A successful first year of the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2012 provided firm foundations on which to build the newest world motorsport category. This also meant that the second FIA World Endurance Championship season had a hard act to follow and it was also the final year of the current LMP1 regulations.
Looking back on the 2013 season, the result proved to be even better than last year with Audi taking its second world crown; Allan McNish, Loic Duval and Tom Kristensen securing the world driver’s title and Rebellion Racing securing its second consecutive title in the LMP1 Privateers category.
Once again there were eight races on four continents with the only new venue on the calendar being the North American round at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, the event replacing the 12 Hours of Sebring on the calendar.
In a change from 2012 the season started at Silverstone where the LMP1 competitors raced for the coveted Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy, at 108 years old the world’s oldest motorsport trophy. The competitors then moved to Belgium for the traditional curtain raiser for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Round 3 was the highlight of the 2013 season, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s most famous race and the one that all drivers and teams want to win.
After the summer break Round 4 was held in Brazil at Interlagos for the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo before moving to Texas for the new event on the calendar, the 6 Hours of the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. The cars then headed over the Pacific Ocean for the first of the Asian races, the 6 Hours of Fuji in Japan, where the challenging weather conditions got the upper hand. A large Chinese crowd witnessed the second running of the 6 Hours of Shanghai for the penultimate round and then the season finished in dramatic style in the Middle East at the Bahrain International Circuit with a party atmosphere to bring the 2013 season to a close.
LMP1
The nr2 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 e-tron quattro of Loic Duval, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish triumphed against its 2012 championship winning teammates and against the challenge of the Toyota Racing TS030 Hybrids. Their season got off to a great start when the trio lifted the Tourist Trophy at Silverstone, adding their names, and the name of Audi, to a trophy whose history that stretches back to 1905 and includes some of the all time greats of motorsport.
After finishing second in Belgium, Duval, Kristensen and McNish added the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans to their CVs after starting from pole position. This was Kristensen’s 9th Le Mans victory, a new record in the 90th anniversary of the event.
A second place in Brazil was followed by victory in Austin, again from pole position. Nine points in the washed-out Japanese race put them on course to secure the title in Shanghai with one race to go. The final race of the year didn’t provide the fairytale finish they'd all hoped for after the car stopped on track, denying them the chance to take the chequered flag as World Champions. Allan McNish has recently announced his decision to retire from racing, with the Scot having achieved his ambition of becoming world champion. This leaves Tom Kristensen and Loic Duval to defend their titles in 2014.
The nr1 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 e-tron quattro of Marcel Fassler, Benoit Treluyer and Andre Lotterer travelled to Silverstone as defending champions but soon realised that they faced a difficult challenge in the their title defence against their teammates and against the pair of Toyota TS030s. An impressive tally of three wins in Belgium, Brazil and Shanghai, two seconds, one third place and three pole positions was not enough to win back-to-back titles and they will be fighting hard to regain the coveted number ‘1’ for their car at the end of 2014.
With the exception of Sao Paolo and Austin, Toyota Racing entered two cars for the 2013 season but the Japanese manufacturer had to wait until the end of the year before tasting the victory champagne.
The nr8 Toyota TS030 Hybrid of Anthony Davidson, Sebastien Buemi and Stephane Sarrazin competed in all eight rounds and scored podium finishes at Silverstone, Austin and at Le Mans. However the icing on the cake was victory in Bahrain at the final round to secure third place in the championship.
The nr7 TS030 of Alexander Wurz and Nicolas Lapierre competed in six of the eight rounds and they were joined by Kazuki Nakajima for all but Silverstone and Shanghai. The end of season tally recorded three pole positions and two podium finishes, including the winner’s trophy at the 6 Hours of Fuji. However, because the race was red flagged due to the appalling weather conditions, only half points were awarded.
LMP1 Privateer
Three cars were entered in the LMP1 Privateers category, two for Rebellion Racing and one for Strakka Racing, but after Le Mans this became a single entry for the nr12 Rebellion Racing Lola Toyota.
The 2013 record will show six wins from eight starts but the highlight of the season for Nicola Prost, Nick Heidfeld and Mathias Beche was the overall podium finish in Brazil behind the two Audi R18 e-tron quattros.
Strakka Racing only entered three races at the start of the season before withdrawing to concentrate on their plans for 2014. However the British team did finish on a high note with Danny Watts, Nick Leventis and Jonny Kane standing on the top step of the podium at Le Mans.
The teams are now busy preparing their new challengers for the 2014 season. The new LMP1 regulations puts the focus firmly on new technology and renewable energy. In addition Audi and Toyota will have to face the challenge presented by the return of Porsche to the LMP1 category. The most successful marque in Le Mans history will provide an additional exciting dimension in the race to become World Champions in 2014.
Jeff Carter
