I have been looking forward to Audi’s official recap video of the 2010 running of the 24 hours of Le Mans race in which Audi Motorsport swept the podium with a 1-2-3 victory. I was there, and the emotion that was in the air couldn’t possibly be captured on video. However, Audi has done a superb job attempting to bring viewers into the emotional and excitement that surrounds the race. I’ll let the video itself do the rest of the talking. Click full screen and turn up the volume. If you look close, you might see me a few times in the background!
My favorite quote at the end of the video sums it up nicely.
“Le Mans is never the achievement of a single individual. We win together or we lose together…. WE WIN”
Ingolstadt, May 22, 2010 – In a weekly column Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen gives some exclusive insights behind the scenes of the world’s most famous endurance race and the preparation by Audi Sport Team Joest.
“Just two more weeks and I’ll have to pack my suitcases for Le Mans. The race of the year is coming closer with giant steps.
I clearly remember my first Le Mans race in 1997. At that time, I received a call from Ralf Jüttner just a few days before the event. I neither knew the car nor the track, so I started to explore it jogging around it after my arrival. Nevertheless, I won right away togehter with Michele Alboreto and Stefan Johansson. That was the beginning of my great love of Le Mans. Since then, I’ve won the race eight times and will be contesting this unique event for as much as the 14th time this year. Continue reading ‘Tom Kristensen’s exclusive Le Mans Countdown – Part 12′
It is not often that a team would be dissapointed with a podium finish, but the members of Team Joest are left wondering what might have been had the race not been cut short by a power outage and effected by wild weather. The Le Mans dress rehearsal at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) was quite turbulent indeed. The traditional 1000-kilometer race had to be suspended for almost 40 minutes just before half-distance due to a power outage. In addition, rain showers made conditions extremely difficult and caused numerous incidents. Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish led in their Audi R15 TDI for many laps, but had to settle for third place following an unlucky tire call during the closing stages.
