Audi's one and two victory in the desert heat of Bahrain

By: Hassan Siddiqi

September 30,2012

6 min read

493

Audi Triumphs at the Challenging 6-Hour Race in Bahrain

Benoît Tréluyer Audi One-Two Victory in Bahrain Audi R18 Victorious in Tough Conditions

Race Overview

It was the toughest 6-hour race of the year so far. At the beginning of the race, air temperatures were at 34 degrees with a track temperature of 45. The five drivers, the two hybrid race cars, and Audi Sport Team Joest were exposed to extreme strains and showed flawless performances. The race, which started at 16:00 local time, was predominantly held in the dark. In the end, Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer, and Benoît Tréluyer enjoyed an advantage of one lap, celebrating their third victory of the season after Le Mans and Silverstone.

Performance Highlights

The second Audi R18 e-tron quattro had every chance of clinching victory as well. Allan McNish defended the lead in the early phase after starting from pole position. Soon, a battle with Toyota ensued. The Japanese team led the race until stopping for a repair and ultimately retired after a collision. Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish faced minor setbacks, including:

On lap 25, a defective headlight forced the number “2” Audi to make its first unscheduled stop.
A damaged valve on the left rear tire required another unscheduled stop on lap 89.
Lighting problems necessitated changing the hood two more times on laps 115 and 117.

Hybrid Technology's Success

Audi’s hybrid technology proved extremely viable in the rough ambient conditions, securing its third victory. For the first time since Le Mans, Audi fielded two R18 e-tron quattro cars to afford its two driver squads optimal equality of opportunity in the battle for the title. The gap between the two teams increased from 7.5 points before the race in Bahrain to 13.5 after the event.

However, with 52 points still to be awarded in the remaining races in Japan and China, the battle for the title in the drivers’ championship remains open. The WEC will make its Japan debut with the seventh round of the season at Fuji on October 14.

Quotes After the Race

Ralf Jüttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Team Joest)

“The race didn’t seem to me like a 6-hour race but like 24 hours because there was so much happening. For the drivers, it was extremely rough. We once tried a double stint with André (Lotterer) but realized that that was really pushing the limits. That’s why we opted for shorter stints again, with respect to the drivers as well as the tires. That was exactly the right decision. Positions one and two are sensational. Getting both cars to finish without heat-induced problems is really a solid achievement.”

André Lotterer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1)

“First and second place is a top result for Audi. In the beginning, it wasn’t an easy race for me. I drove a double stint and managed to catch up with the Toyota again. I was able to close the gap to twelve seconds but was very exhausted then. We exerted pressure, and maybe our rivals took a higher risk as a result, ultimately retiring due to a mistake. It went superbly. A brilliant performance by the team and by my team-mates.”

Allan McNish (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2)

“Congratulations to Audi on positions one and two in Bahrain. That was a hot race not only with respect to the temperatures. In the beginning, we had a temperature problem on the rear brakes. In addition, we lost a lot of time due to changing the front body parts. But in the end, we drove good times again, although the gap to the sister car was already too large. Of course, that’s a bit disappointing when you start from pole. Now we’re concentrating on Japan.”