cars registered for the year in WEC.

“We are going to be on the attack again at Spa, adds Chris Reinke, LM P project manager at Audi. After what can only be called a chaotic start at Silverstone, it is particularly important for us to focus on what we have to do until Le Mans. But Spa is more than a test for Le Mans. We aim to achieve victory in Belgium in order to score big points in the championship” As Tom Kristensen rightly says, who shares the wheel of the No. 1 with Lucas di Grassi and Loïc duval :  “We have to finish and score. This will be extremely important, because our slate is blank after Silverstone. »

It is true that a second rout would cause disorder, especially since Toyota was a hit in Great Britain, winning 44 points. “We need to show that Silverstone was an exception, continues technical director Ralf Jüttner. We are now in an unusual chasing position and we need to score points. The team will give everything. » To do this, Dr Ullrich's men will keep in the back of their minds the two positive elements to keep from their time in England, namely the best absolute lap signed in qualifying by Tom Kristensen and the best lap in the race by André Lotterer. There is no doubt, the R18 e-tron quattro 2014 version is a formidable weapon...