Audi was strong in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) finale, but not strong enough. Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer (CH/D/F) are world championship runners-up for the third time in succession. In the end, the Audi driver trio came up short by only five points of clinching its second World Championship title after 2012.
In one of the season’s most thrilling WEC races, the brand with the four rings dominated the action in the early stage. Initially, Lucas di Grassi (BR) in the number ‘8’ Audi R18 e-tron quattro led the race, trailed in second place by the sister car. In these positions, Audi was heading for the title, as the Porsche of its championship rival had lost ground. However, when Loïc Duval (F) in the number ‘8’ Audi lost eight laps due to a brake disc defect, the tide turned. Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer battled up to the end of the race and saw the checkered flag in second place, while Timo Bernhard/Brendon Hartley/Mark Webber only needed fifth place for Porsche to win the title. Lucas di Grassi/Loïc Duval/Oliver Jarvis achieved sixth place.
Still, Audi’s track record remains positive. Following the first four years of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the brand with the four rings continues to be the most successful manufacturer. 15 of the 32 race wins went to the Audi R18. No other manufacturer has such a high win rate in the LMP1 class. In addition, Audi has won two of the four driver world championships since 2012, as well as two of four manufacturers’ titles. An Audi driver trio is holding a record as well. Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer, in addition to a world championship title, have celebrated ten overall victories to date – in other words they have won 31.3 percent of all races, more than any other driver has. In the 2015 season, they clinched a podium place in all the rounds, a feat that has not been achieved by any other driver team.
Race results
1 Dumas/Jani/Lieb (Porsche) 199 laps
2 Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro) +1m 25.310s
3 Conway/Sarrazin/Wurz (Toyota) –3 laps
4 Buemi/Davidson/Nakajima (Toyota) –3 laps
5 Bernhard/Hartley/Webber (Porsche) –9 laps
6 Di Grassi/Duval/Jarvis (Audi R18 e-tron quattro) –11 laps
7 Bird/Canal/Rusinov (Ligier-Nissan) –16 laps
8 Bradley/Howson/Tandy (Oreca-Nissan) –16 laps
9 Derani/Gonzalez/Yacaman (Ligier-Nissan) –17 laps
10 Chatin/Dillmann/Panciatici (Alpine-Nissan) –17 laps
