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From press release
Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer strengthened their challenge for the lead of the World Endurance Drivers Championship by taking the No.1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro to victory in the 6 Hours of Sao Pãulo, the fourth round of 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship.
Despite unexpectedly losing a wheel in the fourth hour and suffering further delays, the No.2 driven by Kristensen, McNish and Duval maintained second place overall and finished one lap ahead of the only other LMP1 finisher, the Privateer entry of Rebellion Racing. The No.12 Lola Toyota of Nick Heidfeld, Nicolas Prost and Mathias Beche finished two laps behind the Audi 1-2 after having a trouble-free and unchallenged run from start to finish.
Toyota Racing's challenge for the LMP Manufacturers World Championship received an early blow when the No.8 Toyota TS030 of Stéphane Sarrazin was an innocent victim in a collision with the No. 32 Lotus. The car was heavily damaged after crashing into the barriers and, despite his best efforts, the Frenchman was unable to rejoin and the car was forced to retire after just 35 minutes of the 6-hour race.
McNish-Kristensen-Duval now have 112 points in the World Endurance Drivers Championship standings, with today's 6 Hours of Sao Paulo winners on 90 points, and Audi has extended its lead in the World Endurance Manufacturers Championship to 128 points against Toyota Racing's 67.
In LMP2 the No.26 G-Drive Racing ORECA 03 Nissan of Roman Rusinov, Mike Conway and John Martin had a faultless race from flag to flag, and crossed the finish line a lap ahead of their nearest class rivals, the No. 35 OAK Racing Morgan Nissan of Bertrand Baguette, Ricardo Gonzalez and Martin Plowman.
In GTE class, the No.51 Ferrari 458 Italia of Gianmaria Bruni and Giancarlo Fisichella was involved in a nose-to-tail battle for the 6 Hours of São Paulo with the No. 97 Aston Martin Vantage of Darren Turner and Stefan Mücke. Just 1.4 seconds separated the two cars at the end of 6 hours of hard racing and the result for both partly compensated for the misfortune of their different Pro team mates. The No. 71 AF Corse Ferrari was involved in a spectacular conflagration which destroyed the rear end of the 458 Italia - driver Toni Vilander was lucky to escape unharmed in any way - and the No.99 of local hero Bruno Senna and Rob Bell was caught up in another car's spin across the track which subsequently damaged its rear suspension beyond repair.
In LMGTE Am, Aston Martin Racing was able to claim a much deserved class victory, the No.96 Vantage V8 of Jamie Campbell-Walter and Stuart Hall crossing the finish line one lap ahead of the No. 81 Star Motorsport Ferrari 458 Italia of Enzo Potolicchio, Rui Aguas and Davide Rigon, the young Italian making an assured debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Porsche was the third manufacturer to mount the podium in the category, the No.88 Proton Competition Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of Christian Ried, Gianluca Roda and Paulo Ruberti taking third place.
Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer strengthened their challenge for the lead of the World Endurance Drivers Championship by taking the No.1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro to victory in the 6 Hours of Sao Pãulo, the fourth round of 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship.
Despite unexpectedly losing a wheel in the fourth hour and suffering further delays, the No.2 driven by Kristensen, McNish and Duval maintained second place overall and finished one lap ahead of the only other LMP1 finisher, the Privateer entry of Rebellion Racing. The No.12 Lola Toyota of Nick Heidfeld, Nicolas Prost and Mathias Beche finished two laps behind the Audi 1-2 after having a trouble-free and unchallenged run from start to finish.
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| Photo: Audi Motorsport |
Toyota Racing's challenge for the LMP Manufacturers World Championship received an early blow when the No.8 Toyota TS030 of Stéphane Sarrazin was an innocent victim in a collision with the No. 32 Lotus. The car was heavily damaged after crashing into the barriers and, despite his best efforts, the Frenchman was unable to rejoin and the car was forced to retire after just 35 minutes of the 6-hour race.
McNish-Kristensen-Duval now have 112 points in the World Endurance Drivers Championship standings, with today's 6 Hours of Sao Paulo winners on 90 points, and Audi has extended its lead in the World Endurance Manufacturers Championship to 128 points against Toyota Racing's 67.
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| Photo: Audi Motorsport |
In LMP2 the No.26 G-Drive Racing ORECA 03 Nissan of Roman Rusinov, Mike Conway and John Martin had a faultless race from flag to flag, and crossed the finish line a lap ahead of their nearest class rivals, the No. 35 OAK Racing Morgan Nissan of Bertrand Baguette, Ricardo Gonzalez and Martin Plowman.
In GTE class, the No.51 Ferrari 458 Italia of Gianmaria Bruni and Giancarlo Fisichella was involved in a nose-to-tail battle for the 6 Hours of São Paulo with the No. 97 Aston Martin Vantage of Darren Turner and Stefan Mücke. Just 1.4 seconds separated the two cars at the end of 6 hours of hard racing and the result for both partly compensated for the misfortune of their different Pro team mates. The No. 71 AF Corse Ferrari was involved in a spectacular conflagration which destroyed the rear end of the 458 Italia - driver Toni Vilander was lucky to escape unharmed in any way - and the No.99 of local hero Bruno Senna and Rob Bell was caught up in another car's spin across the track which subsequently damaged its rear suspension beyond repair.
In LMGTE Am, Aston Martin Racing was able to claim a much deserved class victory, the No.96 Vantage V8 of Jamie Campbell-Walter and Stuart Hall crossing the finish line one lap ahead of the No. 81 Star Motorsport Ferrari 458 Italia of Enzo Potolicchio, Rui Aguas and Davide Rigon, the young Italian making an assured debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Porsche was the third manufacturer to mount the podium in the category, the No.88 Proton Competition Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of Christian Ried, Gianluca Roda and Paulo Ruberti taking third place.