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Le Mans / ALMS
LE MANS: Gene To Sub For Bernhard At Spa
Audi's latest signing to serve as reserve driver, fills in for injured Timo Bernhard at Spa...
Marc Gene has joined Audi Sport as its latest reserve driver and will fill in for the injured Timo Bernhard at Spa. (Photo: LAT)
Marc Gene has become the latest Peugeot refugee to land a top prototype ride. The Spaniard was confirmed Tuesday as Audi's new reserve driver, joining the factory squad for next month's Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps as a substitute for Timo Bernhard, who is still recovering from a back injury.
The 2009 Le Mans winner will share the wheel of the No. 3 Audi R18 Ultra with Romain Dumas and Loic Duval for the upcoming FIA World Endurance Championship round, while also acting as a stand-by driver for the team's four-car assault at the 24-hour French classic in June.
"At our first meetings I immediately had the impression that Marc will blend well with our sports car squad," said Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "We very quickly reached an agreement.
"It’s very unfortunate that Timo Bernhard won’t be able to compete for us at the second WEC round at Spa as planned. At the same time, I’m pleased to see his recovery making significant progress. That’s why we’re sticking to our original plan of having him run at the Le Mans 24 Hours."
Gene follows in the footsteps of Lucas Luhr and Marco Bonanomi in becoming an Audi reserve driver. The 38-year-old had been with Peugeot since the inception of the 908 factory program in 2007 but was left on the sidelines following the French manufacturers' shock withdrawal in January.
Bernhard recently flew home to Germany after spending a lengthened vacation in Florida after sustaining a fracture to his cervical vertebrae from a high-speed testing accident at Sebring in March.
According to Ullrich, Bernhard will return to the wheel of the No. 3 car for Le Mans.
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
The 2009 Le Mans winner will share the wheel of the No. 3 Audi R18 Ultra with Romain Dumas and Loic Duval for the upcoming FIA World Endurance Championship round, while also acting as a stand-by driver for the team's four-car assault at the 24-hour French classic in June.
"At our first meetings I immediately had the impression that Marc will blend well with our sports car squad," said Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "We very quickly reached an agreement.
"It’s very unfortunate that Timo Bernhard won’t be able to compete for us at the second WEC round at Spa as planned. At the same time, I’m pleased to see his recovery making significant progress. That’s why we’re sticking to our original plan of having him run at the Le Mans 24 Hours."
Gene follows in the footsteps of Lucas Luhr and Marco Bonanomi in becoming an Audi reserve driver. The 38-year-old had been with Peugeot since the inception of the 908 factory program in 2007 but was left on the sidelines following the French manufacturers' shock withdrawal in January.
Bernhard recently flew home to Germany after spending a lengthened vacation in Florida after sustaining a fracture to his cervical vertebrae from a high-speed testing accident at Sebring in March.
According to Ullrich, Bernhard will return to the wheel of the No. 3 car for Le Mans.
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
Monterey
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