There were many exciting battles to be followed throughout each of the four classes within the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship, but the inter-team rivalry between the No.1 and No.2 Audi was perhaps one of the most interesting.
Youth and experience, speed and strategy all came into the mix and there was, truthfully, little to choose between the eventual World Champions in the No.1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro and the veteran duo of Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish in the No.2 car. It boiled down to the 6 Hours of Shanghai; the final result there would determine who would be crowned World Champion but ultimately the long-standing Scottish-Danish pairing had to settle for second both in the race and the title race.
“Second position was the best we could have achieved on the day,” reflected McNish. “Tom and I knew a win was required and even then, it would need bad fortune on our ‘sister’ car for the title to come to TK and I. That was unlikely to happen driving for Audi as our cars are ultra-reliable. We extracted the maximum out of our Audi, so congratulations to Marcel, Ben and André on winning the WEC title. We may compete against each other, but we work together as a team."
Despite McNish and Kristensen taking a season-opening victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring, three second places, three thirds and a fourth during the year, the final round was recorded by the drivers themselves as probably one of their best performances in the latter half of the season. Consistency was their watchword throughout and they, together with Dindo Capello at the longer races, proved to be the most efficient combination in the field. At seven of the season’s eight rounds, the Michelin Green X Challenge Award went to the No.2 Audi. Small consolation for a World Championship title, but a valuable one for the manufacturer.
“We’ll all be working very hard over the winter,” continued the Scot. “Audi Sport is very aware of the level of competition required to be competitive in sportscar racing at this level. We’ll be optimising many elements for 2013.”
That level of competition is matched wholly by a level of determination amongst all its top drivers, and there will be none more determined to take that title than these two sportscar legends.
Fiona Miller
Photo: SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT (SHANGHAI, CHINA), 6 HOURS OF SHANGHAI, SUNDAY 28TH OCTOBER 2012, RACE.
