Audi: Sebring 12 Hours race preview

Allan McNish aims to record his Sebring 12 Hours race win “hat-trick” in Florida on Saturday (21 Mar) and earn Audi the perfect “warm-up” for a successful Le Mans 24 Hour race defence.

The 39-year-old Scotsman débuts Audi’s brand new diesel-engined sports-prototype in the American race which McNish has contested six times since 2000 scoring five podiums including two wins.

“I’ve had two wins, two seconds, plus third and fourth place finishes already at Sebring so I’ve had my fair share of podiums but I’m hungry for more success,” confirmed Dumfries-born McNish.

“My goal is trying to achieve a début victory for the R15 TDI but make no mistake, the opposition is very, very tough this year. We’ll need to race harder, faster and for longer than we’ve ever done if we want to be successful this year.

“I won my last two races of ’08 with Dindo [Capello] at Silverstone and Atlanta, so there would be no better way to blow away the winter cobwebs than to keep the winning momentum going into the new season.”

McNish, together with Dindo Capello (Italy) and Tom Kristensen (Denmark) – his co-drivers in this year’s Sebring race – scored the first major international sportscar race victory for a diesel-engined car in Florida three years ago.

Now after three Le Mans victories and multiple championship success for the Audi R10 TDI – the only diesel-engined sportscar to win the Le Mans 24 Hours – the German manufacturer has designed and built the R15 TDI. New LM P1 regulations include a smaller air restrictor – reducing power output – plus a downsized rear wing which reduces downforce.

Allan continued: “This year’s race marks the third time I’ve débuted a brand new Audi at Sebring. I drove the Audi R8 in 2000 then the pioneering R10 TDI in ’06. I won the latter which was a historic achievement.

“The R15 TDI features a new smaller and lighter engine but a lot of work has also been done to minimise the losses with regards the new regulations. The new car features better weight distribution which in turn helps the agility. The aerodynamics have also been improved.

“We’ve tested the R15 TDI a number of times since just before Christmas,” added Allan. “It’s a large improvement over the R10 TDI which achieved three Le Mans victories plus four championship titles over the past three years.”

A hat-trick of Sebring victories would make the Dumfries-born Scotsman the most successful British driver in the 57-year history of the Sebring sportscar endurance race previously contested by famous Britons Derek Bell, Peter Collins, Mike Hawthorn and Stirling Moss.

McNish concluded: “There’s a unique atmosphere at Sebring with a crowd of over 160,000 present, the vast majority camping out for almost the entire race week. It’s the second biggest sportscar race in the world and is legendary with the likes of Stirling Moss having won there.”

A second Audi Sport Team Joest entered R15 TDI is driven at Sebring by German trio Lucas Luhr, Mike Rockenfeller and Marco Werner with Audi bidding for a ninth Sebring win since its 1999 début.