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From YourSITE.com Motorsport News
Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner scored a landmark victory in the 2006 Le Mans 24 Hours this afternoon in front of 235,000 spectators who had the privilege of seeing motor sport history in the making. Audi has effectively succeeded in its bold bid to win the world's most demanding endurance race with diesel technology. And Michelin rose to the challenge in style to join its partner on the top of the podium, its ninth consective victory at Le Mans. The French tyre firm was also successful in the LMGT1 category with Chevrolet Corvette and in LMP2 with the RML-run Lola. Michelin runners monopolised the top thriteen places at the finish. Rising to major technological challenges has always been an integral part of motor sport, and more especially perhaps in the world of endurance racing and the Le Mans 24 Hours. This fact only serves to reinforce the impact of what Audi and its longstanding tyre partner Michelin have acheived this weekend in the world's toughest but also the most famous long distance race. The idea of racing a diesel-powered prototype at Le Mans germinated some three years ago, yet the car only existed in virtual form on the German carmaker's simulation and CAD-CAM software until as recently as its official launch at the end of 2005. For Michelin, the challenge began when Audi took Michelin Competition into its confidence mid-2003. Since then, the firm's competition, research and development staff have been busy working on advanced new tyres capable of coping with the V12 diesel's exceptional power and torque characteristics, as well as working harmoniously with the configuration of the R10's chassis and aerodynamics. "A big bravo has to go to everyone at Audi Sport Team Joest which today pulled off its bid to win Le Mans with diesel power," said Frédéric Henry-Biabaud, Competition Director of the Michelin Group. "At Michelin, we are extremely proud to have worked at its sides throughout this exciting adventure. The timing of the programme was respected to the letter, from the new tyres' initial design to our first tests together and our wins at Sebring in March and here today at Le Mans where the objective was always for the R10s to cover triple stints with the same tyres." The no-nonsense victory of the N°8 Audi (Biela/Pirro/Werner) at Le Mans this afternoon effectively speaks volumes for the ground covered in the interim, a result compounded by the presence on the podium of the N°7 sister R10 (3rd, Capello/Kristensen/McNish) and the N°17 Pescarolo (2nd, Hélary/Loeb/Montagny) which were both competing on the same tyres. "We didn't have the slightest problem with tyres all weekend," beamed the N°8 Audi driver Marco Werner at the finish. "Michelin has produced a genuine exploit by enabling us to triple stint despite the hot weather. Bravo, Michelin, and my sincerest congratulations to them for all their tremedous work both before and during the race." The N°8 Audi inherited the lead shortly prior to the four-hour mark on Saturday evening before producing a near-faultless run to take the flag four laps clear of the Pescarolo which remained on its heels throughout, not once permitting the German and Italian driver line-up to relax an instant. Meanwhile, the N°7 Audi fought back from 15th overall at one point after a series of incidents to clinch the bronze medal and, in the process, a new lap record for the 13.65km circuit (3m 31.211s, an average of 232.658 kph). In addition to monopolising the top-twelve places at the finish, Michelin runners also starred in three of the four official categories: in the LMP1 class of course with Audi and Pescarolo, but also in LMGT1 (top seven places) in which the N°64 Corvette C6R (Gavin/Beretta/Magnussen) finally got the better of its Aston Martin rivals. Finally, there was also a trophy for Michelin's partners in the LMP2 category with the N°25 MG Lola of Erdos/Newton/Wallace (9th overall, and second consecutive LMP2 win).
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