For Lucas di Grassi, the challenge is huge, to succeed Allan McNish, a highly popular driver and triple winner of the 24 Hours. But he had already experienced such a situation in 2012. That year, he joined the Scots and Tom Kristensen at the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo, replacing another pillar of Audi history, himself a three-time victor in La Sarthe : Dindo Capello, also retired. He knew how to rise to the occasion by finishing third at home. A result he repeated during his first appearance at Le Mans in 2013, with the Spaniard Marc Gené (winner of the 24 Hours in 2009) and the Brit Oliver Jarvis. The 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) was particularly successful for Brazil thanks to Lucas di Grassi and also Bruno Senna. Factory driver for Aston Martin Racing, the latter won in the LM GTE Pro class (to which must be added the pole position in the Le Mans class, taken by his teammate Frédéric Makowiecki) and another in the LM GTE Am class.

Let us remember that the organizer of the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo, the closing round of the 2014 World Championship, is none other than Emerson Fittipaldi, the first Brazilian Formula 1 World Champion (1972 and 74) and two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 (1989 and 93). Though he has never raced in Le Mans, his nephew Christian has competed three times at the 24 Hours. The latter also made history two weeks ago by winning the 24 Hours of Daytona, the inaugural race of the Tudor United SportsCar Championship, the new American endurance series. For his second victory in Florida (the first was in 2004), he was partnered with Le Mans native Sébastien Bourdais and Joao Barbosa of Portugal. After accumulating eight titles in Formula 1 and six victories at Indianapolis, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and endurance racing remain territory for Brazilian drivers to conquer. Today everything seems aligned for them to write new empassioned chapters in the already remarkable motorsports history of the "country-continent" of  South America.

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO

The third round of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the 24 Hours of Le Mans, will take place June 14-15, 2014 (ticket information). Invited teams will be announced at a press conference Thursday, February 13th in Paris.

Photo : LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, THURSDAY JUNE 20 2013, QUALIFYING. With his talent and status within Audi, Lucas di Grassi, at almost thirty, has all the assets to be a true pioneer in Brazilian endurance racing of the early 21st century.