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Le Mans / ALMS
LE MANS: WEC Debrief, Shanghai
John Dagys breaks down the key storylines from the season-ending Six Hours of Shanghai...
Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer and Marcel Fassler are 2012 FIA WEC World Champions. (Photo: Audi Motorsport)
LOTTERER, TRELUYER, FASSLER ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS — While Toyota stole the headlines with its third victory of the season, it was Audi which cemented its position as World Champions in the rebirth year of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
A third place result in Sunday’s Six Hours of Shanghai for Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer and Marcel Fassler saw them bag the Drivers’ World Championship following an impressive season for the No. 1 Audi R18 e-tron quatrro.
With three victories this year, including their second consecutive win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Audi trio had the edge nearly all season over teammates Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen, who drove three different versions of the R18 over the course of the eight-round championship.
Yet unlike the Manufacturers’ World Championship, which Audi wrapped up at Silverstone in August, the drivers’ title went down to the wire, although the No. 1 crew needed only a fifth place result or higher on Sunday, no matter where McNish and Kristensen finished.
"It was not easy... but we were not under so much pressure," Lotterer admitted. "We had a good season all the way through, so we came here with some points advantage. So it was not too stressful for us.
"We had two options. In case we were competitive, go for the victory and try to beat the Toyota. But that was not an option today. I was just careful of driving the car home because that's what mattered for us.”
Lotterer, Treluyer and Fassler rewrote the history books along the way, becoming the first endurance sports car World Champions since Yannick Dalmas and Derek Warwick in 1992, the final year of the World Sports Car Championship.
And while Toyota’s mid-season entry undoubtedly played a factor in the title outcome, it was the consistency put in by Audi and its new three star drivers that delivered a championship sweep.
“It’s been a fantastic season,” Lotterer added. “[We were] just a little off in Sebring, but that was it. From then on, it was really great. We have a good partnership here. Our crew and our mechanics have really bonded with us. It’s fantastic to have this as a reward for the first World Championship. Let’s hope that next year we can be there again.”
NEVEU UPBEAT FOR 2013 — As the first season of the FIA WEC drew to a close, series’ boss Gerard Neveu and ACO President Pierre Fillon sat down with select media in Shanghai to share their thoughts on the opening year and look ahead to 2013 and beyond.
"Eight months ago... nobody knew what WEC was,” Neveu said. “Now when you speak with fans or people or read the newspaper or watch TV, most of the people understand what WEC is. It means that we've created the brand. Now, we have to continue to make the value long-term."
The championship faced an uphill battle from the onset, following Peugeot’s shock withdrawal just two months before the opening round at Sebring. Yet, even without the French manufacturers’ presence and marketing support, the WEC proved to be a considerable success.
After eight races in eight countries and on four continents, the WEC attracted more than 800,000 spectators and saw a new rivalry develop between Audi and newcomers Toyota, which surprised many by scoring three victories in the final four races.
As for next year? Neveu expects more of the same, but while nurturing the championship as it slowly grows out of its infancy.
"I think we have to... grow up,” he said. “WEC was a baby this year, its first year. Next year, as with a baby, you have to [learn] how to walk correctly. That's the second step. After that, we consider to grow. Definitely, the strategy now is to make it stronger, the position of the title and the visibility, to enforce the position of the WEC.”
With the WEC’s goal of 26 full-season entrants being exceeded this year (with an average of 28), Neveu hopes to add a few more teams for 2013 but remains realistic, especially given the current economic state and the new LMP1 regulations due in 2014.
"We have to be very modest and realistic," Neveu said. "The target is to keep the majority of the teams... We have to keep [the prototype numbers] and make sure we can have more GT cars. It means that if we have 32 or 33 cars next year, it could be a very good target for the permanent cars."
AUDI LIKELY TO ADOPT TOYOTA-STYLE REAR WING — With the ACO confirming Toyota’s innovative “wheel arch” will not be outlawed for 2013, it appears Audi will follow in designing a similar device that will enable its LMP1 contender to also effectively run a full-width rear wing.
"I think Toyota made quite an aggressive interpretation of the regulations with that rear wing,” said Dieter Gass, Head of Racing Commitments for Audi Sport. “This interpretation was ruled legal by the FIA from the start... That means we will for sure look into making modifications to our car.
"At the end of the day, if this rear wing was to be [outlawed] it [would have to have been] before it came to a race weekend. That for me was a little bit of a surprise that it was allowed in the very first place. With the way the regulations are written, and the interpretation which was done with it, it's not a surprise that it's kept on. You can interpret it like that.
"But I think in fairness, one can discuss whether that's in the spirit of the regulations or not."
PHOTOS: Six Hours of Shanghai Gallery
A third place result in Sunday’s Six Hours of Shanghai for Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer and Marcel Fassler saw them bag the Drivers’ World Championship following an impressive season for the No. 1 Audi R18 e-tron quatrro.
With three victories this year, including their second consecutive win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Audi trio had the edge nearly all season over teammates Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen, who drove three different versions of the R18 over the course of the eight-round championship.
Yet unlike the Manufacturers’ World Championship, which Audi wrapped up at Silverstone in August, the drivers’ title went down to the wire, although the No. 1 crew needed only a fifth place result or higher on Sunday, no matter where McNish and Kristensen finished.
"It was not easy... but we were not under so much pressure," Lotterer admitted. "We had a good season all the way through, so we came here with some points advantage. So it was not too stressful for us.
"We had two options. In case we were competitive, go for the victory and try to beat the Toyota. But that was not an option today. I was just careful of driving the car home because that's what mattered for us.”
Lotterer, Treluyer and Fassler rewrote the history books along the way, becoming the first endurance sports car World Champions since Yannick Dalmas and Derek Warwick in 1992, the final year of the World Sports Car Championship.
And while Toyota’s mid-season entry undoubtedly played a factor in the title outcome, it was the consistency put in by Audi and its new three star drivers that delivered a championship sweep.
“It’s been a fantastic season,” Lotterer added. “[We were] just a little off in Sebring, but that was it. From then on, it was really great. We have a good partnership here. Our crew and our mechanics have really bonded with us. It’s fantastic to have this as a reward for the first World Championship. Let’s hope that next year we can be there again.”
NEVEU UPBEAT FOR 2013 — As the first season of the FIA WEC drew to a close, series’ boss Gerard Neveu and ACO President Pierre Fillon sat down with select media in Shanghai to share their thoughts on the opening year and look ahead to 2013 and beyond.
"Eight months ago... nobody knew what WEC was,” Neveu said. “Now when you speak with fans or people or read the newspaper or watch TV, most of the people understand what WEC is. It means that we've created the brand. Now, we have to continue to make the value long-term."
The championship faced an uphill battle from the onset, following Peugeot’s shock withdrawal just two months before the opening round at Sebring. Yet, even without the French manufacturers’ presence and marketing support, the WEC proved to be a considerable success.
After eight races in eight countries and on four continents, the WEC attracted more than 800,000 spectators and saw a new rivalry develop between Audi and newcomers Toyota, which surprised many by scoring three victories in the final four races.
As for next year? Neveu expects more of the same, but while nurturing the championship as it slowly grows out of its infancy.
"I think we have to... grow up,” he said. “WEC was a baby this year, its first year. Next year, as with a baby, you have to [learn] how to walk correctly. That's the second step. After that, we consider to grow. Definitely, the strategy now is to make it stronger, the position of the title and the visibility, to enforce the position of the WEC.”
With the WEC’s goal of 26 full-season entrants being exceeded this year (with an average of 28), Neveu hopes to add a few more teams for 2013 but remains realistic, especially given the current economic state and the new LMP1 regulations due in 2014.
"We have to be very modest and realistic," Neveu said. "The target is to keep the majority of the teams... We have to keep [the prototype numbers] and make sure we can have more GT cars. It means that if we have 32 or 33 cars next year, it could be a very good target for the permanent cars."
AUDI LIKELY TO ADOPT TOYOTA-STYLE REAR WING — With the ACO confirming Toyota’s innovative “wheel arch” will not be outlawed for 2013, it appears Audi will follow in designing a similar device that will enable its LMP1 contender to also effectively run a full-width rear wing.
"I think Toyota made quite an aggressive interpretation of the regulations with that rear wing,” said Dieter Gass, Head of Racing Commitments for Audi Sport. “This interpretation was ruled legal by the FIA from the start... That means we will for sure look into making modifications to our car.
"At the end of the day, if this rear wing was to be [outlawed] it [would have to have been] before it came to a race weekend. That for me was a little bit of a surprise that it was allowed in the very first place. With the way the regulations are written, and the interpretation which was done with it, it's not a surprise that it's kept on. You can interpret it like that.
"But I think in fairness, one can discuss whether that's in the spirit of the regulations or not."
PHOTOS: Six Hours of Shanghai Gallery
Monterey
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