Audi celebrated the 106th victory of an LMP race car in the company’s history at Silverstone. Quotes following the victorious season opener
of the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): “This was a race that remained a thriller up until the checkered flag. The first fielding of the new Audi R18 resulted in both the first pole position and the first victory. This entailed a huge effort by the whole team. The result was the greatest way of thanking everyone who had worked so hard. We’re very happy about this result. At the same time, the retirement of number ‘8’ showed that there’s still a lot of work for us to be done.”
Ralf Jüttner (Team Director Audi Sport Team Joest): “Like last year, we again experienced a thriller atSilverstone. It was extremely close. At the same time, Porsche, Toyota and us suffered some setbacks. I’m happy that our number ‘7’ got through the race without any issues whatsoever and won with a strong driver squad. The mechanics of the number ‘8’ in the final stage helped with the sister car because we knew how close it would be. The trophy is a sweet reward for some strenuous months. We have to continue to work intensively but following a success like this it’ll be a little easier.”
Marcel Fässler (Audi R18 #7): “What a riveting race. And the traffic on track made everything even more unpredictable. I was always informed about the time gap with the Porsche that was chasing me. I managed to control the advantage well because the way our Audi R18 felt was awesome. A huge ‘thank you’ goes to our trackside squad, as well as to our employees in Neuburg and Neckarsulm. This is their success, too.”
André Lotterer (Audi R18 #7): “When you win you arguably had the best car as well.But we also recognize how fast the number ‘1’ Porsche was today. I’m happy that our car was running so impeccably. That provides our engineers with a boost. Obviously, there’s still some more work to be done, as the retirement of our sister car has unfortunately shown. Still, the entire squad can be happy about this initial success.”
Benoît Tréluyer (Audi R18 #7): “For us, this was the best way to open a season as you can imagine.The team’s victory is a tremendous success. However, our sister car’s misfortune was a shame. But in spite of this we again saw the great sporting spirit that exists at Audi and in Audi Sport Team Joest. They all work towards achieving a goal and support each other – such as the mechanics of the number ‘8’ who helped us today. The new Audi R18 is great fun. That gives you a relaxed feeling in the cockpit.”
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