24 Hours of Le Mans 2011 | The 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans Endurance Race

2011 24 Hours of Le Mans | Le Mans 24-Hour Endurance Race 2011

Audi Wins Hard-Fought Battle for Consecutive Victory

The traditional automobile race, the "79th 24 Hours of Le Mans," was held on Saturday, June 11th and Sunday, June 12th, at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France. Audi secured their 10th victory, following their win last year.

Text by Tomomi Yanaka

Peugeot Dominates 2nd to 4th Place

This year, Audi and Peugeot once again captured the Le Mans spotlight.—The winning car was the new "Audi R18 TDI," incorporating Audi's cutting-edge lightweight technology. The victorious trio consisted of André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer, both active in Japan's Super GT series, and Marcel Fässler.

With a change in regulations reducing engine output to approximately 520ps this season, weight reduction became essential. Audi utilized pure carbon for the body and downsized the engine from a V10 TDI to a V6 TDI, achieving a 25% weight reduction for the new R18 TDI. Peugeot countered with their "908," equipped with the "V8 Hdi FAP" engine that balances power and fuel efficiency. The two manufacturers engaged in a fierce battle, with Peugeot employing a strategy of refueling every 12 laps to leverage their fuel economy.

Audi R18 TDI

Peugeot 908

The race began with drama, including a crash by 2008 champion Allan McNish in Audi's No. 3 car early on. Later, Audi's No. 1 car also retired due to a collision. In the latter half of the race, a thrilling duel unfolded between Audi's No. 2 car and three Peugeot cars, with only a few seconds separating them, captivating the spectators.

Ultimately, Audi's No. 2 car narrowly held off Peugeot's No. 9 car by a mere 13.854 seconds to claim victory. The Peugeot cars subsequently finished in succession, securing positions 2nd through 4th and showcasing the prowess of their high-level machines and drivers.

In the GT car category, the "GTE Pro" class saw the No. 73 "Chevrolet Corvette C6.R," driven by Olivier Beretta, Tommy Milner, and Antonio García, win by a margin of 2 minutes and 29 seconds over the second-place Ferrari. While Porsche's "911 GT3 RSR" missed the podium, they achieved a strong result with four of their cars finishing within the top eight.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Chevrolet's first Le Mans victory in 2001, and their seventh win overall. Furthermore, with Chevrolet celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, this victory holds significant prestige.