Frank Biela (Infineon Audi R8#1)
“Winning the Le Mans 24 Hours three times in a row would be a dream
come true. I would rather not talk or think about it but it crosses my mind
time and time again. Probably, I will never get a chance like this again. In
the last two years, our performance was good and we also had a bit of luck
which is necessary. Maybe that will stick for a third time. But for me, as an
Audi man, the important thing is that an Audi wins. It’s almost incidental
which one. We have the task of claiming the third victory for Audi. In the past
years, we were well prepared and this year, we are at least as well
prepared. Le Mans is the most important race of the year. It puts everything
else in the shade. For me, being successful again there is ten times more
important than in any other race.”
Tom Kristensen (Infineon Audi R8 #1)
“Le Mans would not be Le Mans, when nothing unexpected occurs. Last
year, it was the torrential rain; let’s wait and see what awaits us this year.
We just have to be prepared for everything and we are – car and drivers
alike. I have won Le Mans twice in a row, but I don’t want to think about that
at all. Our goal is doing a good job. Of course, expectations are high, both
from the team and from myself. In my home country Denmark, Le Mans is
very popular. The entire race is shown live on television. And this year, there
will be even more Danish fans among the spectators than last year. I am
looking forward to Le Mans.”
Emanuele Pirro (Infineon Audi R8 #1)
“All preparations have been made to achieve a good result. But the fact that
it worked so well for us in the past two years, doesn’t mean that this will be
the case again this year. We know that we cannot make any mistakes or
have bad luck during the race. This year’s car is very, very good. Dindo has
shown this with his fastest time during the pre-practice in May. The test
results have given us important information about the set-up of the car. I
hope that it will remain dry because then we can show how big the fuel
advantage of the FSI-engine is.”
Rinaldo Capello (Infineon Audi R8 #2)
“Fourth, third, second – when you look at the sequence of my Le Mans
results, I hope for first place this time. But I also know that anything can
happen in such a long race. Any of the four Audis can win but I hope that I
am in the winning car this time and that the number two will be in front at
the end. Being able to race at Le Mans is a great thing for a driver and
doing so with the best car is a bonus. We, as drivers, are very well
prepared. Only last week, we racked up hundreds of kilometres cycling
during a fitness training camp in the Alsace. That was a good endurance
test for Le Mans.”
Johnny Herbert (Infineon Audi R8 #2)
“Le Mans is the most important sportscar race of the year, winning is very
valuable for a driver. My 1991 Le Mans victory was a little fortunate whereas
this time I’m driving the best car. I joined the Audi works team for the
Sebring 12 Hours and won the race, together with Dindo and Christian.
During the pre-event test, we set the fastest time in the closing stages. It
seems to be going well for us. But this race is unique, and we feel by no
means safe. We will be facing strong opposition, not to mention our Audi
team-mates. Anything can happen during a race that lasts 24 hours.”
Christian Pescatori (Infineon Audi R8 #2)
“I can hardly wait for the action to start. For me, Le Mans is the race of all
races. Last year, I came second on my debut for Audi - this year we will do
everything to go one better. I am optimistic that we will succeed. After all,
Dindo, Johnny and I have already won the Sebring 12 Hours and Dindo
was fastest at the pre-practice, so within the Audi camp, we are something
like the favourites. I am very well prepared for Le Mans and I have clocked
up a lot of mileage with the Infineon Audi R8, so I know the car much better
than last year.”
Michael Krumm (Infineon Audi R8 #3)
“The work that Audi has done in past years is sensational. The Infineon
Audi R8 is just perfect. As a new driver, you find your place ready and you
can just concentrate on your job: driving without any mistakes and
completing the quickest possible pit stops. All of us are very well prepared
for the race, testing was positive and we are highly motivated. Now we only
need a little bit of luck during the race.”
Philipp Peter (Infineon Audi R8 #3)
“It will be our goal to finish and, if possible, make it on the podium because
we are still lacking some experience as far as the Le Mans 24 Hours is
concerned. During the pre-practice, the traffic was especially difficult for me.
I am looking forward to the race. The interest in Austria and in the
Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, where I spend most of my time, is
immense. The frenzy around this race is even bigger than I had expected.”
Marco Werner (Infineon Audi R8 #3)
“Although the expectations for us as drivers are obviously high, we are not
putting too much pressure on ourselves. We don’t say: ‘We have to win!’
although we should be able to do so with the Infineon Audi R8. If we don’t
have any problems, a podium finish would be realistic. It is our task to
remain alert and not make any mistakes during the 24 hours. If we
succeed in doing so, we should be among the front-runners. We are still
lacking track knowledge, especially in the dark. We will make up for that in
qualifying on Wednesday and Thursday. After the last test sessions in Le
Castellet, I am very confident. I did very good lap times there. One shouldn’t
forget that I am changing from a Cup-car into the Infineon Audi R8. That is a
major change indeed, like from a small private Cessna aircraft into an F16
jet-fighter!”
Reinhold Joest (Team Director Audi Sport Team Joest)
“During the pre-practice, everything worked perfectly. We are ready for the
race. Every year, Le Mans is a new challenge. One never knows what to
expect. In the pre-practice, we got to know the new track layout and it really
suited the Infineon Audi R8. It would be nice if everything worked out so well
as in the previous years. But at Le Mans, no one can guarantee a victory,
not even with such good preparation. We have done everything that could
be done beforehand, now we just need that little bit of luck. Competing with
three cars, like in 2000, puts more pressure on the team but offers us an
additional chance. Achieving three Le Mans victories in a row would be
sensational.”
Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Sport)
“Our preparation for Le Mans has been as equally intense and detailed as
in previous years. We have been walking the proven road and are just as
focussed as ever and not dwelling on our successes. At the pre-practice in
May, our cars worked very well as they did in Le Castellet where we did
some detail work on the aerodynamics and the balance of the car on a
track that is similarly as fast as Le Mans. We have carefully developed the
successful Infineon Audi R8, we have a great team of drivers who are
particularly motivated for this race. To achieve the historic victory at Le
Mans, I also hope for some luck being able to run for 24 hours without
unsolvable problems.”
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