Before today’s race, Tréluyer/Fassler/Lotterer had a lead of 16.5 points over McNish/Kristensen thanks to their score of six podium finishes in 2012, including three outright victories, one of which was the Le Mans 24 Hours which counted for ‘double points’.
André Lotterer was at the wheel of the N°1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro at the end of the 6 Hours of Shanghai: “It was quite moving to know that crossing the line meant winning the world title. Apart from our slip-up at Sebring, it’s been a good season for us. Our aim is to defend our title next year.”
The trio wasn’t under any real pressure in China, but Fassler suffered a scare during his turn at the wheel: “I tried to push at the beginning but I collided with another car after a misunderstanding with a Strakka Racing driver. The front end suffered a little damage and that put us out of the chase for the win. After that, I was very cautious in the traffic…”
Benoît Tréluyer was in the car for the start of the year’s final race: “This is my first world title. It hasn’t sunk in yet, but I dedicate it to everyone in the Audi team who gave us one of the world’s best racing cars. I am happy for Marcel and André who are more friends than team-mates. Today isn’t quite as emotional as winning Le Mans, perhaps, but it’s never easy to win a championship and this title is the reward for all the work we have done over the year.”
Another delighted trio in Shanghai this evening was Julien Canal, Patrick Bornhauser and Pedro Lamy who were sharing Larbre Compétition’s N°50 Corvette/Michelin. “Every time I race for this team I win!” smiled Lamy, winner of the LMGTE Am class at Le Mans and at the last two WEC races.
“We were a little slower than our rivals in qualifying but we concentrated on optimising our set-up for the race and we were very competitive once again,” smiled Julien Canal, three-time winner of his class at Le Mans with Larbre Compétition.
The French squad’s boss Jack Lecomte was proud to have won another trophy for his cabinet. “This is our 11th title. That’s nice because this one is a world title and Larbre Compétition will celebrate its 25th anniversary next year. Bravo to Pedro, to Patrick with whom we have shared a great deal in France, and to Julien who has had an exceptional season. We didn’t have all the trump cards in our hand, but we were successful in playing them at exactly the right moment!”
The 2012 FIA World Endurance Chjampionship will have seen titles or trophies go to Audi, Ferrari, Rebellion Racing, Starworks Motorsport, AF Corse, Larbre Compétition and drivers Benoît Tréluyer, Marcel Fassler and André Lotterer.
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