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Audi Wins Le Mans

The winning drivers celebrate on top of their Audi R18 e-tron Quattro.  [Photo credit: Audi Motorsport]

By Jack Webster & Eddie Le Pine

It was a 24 Hours of Le Mans that will go down in history as one of the true classic races of all time. It featured a little bit of everything, from rain to accidents, numerous lead changes, delays in the pits, mechanical problems and finally, triumph for Audi Sport Team Joest.

The competition for the overall win was more intense than ever this year, with high quality entries from Porsche and Toyota that certainly gave Audi a run for their money. Entries from all the top factory teams led the race at one time or another.

This race, more than any other in recent history, showed just how important the team is when it comes to winning Le Mans. Audi Sport Team Joest has solidified their position as perhaps the greatest team in the history of Le Mans with this victory.

Their never give up attitude, which began with the complete building of a car overnight in the garage after the original #1 Audi R18 e-tron Quattro of Kristensen, Duval and di Grassi was written off in an accident on Wednesday night, to their constant solving of problems during the race continued to show their “never give up” attitude.

It even looked for a time that Tom Kristensen might get his 10th Le Mans victory, as he was leading on Sunday until turbocharger problems dropped him to second place.

However, at Le Mans this year, the drivers are the secondary part of the story. This victory belongs to the team and every single member of Audi Sport Team Joest deserves to be on that top step of the podium. Every single member of the team deserves a trophy and a Rolex watch, for it was their efforts, just as much as those of the drivers, who secured this victory.

It was an eventful race, beginning with Audi losing their #3 car early on when it got caught up in an accident in the sudden rainstorm that caused havoc on the circuit. Nicolas Lapierre in the #8 Toyota, on the Mulsanne at full speed on dry tires spun into Marco Bonanomi who was then collected by a Ferrari. The Audi was too damaged to continue back to the pits and Audi was down to two cars.

We are sure that Toyota must be thinking of the lost opportunity they had to dominate the race, for even though the #8 Toyota was delayed by repairs, the rest of the race it ran flawlessly and considering how the #7 Toyota dominated the leader board until it failed on Sunday while leading, the #8 Toyota would have been in good position to win the race. After all, the #8 car ended up 3rd, only five laps down from victory. Would have been, could have been, should have been – it doesn’t matter now.

The fact of the matter is that when it comes to Le Mans, it is pretty hard to beat Audi. If they have even the slightest chance of staying in the hunt, they will go for it. Even when it seems like they have no chance, they keep pushing and pushing, ultimately moving their way to the top of the charts and taking control of the race as their competitors fall by the wayside, one by one.

Yes, Le Mans 2014 was won overall by the Audi R18 e-tron Quattro driven to perfection by Marcel Fassler, Andre Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer, but in truth it was the combined efforts of everyone on the Audi Sport Team Joest squad who put them in the position to win. Le Mans is the ultimate showcase of the importance of a “team” in a team sport.

Congratulations to Marcel Fassler, Andre Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer for a hard fought victory and hats off to Audi Sport Team Joest, the best team in the history of Le Mans, for a well deserved and historic victory.

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