Double Le Mans winner Allan McNish will bid for a hat-trick of victories in the 24-hours endurance classic when he again leads Audi’s three-car assault at the famous French track on June 12/13.
The 40-year-old from Dumfries, who last won for Audi in 2008, will be partnered in his diesel-powered R15TDI by record eight-time Le Mans winner, Denmark’s Tom Kristensen, and Italian Dindo Capello.
“Winning the Le Mans 24 Hours is Audi’s main objective this year,” McNish, who also won the race with Porsche in the late Nineties and will be joined by two other Audi R15s in June’s race, admitted today.
“Audi has finished on the winner’s rostrum every year since making its Le Mans debut in 1999 but having won eight times, last year’s third place which Tom, Dindo and I achieved was an under-par performance.
“Audi and I have the same desire to go back to France this year and win but it will be a difficult challenge against Peugeot and Aston Martin.
“We’ll need to be at our top level but with Tom and Dindo in my car, plus our team-mates in the other two Audis, I know we have the best driver line-up, team personnel in the pits and car to do the job.”
McNish’s biggest threat in the 55-car field will again come from the three Peugeots driven by Austrian Alexander Wurz, and Frenchmen Nicolas Minassian and Sebastien Bourdais. The Aston Martin challenge will be led by England’s Darren Turner.
Connecticut-based Highcroft Racing will again enter its Acura in the LMP2 class, with David Brabham — who won last year with Peugeot — registered to drive. It’s expected Bathgate’s Marino Franchitti will partner the Australian.
JM