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24H Nurburgring: Post-race quotes

Post-race press conference quotes ...

Published: Jun 19, 2009, 7:56 PM

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Post-race press conference quotes

# 1 (Bernhard / Lieb / Dumas / Tiemann) Porsche 911 GT3 RSR -- winners

Timo Bernhard: "It really was a 24 hour sprint race, because there were many cars at the same level. Initially, every one of us had to push until the final lap. Only when the Audi had trouble, we could back off a little bit. I particularly liked the fact that there were nice wheel-to-wheel battles this time. Thanks to Olaf for the great car. I know that this victory is something very special for him, because he loves this race."

Marc Lieb: "Today, we were absolutely at the limit in every stint. Only on my final stint, I could take it a little bit easier. Our drivers and mechanics have given everything throughout the weekend. I have never seen something like this race. Right away from the start, it was incredibly exciting."

Romain Dumas: "For me, it was a great weekend, especially because I received a special award as well. In Germany, the Nurburgring 24 Hours have the same standing as the Le Mans 24 Hours in France. Therefore, I am very happy that the organisers of these two big races are now working together and that spectators can buy a combined ticket for both events."

Marcel Tiemann: "I reckon that this one was the toughest of all my five wins because beating the works-Audis is something different indeed. The Audis kept the pace at a very high level. At the end, we did lap times like we did last year, in spite of the changed regulations. In terms of speed, we had to step up a little bit to catch up with the Audis. The regulations are heading into the right direction. Maybe there are still some bits and pieces that need fine-tuning. It is still too early to talk about that. It was clear that Audi would be our main opponent, but the Audis weren't that quick. We were certain that the Porsche would last 30 hours if required."

# 97 (Abt / Hemroulle / Kaffer / Luhr) Audi R8 LMS -- second place

Christian Abt: "I had been involved in the development of the Audi R8 from the very beginning. Therefore, I knew what this car is up to. I thought that playing it safe would be better, so we backed off, and as it shows, that was the right way. In order to achieve this, we discussed our driving style with each other."

Jean-Francois Hemroulle: "During the race, the car was in escellent condition. We didn't have any problems. Prior to the race, our mechanics have done a lot of work in preparing the Audi in such a good way. We were doing well with the R8 and we hade a great race out in front."

Pierre Kaffer: "I know from the past that Audi is building good cars and that Abt is preparing them in the best possible way. As we have a brand-new car, we didn't want to go the speed right away. During the night, we pushed a little bit more. But when we found out that we couldn't catch up, we shifted one gear down again."

Lucas Luhr: "When you have strong team-mates, you want to finish ahead of them, and so we did. Our team has done a great job. Now, I must be careful what I say, because our team boss is here at the table, too. Our team has done a great job. Nobody really knew whether the car would last. And we have all seen how quickly one can be out of then race. When our sister car hit trouble, you start wondering and fearing that the same might happen to us. Finishing second with a new car is a great thing. The Manthey team has done a good job, too, all these guys can be proud."

# 2 (Collard / Henzler / Lietz / Werner) Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S -- third place

Emmanuel Collard: "After our broken drive shaft, the final five hours determined our race. Eventually, it was a great weekend for Porsche and Manthey because both cars were contenders for overall victory."

Wolf Henzler: "For me, this race was something very special as this was my first 24-hour race here and I could gain a lot of experience. Incredible, so many fans around the Nordschleife. Especially the atmosphere during the night was great. Indeed, there was smoke over the track sometimes, for instance at Fuchsrohre. That was a great experience. So far, I did't know the Nordschleife that well. A big hand to the team for the great car. Manthey has done a great job."

Richard Lietz: "I wasn't in the pit box when our car had driveshaft problems. I only found out later on. But we have shown that we can go the pace to battle for first, second or third place. I am very happy with third place. Bar the driveshaft problem, our car ran trouble-free throughout the race. We didn't take any caution and got the maximum out of the car."

Dirk Werner: "235,000 fans along the Nordschleife are a great crowd. Unfortunately, one has barely time to notice the spectators while driving. I am particularly impressed by the knowledge of the fans. Being allowed to participate in this event was a great experience. Thanks to Manthey. The entire team has worked very well and made no mistakes. That was the key to success."

-credit: adac.24h

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