Three months on from their third Le Mans 24 Hours victory, André Lotterer, Marcel Fässler and Benoît Tréluyerre-grouped at the fourth round of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship in Austin and promptly won again!
Having driven together at Audi since 2010, the trio are now hunting for their second world title. Fässlertalked to us about the special relationship between team mates and how, collectively, they make for such a formidable team.
“We are very close but also quite different people. I think that is exactly why we work so well, because if you get too similar people together they often get over-competitive and try and prove points to each other,” says Fässler. “We don’t have to work at the relationship. There is never a really big competition between us and no big egos. It all comes quite naturally to us and we are able to laugh at each other, including ourselves, without anyone feeling bad about it.”
There’s has been a special relationship between the three since the start in 2010 and the Swiss ace believes that, as an endurance racing driving unit, they have a rare and special dynamic.
“I remember very well the first time we all worked together, at the very first Sebring test we did,” he continues. “We went to a very nice restaurant and had a really good steak and a good laugh. It was like we had known each other before, for years. Like we had been good school friends and were just catching up. I think that reflects in our work quite a lot and is one of the reasons why we have had some good success.”
It is a collective energy that the ultra-successful tripartite union put to full use at Le Mans in June.
“I am especially proud of this year’s Le Mans win, because it was dramatic and also because we went in to not being among the favourites as we were not the fastest car. I think maybe, inside, we at times were a little concerned that we may not come out on top, but as far as we showed to the outside world and also within Audi Sport, we never doubted our belief to come out on top.
“We had the turbo issue and I was pushed back in to the pits. At that stage it didn’t look good as we lost twenty minutes. Then it came back to us but we were completely focused on winning it, even when it looked unlikely.
“As I said we do everything together at the track and that includes celebrating! There will be more of these special times to come, I am sure of that, hopefully with the FIA World Endurance Championship title!”
Now, with less than two weeks until the fifth round at Fuji Speedway, Fässler will be hoping that the special alliance he has with his team mates can bring a third straight victory.
Sam Smith
Photos: 1) Audi Sport Team Joest's Marcel Fassler; 2) Sitting in the garage with Andre Lotterer; watching a team mate can be stressful!; 3) 24 Hours of Le Mans 2014 winners, Treluyer, Lotterer, Fassler in the No.2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro.
