Audi: Le Mans Series – Monza

Allan McNish’s miserable 2008 season continued when the Scotsman suffered disappointment in the second round of the Le Mans Series at Monza.

The Scotsman’s co-driver Dindo Capello crashed their diesel Audi after making contact with a slower car just 20 minutes in to the 620-mile endurance race in Italy.

Dumfries-born McNish and Capello ultimately brought their repaired Audi R10 TDI home sixth after a spirited recovery in a tense race which saw Peugeot narrowly defeat Audi.

“Unfortunately we were again on a recovery drive and I’m especially disappointed because we had a car to win this race although on sheer pace, we’re quite a long way from where we need to be,” commented McNish who had finished third (Sebring) and fifth (Barcelona) already this season.

“Audi Sport Team Joest did a superb job after Dindo’s accident in repairing our extensively damaged R10 TDI in record-breaking time which allowed us to set competitive times for the remainder of the race.”

Capello, who had qualified third fastest on the 44-car grid, ran third until pitting for new tyres after 15mins. Having resumed in 25th place, the Italian brought his badly damaged Audi into the pits moments later after being launched into a series of spins and contact with the barriers.

Capello resumed in 42nd place after losing 19 minutes (nine laps) for front and rear bodywork plus front and rear suspension component repairs. McNish took over with 2hrs 10mins on the clock, Capello having recovered to 23rd place after setting a series of competitive lap times

A determined McNish drove for the next 130mins which saw him consistently the fastest car on the track and handed their sixth placed Audi back to Capello, under full course caution, for the final 20-laps to the chequered flag

McNish said: “I had to take avoiding action as Stéphane [Ortelli] flew through the air right in front of me at the first chicane in the closing stages – it was a shocking accident – a very frightening sight. Amazingly, he’s only got a broken ankle.”

“Just as the race was about to re-start with 20 laps or so to run, Dindo picked up a puncture which forced him to pit, so instead of challenging for fifth place to the finish, we were chasing down sixth again. It was one of those days,” added Allan.

The “sister” Audi R10 TDI of Alexandre Prémat (France) and Mike Rockenfeller (German), had qualified fourth but started from the pit-lane at the tail of the field after a diesel pipe safety valve problem on the warm-up lap resulting in the Audi being towed back to the pits.

The Prémat/Rockenfeller Audi led during the first pit-stop phase for re-fuelling after 50mins and ran strongly vying for the lead throughout the race. At the re-start following the massive accident which saw Stéphane Ortelli’s Courage-Oreca barrel roll to near destruction at the first chicane, Rockenfeller led Pedro Lamy’s Peugeot by four seconds with 20-laps to run.

Eight laps from the chequered flag, the Peugeot served a stop-go penalty for an on-track indiscretion moments before Rockenfeller pitted with a puncture – after contact with the Peugeot as the pair diced furiously. The Prémat/Rockenfeller Audi ultimately finishing the 173-lap race second – 7.672secs behind the winning Stéphane Sarrazin/Pedro Lamy (Peugeot). Prémat and Rockenfeller now lead the LM P1 standings having also finishing in the Barcelona LMS opener (6 Apr). Ortelli miraculously only suffered a broken ankle.

The third round of the five-race series is staged at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on 11 May.