Since 2000, it has been a tradition for Audi: each new prototype wins at its first time in competition. A great challenge for the R18 which will begin on the 7th May in Belgium.

The R8, R10 and R15 shone at Sebring in 2000, 2006 and 2009. Last year, the R15 "Plus" did not break the tradition by winning its first race at Le Castellet. This time it will be at Spa-Francorchamps that Audi R18 enters into competition.

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, Director of Audi Motorsport : "We want to mainly use the race at Spa-Francorchamps again to prepare for Le Mans. It’s important for the teams to develop a feeling of working together in a racing situation before going to Le Mans. We’ve already started to work on this at our 30-hour endurance run at Le Castellet and the test day at Le Mans. But Spa also gives us a first assessment of where we stand compared with the competition. For us the 1000-kilometer race is a very important preparatory race for the 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours."

Ralf Jüttner, Technical Director Audi Sport : "The 1000-km race at Spa is an ILMC round, which makes it very significant for us since we’re contesting the whole ILMC season. Spa is the second round after Sebring. We’re running behind in the championship and want to score as many points as possible. Our aim, very clearly, is to try and equalize Peugeot’s advantage or to take the lead ourselves. Naturally, for us Spa is also a ‘dress rehearsal’ for the Le Mans 24 Hours, so it serves a dual purpose."

Dindo Capello, Driver of Audi R18 TDI #3 : "On any debut of a brand new car like the Audi R18 TDI it’s difficult to make a prediction. We’ve been working hard on making this car fast and reliable. Everyone is optimistic about managing a good result right in the first race. The whole team knows that Spa is a very beautiful as well as a difficult and demanding track. What’s more, there will be about 60 cars in the field, which makes the race even more demanding. For Spa you need a combination of performance and agility. We’re there to win but we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that our main job is to improve the car for Le Mans and to prepare for the 24-hour race. Spa’s our only chance to drive the R18 TDI at a race before the big run in June."

Tom Kristensen, Driver of l’Audi R18 TDI #3 : "We’re all looking forward to the ILMC race at Spa. It’s the debut of our Audi R18 TDI, our new baby, on a fantastic race track. Personally, Spa is my favorite track, but I think all drivers like it. This year there will be 60 cars in the field, so there will be a lot of traffic on the track. That means You’ve got a car about every 100 meters. It’ll be a very demanding situation for all the drivers. But we’re looking forward to what will hopefully be a good ‘dress rehearsal’ for our run at the Le Mans 24 Hours a month later."

Allan McNish, Driver of Audi R18 TDI #3 : "I’m always particularly keen on going to Spa. With a new car like the R18 TDI the race will be very interesting for us and the fans. It marks the first occasion that all our main rivals will be on track at the same time, so everyone looks forward to qualifying with particularly eager anticipation - at least I do. The track is arguably one of the top three for any driver. The weather at Spa though is usually unpredictable. Last year it was raining on the grid while the track was bone dry on the other side. We’ve tested the Audi R18 TDI a lot this year. We understand the potential of the new car and know that we’ve got to get into a racing situation now to see how the car performs in different conditions. Tom (Kristensen), Dindo (Capello) and I are looking forward to being part of the whole action again. We know from last year that Spa is a replica of Le Mans. We’ll be represented there with all three race teams. That adds further spice to this race."
 

Julien Hergault –From press release of Audi Motorsport

Photo : LE MANS, CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES DU MANS, TEST DAY, 24th APRIL 2011. Scotsman Allan McNish will drive the #3