24h du le Mans 2011

[David Morton]

The only female Stella I know is an architect in Imola. She comes over every year to Marlow for a week or so. Brilliant cook as well as lots of fun.

 

[David Morton]

Here is the official Audi press release from morning warm up. There seems to be Audi press releases for everything.

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</TD><TD vAlign=top>Communications Motorsport
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=topKontakt vAlign=top width="50%">Jürgen Pippig
Telephone: +49 (0)841 89 34200
E-mail: [email protected]
www.audi-motorsport.info </TD><TD class=topKontakt vAlign=top width="50%">Eva-Maria Veith
Telephone: +49 (0)841 89 33922
E-mail: [email protected] </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Le Mans: Audi completes warm-up without problems


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• Audi R18 TDI on positions two, three and four
• Audi is ready for the “race of the year”
• Bernhard, Tréluyer and McNish nominated as start drivers

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Ingolstadt/Le Mans, June 11, 2011 - The three Audi R18 TDI cars of Audi Sport Team Joest have completed the warm-up for the Le Mans 24 Hours without any problems. Car number "3" is in perfect shape again as well.

After Tom Kristensen’s accident in Thursday’s qualifying the R18 TDI was completely dismantled and rebuilt. As early as on Friday afternoon the car was back on its wheels. After a brief check at the beginning of the warm-up session Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish were immediately able to drive consistently fast lap times.

All nine Audi drivers participated in the 45-minute warm-up practice - and all nine made positive comments about the handling of the Audi R18 TDI so that no major modifications will be necessary before the start of the race. The three Audi R18 TDI cars occupied positions two, three and four. The fastest laps were not completed, however, in order to be able to make the driver changes as scheduled.

At the start of the race at 3 p.m. (CEST) Timo Bernhard (#1) Benoît Tréluyer (#2) and Allan McNish (#3) will be at the wheel of the three Audi R18 TDI cars. During the race they will take turns in alphabetical order:

Audi R18 TDI #1: Timo Bernhard > Romain Dumas > Mike Rockenfeller
Audi R18 TDI #2: Benoît Tréluyer > Marcel Fässler > André Lotterer
Audi R18 TDI #3: Allan McNish > Dindo Capello > Tom Kristensen


Photographs and information available at www.audi-motorsport.info



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The Audi Group sold around 1,092,400 cars of the Audi brand in 2010. The Company posted revenue of €35,4 billion and an operating profit of €3,3 billion in 2010. Audi produces vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Györ (Hungary), Changchun (China) and Brussels (Belgium). Aurangabad in India saw the start of CKD production of the Audi A6 at the end of 2007, of the Audi A4 in early October 2008 and of the Audi Q5 in July 2010. Production of the new Audi A1 has been running at the Brussels plant since May 2010. The Company is active in more than 100 markets worldwide. AUDI AG's wholly owned subsidiaries include AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft., Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. in Sant'Agata Bolognese (Italy) and quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm. Audi currently employs around 60,000 people worldwide, including around 46,600 in Germany. Between 2011 and 2015 the brand with the four rings is planning to invest around €11 billion, mainly in new products, in order to sustain the Company's technological lead embodied in its "Vorsprung durch Technik" slogan. By 2015, Audi plans to increase the number of models in its portfolio to 42.

Audi has long been fulfilling its social responsibility on many levels - with the aim of making the future worth living for generations to come. The basis for Audi's lasting success is therefore formed by environmental protection, the conservation of resources, international competitiveness and a forward-looking human resources policy. One example of AUDI AG's commitment to environmental issues is the newly established Audi Environmental Foundation.



AUDI AG
85045 Ingolstadt
[email protected]
www.audi.com

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[David Morton]

I'm sitting here with 1 hour and 10 minutes to the start and everything is kind of quiet. Some nervous chatter on the R/T but otherwise quite calm. Rain ? Yes indeed. We will certainly have a few intervals with rain tyes in use for quite a few hours. When?
I have to figure that one out.

 

[Keith]

This must be something of a record. Both AMR's stopped after only 20 mins and already 4 laps down?

DT's last lap 12 mins?

Poor show Mr Richards, damned poor show... in fact laughable :sad:

Edit: I think they must both be out. DT in the pits and AF stuck out on the circuit somewhere going nowhere. Difficult to tell from Live Timing but that's how I read it...

 

[David Morton]

Scratch 1 Audi
Alan McNish took the safety barrier down. He's ok after a trip to the nurse.....
She is a swiss purdy young thing. I think we all would be alright if we went to her.

 

[JimmyMac]

McNish

Le Mans 24 Hour - Video: McNish survives horror crash - Yahoo! Eurosport

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

McNish

Le Mans 24 Hour - Video: McNish survives horror crash - Yahoo! Eurosport

A lot of people close to that needing a change of underwear. Lucky all good.

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

I am in touch with the pit lane and the Robertson GT...we lost full flatshift early on ...so had to go back to manual , also had a puncture....still hanging in there and flying the GT flag...

 

[David Morton]

Back from my break and another Audi gone, The driver is being kept in hosptal as a precaution.
Right - one Audi going well in P1.

 

[Keith]

I suppose they couldn't even slip Tom in the Joest car could they - not sure how the customer/factory teams work in that regards but technically I suppose Audi NA & Joest are both factory.

I think the next 12 hours is going to be tense for the lone Audi - pit crew and drivers growing very big ears!

 

[David Morton]

http://globalsportsstream.webs.com/Lemans.htm

You can watch as well as listen now.
Rather cold now at 9c and will drop another couple of degrees
by 05:00 hrs.

 

[Keith]

It's all about fuel consumption now - the Audi is the faster car, but at a price.

 

[David Morton]

OK. Quite happy with that.

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

I will take the third place for my buds at Robertsons too...a great result for a small private team....

Ford beats Ferrari ...AGAIN....

 

[John]

How do the Audi and Puegot diesels sound at Le Mans? In my neighborhood, when I hear a modified pickup truck go past, it reminds me of a Mexican bus. It's very annoying. Do the diesel race cars sound like that?

 

[Ian Anderson]

How do the Audi and Puegot diesels sound at Le Mans? In my neighborhood, when I hear a modified pickup truck go past, it reminds me of a Mexican bus. It's very annoying. Do the diesel race cars sound like that?

They are VERY quiet!
From the front you can hardly hear them coming
When they have past you it sounds like a silenced highish revving engine.
On gearchange at the Silverstone track slight bang - probably the turbo wastegate or something.

After they went out for their practice they released some of the historic cars (GT40 generation) the old timers probably 5+ times louder

IAn

 

[Thierry B]

How do the Audi and Puegot diesels sound at Le Mans? In my neighborhood, when I hear a modified pickup truck go past, it reminds me of a Mexican bus. It's very annoying. Do the diesel race cars sound like that?

yes :cry:
fisrt step diesel engine, then electric..... :cry:

nothing compares to Aston martin V12, Mclaren F1 LM, Ferrari 333SP, Panoz.... That's REAL engine sound !!!

(i'm not old enough to have ever eared Matra MS650, but one day i will go to Le mans Classic...)

 

[Mesa]

Whoa dudes!

Turbocharged 2 litre V6.... 550hp.... transverse XTRac gearbox.

Should be interesting!

I'm sorry but this thing looks like a pontoon boat with fancy paint and a sail on it from the side....yick, yick, yick.

And the Audi looks like something from a very old Buck Rogers movie....

That being said, they are frikken fast and that was a great race!
Congrats the Robertsons on their success and having the good taste to run a good looking car
And let's be thankful that although the Audis are looks challenged at least they are BOMB proof in an accident. WHEW.

 

[David Morton]

Quite tired now and ready for the drive home tomorrow morning. Good bash in the Audi garage followed by their magnificent hospitality unit afterwards. Champagne being sprayed everywhere. Thats at wrap - for another year.

 

[Thierry B]

I was talking about AMR1 (1989) :thumbsup: