Audi takes pole for classic Le Mans 24-hour race

Audi’s innovative diesel race cars have shown the early pace at the Le Mans 24-hour race in France, taking four of the top five positions on the timesheets.
During the first four-hour qualifying practice for the 80th edition of this classic race, the Audi e-tron quattro driven by Andre Lotterer, Maurice Fassler and Benoit Treluyer was the fastest car, posting a lap of 3:25.452 around the almost-15 kilometre track
Their time beat last year's pole position time by .028 seconds, while the Audi e-tron quattro of Tom Kristensen, Dindo Capello and Allan McNish was second at 3:26.536. Kristensen reported difficulty passing slower cars later in the session.
Then in the second session Loic Duval edged out the Fassler e-tron to take provisional pole with a time more than one second faster.
In the final two-hour session, Lotterer struck back, setting pole with a record qualifying lap of 3:23.787.  The Audis hold four of the top six grid positions.
Audi has two car types in this year’s race, both of types based on the winning R18 platform and both supported by Castrol Edge.
Two updated R18s are entered in ‘Ultra’ specification; with a further two racing in diesel hybrid e-tron form as coupes.
The R18 e-tron quattro pairs a V6 TDI diesel engine driving the rear axle and a flywheel-storage hybrid system on the front axle that powers the front wheels under acceleration.
Unlike conventional all-wheel drive systems, there is no mechanical link between the front and rear wheels.
"On the whole we had a very productive day," said Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, head of Audi Motorsport.
"Finding a good setup for the unusually cool temperatures in the night session wasn't easy because the grip level on the track was pretty low.”
The Ultra runs a more conventional diesel TDI power plant and the team believes it has an on-track advantage due to its optimised weight distribution.  The extra power and traction of the e-tron is expected to mean it will be quicker provided the drivers can make the e-tron's 58 litre fuel capacity last for the same number of laps as the Ultra's 60 litres.
Endurance racing is one of the most challenging environments in motorsport. Working together in such tough conditions allows Audi and Castrol to utilise each other’s strengths in innovation to reach new levels of performance. Castrol EDGE Fluid Strength Technology™ used in the engines of the R18 Ultra and R18 e-tron quattro has been tested under simulated race conditions for 48 hours – double the distance of Le Mans.
Castrol EDGE products are routinely tested beyond their limits.  Results have shown Castrol EDGE to be up to 40 per cent stronger than a leading competitor.  Its unique adaptive strength makes it the perfect technology to deal with the extreme demands of long distance racing.
The partnership between Castrol and Audi stretches beyond the realm of motorsport. Castrol EDGE is the only lubricant range recommended by Audi for use in its road vehicles. This means that the innovations and product benefits developed in the motorsport arena can be enjoyed by millions of Audi drivers every day.
Donald Smith, Castrol Sponsorship Manager, says endurance racing is the perfect way to showcase Castrol EDGE.
“The Le Mans race tests the engines of all cars to the limit and the strength of Castrol EDGE helps to ensure maximum engine performance for the Audi Sport Team.”