WEC
Audi Sport hour 5 report
Audi teams in third and fourth positions At the beginning of the Le Mans 24 Hour race, the Audi customer teams delivered an exciting fight against the two Bentley works cars. After five hours of racing, the Audi R8 of Audi Sport Japan Team Goh and ...
Published: Jun 15, 2003, 10:26 AM
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Audi teams in third and fourth positions
At the beginning of the Le Mans 24 Hour race, the Audi customer teams delivered an exciting fight against the two Bentley works cars. After five hours of racing, the Audi R8 of Audi Sport Japan Team Goh and Team ADT Champion Racing are running in third and fourth positions, only a short distance behind the Bentley cars.
For Audi Sport UK, the race ended just before two hours of racing. When Frank Biela wanted to enter the pitlane for his second regular pitstop, another competitor blocked his way. Biela, who had won Le Mans for three successive years, was able to avoid a collision but missed the pit entrance. Although the Frank reduced his speed to conserve fuel, the Audi R8 retired about three kilometres before the pits near the Arnage curve. "I'm deeply sorry for the team," declared Biela after his dream of a fourth Le Mans win had ended. "I'm extremely disappointed."
During the first hours of the French endurance classic, the two Audi R8 sportscars were running without a single problem. Thanks to the low fuel consumption of the Audi FSI engine, JJ Lehto took over the lead twice during the opening two hours. But due to a puncture the Audi R8 of Team ADT Champion Racing dropped back to fourth position just after 18:00 hrs. "At the exit of the second chicane I had to run around a GTS car and damaged my right rear tyre," said Lehto.
At 21:00 hrs, the best Audi was the R8 of Audi Sport Japan Team Goh with Seiji Ara, Jan Magnussen and Marco Werner. The German thrilled the spectators with a fascinating fight with the second placed Bentley.
Already before the start of the Le Mans 24 Hour race, Audi was one of the main players: In front of the crowded grandstands along the start and finish straight, the former Audi works driver Michèle Mouton presented the Audi Nuvolari quattro concept car to the fans. The Nuvolari quattro had also gathered attention the night before during the traditional drivers' parade downtown Le Mans.
-audi.de-
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