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Race report
Stuttgart. Mission accomplished:
No other brand has managed to win the world’s toughest endurance race so many times and is connected that closely to the myth of Le Mans. The previous win was also a one-two – back in 1998 when Allan McNish (GBR), Laurent Aiello (FRA) and Stéphane Ortelli (MC) finished first in their
Matthias Müller, CEO
Wolfgang Hatz, Member of Board for research and Development
At the 83rd Le Mans 24-Hours all the systems of this highly complex race car were tested to their limits. Because of the very tight competition, especially between the
The winning number 19 prototype had started third on the grid, and for a short time at the beginning even dropped down the order to eighth before settling in sixth for a longer period. Of all things, it is the rookie crew that won the monstrous classic. Neither Formula One driver Nico Hülkenberg, who had the joy of being in the car at the most emotional moments of the race, being the start and the finish driver, nor Earl Bamber brought Le Mans experience with them. Nick Tandy, the third driver of the winning trio, had at least done two Le Mans 24-Hours for
In the early stages of the men and machine stressing marathon the number 17
The crew of the third
Fritz Enzinger, Vice President LMP1: “It is an incredible achievement to win Le Mans in only our second attempt since
Andreas Seidl, Team Principal: “It is hard to find words because it is just so difficult to believe we have done that. It is a fantastic reward for the tough work the team did here on the race track and back home in Weissach over the last three and a half years. We knew we were a lot better prepared than last year, but no way could we expect this result. We didn’t benefit from any situations, but were on a winning level in every regard - be it the mechanics in the garage or the engineers doing the strategy. The pit stops were outstanding. The drivers were sensational. Congratulations to the three winning guys.”
Alexander Hitzinger, Technical Director LMP1: “We are really happy now. It is an incredible feeling to win in Le Mans and one that you cannot describe with words. I am especially satisfied for the team, which has put so much passion and hard work into this project. We have achieved such a great development over the last two years and this one-two result is the reward for it.”
Timo Bernhard (car number 17): “Hats off for what our mates in the number 19 car have done – great job, great race. We were doing well, but never made up for the delay that the penalty caused. Regarding my brief excursion into the gravel bed: Everyone has agreed that the slower cars stay on the racing line, but this guy decided to change his line without notice. To avoid contact I had to run wide and ran through the gravel bed. Nothing serious happened though, but this kind of incident can cause a lot of trouble. But that’s racing and the track is there for all of us.”
Brendon Hartley (car number 17): “On the final lap I had tears in my eyes. We have all been working so hard for this result. Stepping onto the podium was a dream come true. It is unbelievable. I’m very proud that two
Mark Webber (car number 17): “The guys in the number 19 car did a great job. All three of them were exceptional for 24 hours. Especially at night, the number 19 was quick. It is a big day for
Romain Dumas (car number 18): “That is a great success for
Neel Jani (car number 18): “It wasn’t the race for the crew of number 18 today, but we finished and at least took some championship points with us. For
Marc Lieb (car number 18): “This is a great day for the entire team and for
Earl Bamber (car number 19): “It feels incredible. I have enjoyed every single stint. It is been a long, long day to drive in the evening and then again in the morning. I just had a very short break. But I am not tired at all – I am pumped up on adrenalin now. I thought I would have heard strange noises in the car. But, of course, you fancy every kind of noise if you are on your way to win Le Mans.”
Nico Hülkenberg (car number 19): “I enjoyed every moment, these cars are great fun to drive and then to be on a huge track like this one. The pace was really high, and not what you would expect from endurance racing. Especially at night when the temperatures came down a bit, the car was fantastic to drive. Of course, I didn’t think I would come here and rock ’n’ roll this race, this would be silly because there are so many challenges in that race. However, we did it and we did it together.”
Nick Tandy (car number 19): “This is such a fantastic day. It is hard to get it to sink in that I’m now a Le Mans winner with
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Tous les rapports de course de la saison précédente peuvent être trouvés dans nos archives.