Peugeot celebrated an emotional and dominant 1-2 when the chequered flag fell at the end of the 2009 Le Mans 24-Hours race in glorious sunshine. But while the massive partisan crowd celebrated, Scot Allan McNish reflected on his own disappointment.
“We came here to win, so there’s no denying I feel disappointed,” the 39-year-old from Dumfries, who won in 2008 but this year battled with his recalcitrant Audi R15TDI to finish a distant third, admitted today.
“We came here with a brand new car which we believed would be enough to maintain our dominance of what is the world’s biggest endurance race, but unfortunately it didn’t work out that way.”
The Audi’s biggest problem was caused by an overheating turbocharger which caused the car to spend long time in the pits throughout the night, eventually slipping the team seven laps behind the lead Peugeots.
“Le Mans was our primary target this year in what has been a restricted race programme,” McNish, who was partnered by Dane Tom Kristensen and Italian Dindo Capello, continued.
“We have to remember this was the first time this car has run a full 24-hour race under competitive conditions and unfortunately we developed a series of niggling problems, including having to have a new steering wheel fitted.
“We know that to win the race you need to have a flawless, trouble-free 24-hours and sadly we didn’t have it this year. It’s tough for us at Audi, having won eight of the last 10 races, but all good winning runs have to come to an end at some time.
“Of course we congratulate Peugeot because they have done a good race. But what’s important is they have to realise we will come back next year bigger, stronger and even more determined to win the Le Mans 24-Hours.”
But while McNish and his Audi crew came to terms with their disappointment, it was party time at Peugeot, the car manufacturer which received 3.8 billion euros in backing by the French government in January and finally won at its third time of asking.
Ironically while it was an all-French crew in the second-placed car, it was a Spaniard, Marc Gene, who drove the No.9 Peugeot turbo-diesel 908 Hdi across the finish line to take the French team’s first win since 1993.
Gene — the first Spanish winner since 1935 — partnered by Aussie David Brabham and Austrian Alex Wurz, led throughout the final stages after team bosses controversially ordered team-mates Sebastien Bourdais, Franck Montagny and Stephane Sarrazin to hold station with three hours remaining.
The all-French No.8 car, which started the race from pole position, had led comfortably before it lost 10 minutes — and two 8.5-mile laps — during the night having repairs carried out to its suspension.
“We didn’t want to jeopardise the win by having both our cars race each other too intently towards the end,” Peugeot race director Olivier Quesnel explained. “Winning for Peugeot and France is what mattered; it didn’t matter which Peugeot won, as long as we won.”
McNish meanwhile displayed the togetherness which unifies the world’s best sportscar drivers by sharing a celebratory hug with his friend and archrival David Brabham, whose brother Jeff won with Peugeot in 1993.
“David drove the perfect race,” McNish said. “We’ve raced against each other on numerous occasions in the States and we’re old mates. I know how special it feels to win the Le Mans 24-Hours, and David is a deserved winner this year; but we’ll be back next year.”
JM