Tom Kristensen on Audi wins Le Mans 24 Hours for a record ninth time

It was one of those victories, where euphoric victory feelings are damped and celebrated in an almost silent mode. The Danish flags were hanging at half-mast over the podium, as a standing ovation was held before the victory ceremony in memory of the Allan Simonsen, the Aston Martin driver who died after crashing only a few minutes of the start of the 90th anniversary Le Mans race.

Audi driver Tom Kristensen, Denmark's greatest racing driver told the audience, that he had first intended to pay tribute to his father but the first race fatality in 27 years at the famous Le Mans endurance race, forced him to transform the plan completely.

Tom Kristensen said that his father can wait for the next victory, with a voice laden with exhaustion and emotion after the final stint to the finish line. "This victory today I dedicate to Allan Simonsen, a great fellow Dane."

The muted win, after a race interrupted with safety car periods on a wet weekend before the sun came out at the final stages of the race, was Audi's fourth in succession and 12th in a dominant 14 years.
Danish Audi driver Tom Kristensen, whose last Le Mans success was with Audi back in 2008, shared the number two car with British racing driver Allan McNish - now a three times winner - and local race driver Loic Duval, who made his first appearance on the top step.

"Three's a much nicer number than two, especially when it's at Le Mans," said Audi driver Alain McNish, whose Audi R18 e-tron quattro diesel hybrid had started from pole position.

His 45-year-old team mate was already the most successful driver in Le Mans history, having surpassed Jacky Ickx's tally in 2005. The two greats embraced on the podium in a clinch laden with gloom.
Toyota finished as runners-up in the 81st running of the endurance classic with their number eight car driven by French driver Stephane Sarrazin, British driver Anthony Davidson and Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi finishing one lap behind the winners.

The result of the British Toyota driver provided an ego kick and a feel good effect with Anthony Davidson stepping onto the podium a year after he broke his back in a huge crash at Le Mans. His comeback was much swifter than the comeback of Formula 1 Scuderia Ferrari driver Felipe Massa, who took ages to find back to his form after the horrendous crash, which took place, during the qualifying session of the 2009 Hungarian Formula 1 Grand Prix.

"This time last year I was lying on my back in Le Mans hospital," he said. "I felt like a needed a bit of luck this time. This race has been so cruel to me so many times."
Anthony Davidson also paid tribute to Allan Simonsen, an old rival he first raced against in go-karts back in 1996.

"It's very hard, especially with what happened to me last year, to fight my own demons and carry on driving," said the Briton. "It's sad, sad news and it puts everything into perspective."
Audi's number three car took the final podium place with Spanish driver Marc Gene, British driver Oliver Jarvis and Brazilian driver Lucas Di Grassi.

Toyota took fourth place while the number one Audi finished fifth, denying a third win in a row for German driver Andre Lotterer, Swiss driver Marcel Fassler and French driver Benoit Treluyer.
Most of the first hour of the race was behind the safety car before racing renewed in a battle between Audi and Toyota that lasted through the night and into the dawn.

The number one Audi suffered a knockout blow at the quarter distance when a problem with the motor generator kept the car in the pits for 43 minutes before it returned to the track in 24th place and 12 laps behind.

The number three Audi also hit problems, dropping to fourth place where it remained through the night after limping back to the pits with a right rear puncture and then also requiring repairs in the garage.
Simonsen's Aston Martin team had vowed to carry on and win their GTE Am class in a tribute to the 34-year-old and at the request of his grieving family but destiny had another say with Porsche taking that honor.

"The whole team pushed because they wanted to get the win as a tribute for Allan but a series of small incidents, small accidents, small mistakes and we did not quite achieve it," said Aston Martin boss David Richards.

Porsche celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Porsche 911 sports car by taking home its 100th class victory. This past weekend, the 24 hours of Le Mans brought many successes for the team including a double victory in the LMGTE Pro category and a LMGTE Am win. An all-American trio that included Hollywood actor Patrick Dempsey (his first Le Mans race) finished a solid 4th in the Amateur class too.

The GTE-Pro class win of Dumas/Lieb/Lietz in the 911 RSR and the GTE-Am class win of Narrac/Bourret/Vernay in the 911 GT3 RSR brought Porsche's continued success to 99 and 100 class wins in motorsports. This makes Porsche the team to beat, attaining twice the victories in half the time.

"With the 99th and 100th class win and the double victory of the new 911 RSR, this Le Mans 24 hour race was a magnificent success for Porsche. I very much congratulate all those who have contributed. Our joy, however, is also mixed with sadness and shock at the death of Allan Simonsen. We have not only lost a passionate racer, but also a good friend of the Porsche motorsport family. He contested his first Le Mans 24 Hours in 2007 with a Porsche. With our works driver Marc Lieb in 2005, he contested two races of the Le Mans Endurance Series in a Porsche as well. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family as well as the Aston Martin squad and his teammates at this difficult time," stated Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Porsche AG.

The most recent fatality connected with the race was Frenchman Sebastien Enjolras, killed during pre-qualifying in 1997, but the last to die during the race was Austrian Jo Gartner in 1986 driving a Porsche 962 due to a mechanical failure.

Le Mans, the scene of motor racing's deadliest accident when at least 80 people died and scores more were injured in a 1955 disaster, ranks with Indianapolis and Monaco as one of the sport's great events.

AE
Le Mans - Dubai
24.06.2013