WEC: Loïc Duval, Audi's latest recruit

His performances over the last two years at the wheel of the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP from the Oreca team escaped no one, and especially not the two major manufacturers who reigned over the world.Endurance for several seasons. Thus, Peugeot and Audi tried at the end of 2011 to secure the services of Loïc duval. The latter finally had some flair, since he favored the offer from across the Rhine to that of the Lion firm, which threw in the towel a few weeks later. It is therefore under the Audi colors that the native of Chartres will make his debut at the age of 29 as an official driver of a major manufacturer in Endurance, after having defended three times in the 24 Hours of Le Mans the interests of Hugues de Chaunac’s team.

Loïc, who this year will also compete in the Super GT with Lexus and the Formula Nippon, will participate with Audi in the first three rounds of the World Endurance Championship, namely the 12 Hours of Sebring on March 17, the 6 Hours of Spa- Francorchamps WEC on May 5 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 16-17). At Sebring, he will also be the only one of the three winners of the 2011 edition to put his title back on the line since Nicolas lapierre, qui est désormais chez Toyota, n?entrera en lice qu?à Spa, et qu?Olivier Panis a tourné la page du LMP1. A ces occasions, le champion Super GT 2010 épaulera son compatriote Romain Dumas et l?Allemand Timo Bernhard sur l?Audi R18 TDI n°3. La R18 e-tron quattro, Loïc n?y touchera pas. En effet, il a été décidé par les dirigeants d?Audi que les pilotes nominés sur la R18 e-tron quattro (à savoir Tréluyer, Fässler, Lotterer, Kristensen, McNish et Capello) seraient responsables du développement de la version hybride, et que les pilotes nominés sur la R18 TDI (Dumas, Bernhard, Duval, Bonanomi, Jarvis et Rockenfeller) seraient en charge du développement de la version diesel, évolution du modèle lauréat dans la Sarthe l?an passé.

Still, Audi has secured the services of a top-notch recruit. As for Loïc Duval, he now dreams of succeeding the winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans from Romain Dumas and Benoît Tréluyer? his new teammates.