The #1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro put its FIA World Endurance Championship drivers’ title assault back on track with victory in the Six Hours of Sao Paulo.
Nearly 40,000 passionate Brazilian fans packed the stands at Interlagos to provide a fantastic atmosphere for the race which saw the reigning World Champions Benoit Treluyer, Marcel Fassler and Andre Lotterer take their second win of the year, reducing the gap to their team-mates in the #2 Audi at the top of the championship standings.
“This is a case of mission accomplished, but it wasn’t an easy weekend as Interlagos is a difficult track, even if we have seen a lot of progress in our car compared to last year,” said Treluyer. “The team has made great strides, as shown by our pole position ahead of Toyota, who beat us in last year’s race.
“We were a bit quicker early on but felt they may have opted for a different strategy. It’s a shame that they had problems as the contest looked set to be very exciting. The most important thing is that we secured strong points for the championship and gave it our all, but we cannot be completely satisfied when our opponents have these sorts of problems. From around half-distance, when our sister car encountered a small issue, we only had to avoid contact and finish the race. It’s always a bit disappointing to win like this, but the result is nevertheless very significant.”
The #2 Audi of Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish and Loic Duval now hold a 22 point lead over the reigning champions, with four rounds remaining, beginning with the 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas on the 22nd September.
