Photo : Jean-Philippe BOYER / ACO

 

Loïc Duval: "Le Mans is a great race that evokes so many emotions and is so tiring. Now I’ve really got to restrain myself to keep from shedding tears. It was a difficult race in which we unfortunately lost someone (Allan Simonsen). Since last year, the whole team has been giving everything and prepared an outstanding car for us. This is my first Le Mans victory – together with Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish. A really great moment in my career!"

Tom Kristensen: "For me, Le Mans was filled with very personal emotions this time. I’m proud to drive for the world’s best team. This applies to all team-mates, all employees in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm and for Audi Sport Team Joest. They make it possible for us to realize a dream. Now this dream has come true again – winning the fastest and toughest race under the direction of Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. Unfortunately, we lost someone yesterday (with Allan Simonsen) who had the same dream. He was a very modest and nice person. That’s why I’m experiencing highs and lows this time. With respect to my ninth victory: I’m driving with determination and the ambition my father inspired in me. He died in March. Before his death, he told me that I’d win Le Mans this year with my team-mates. I’m hoping that one day I’ll be able to celebrate another victory with Loïc and Allan that I can dedicate to my father. Because this Le Mans success I’m dedicating to Allan Simonsen."

Allan McNish: "It was definitely the case that we had speed this year the R18 e-tron quattro 2013 spec' was very very good. The engineers did a very very good job over the winter and when we were here at the test day I think Loic's lap time and all the confidence that Tom and I had in the car gave us a very good feeling and for us it was just a case of trying to be very careful making sure we were clean and tidy all the way through and not have any EXTRA pit stops... put it that way. And we didn't have any, I think Tom had one puncture and apart from that it was a perfect run from start to finish. You don't get many of those at Le Mans, but when you do then with the competition we've had from the sister cars and from Toyota,  that's what we needed to win today."

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "That was the most difficult race I’ve experienced in my 15 Le Mans years. One reason, no doubt, was having to see a young race driver from Denmark lose his life this weekend. We’re feeling with his family. But the race itself was unusual too. For 24 hours straight, our drivers had to cope with changeable weather and adjust to new conditions over and over in a very short period of time. Consequently, the team in the pits and along the pit wall didn’t have any time to rest – I can’t recall ever having experienced anything quite like this. The entire squad showed an incredible performance in an extreme situation this weekend – I’m proud to be a part of it."

Cécile Bonardel and Dave Davies / ACO