Marcel Fässler (CH), André Lotterer (D) and Benoît Tréluyer (F) maintain their position at the top of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with Audi. The driver trio of the number ‘7’ Audi R18 e-tron quattro took second place on the circuit at Austin, marking its fifth consecutive podium finish this year. The 2012 World Champions have been leading the drivers’ standings since the beginning of the season. For the first time this year, car number ‘8’ clinched a podium result as well.
Audi braved the heat in Texas: The brand with the four rings was the only manufacturer in the LMP1 class to bring its cars home without any setbacks. The 6-hour race started with air temperature of 34 degrees centigrade and 42 degrees on the tarmac, making maximum demands on the teams.
The technology of the two hybrid sports cars with the four rings ran reliably and the vehicles merely required fresh tires and new fuel during the pit stops. Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer were not unsettled by the understeering of their race car either and after six tough hours of racing achieved second place. The result has increased their point score in the drivers’ standings to 113, which means they have retained a ten-point advantage over the Porsche drivers Timo Bernhard/Brendon Hartley/Mark Webber, the winners of Austin.
Lucas di Grassi/Loïc Duval/Oliver Jarvis (BR/F/GB) in the second Audi R18 e-tron quattro, designated as car number ‘8,’ in third place, had secured the better grid position within the Audi squad. In the race, the driver trio maintained position three up to lap 99 when a penalty caused them to drop back.
The stewards imposed a one-minute stop-and-go penalty after a mechanic had dropped a wheel on the ground – an extremely rare mistake. Afterwards, car number ‘8’ recovered and the drivers celebrated their first podium result on seeing the checkered flag.
