Audi quintet to battle for World Championship title

Audi managed to make a brilliant start into the new World Endurance Championship. After three victories at the three rounds held so far, at Sebring (USA), Spa (B) and Le Mans (F), Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich’s team is now focused on defending its lead in the standings. The Audi R18 e-tron quattro car number 1 will be shared by Marcel Fässler (CH), André Lotterer (D) and Benoît Tréluyer (F), the trio with whom Audi achieved its eleventh victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours in June. The Swiss, the German and the Frenchman are currently sharing second place in the standings with a 6.5-point gap.

The leaders of the standings are competing in a new formation. Allan McNish (GB) and Tom Kristensen (DK), the winners of the Sebring 12 Hours that opened the season, will now start to drive the number “2” Audi R18 ultra as a team of two. On the expiration of Dindo Capello’s driver contract at the end of the year, the 2012 season marks the end point of an unusually successful partnership. The Italian had an agreement with Audi to quit after Le Mans. Dindo Capello served Audi as a factory driver for 19 years. Yet the Italian will continue to be closely associated with the brand not only as an Audi dealer and racer.

Capello holds an interest in three Audi centers in his native Piedmont. In parallel to his sports car program, Capello established a second pillar in motorsport. For Audi Sport Italia, he has continually been competing in the Italian GT Championship in an Audi R8 LMS since 2009. “Audi has become my brand professionally and based on my personal conviction. Together, we have achieved so much and demonstrated pioneering achievements again and again” says Capello.

Dindo Capello has achieved a rare feat in racing. For almost two decades, the professional driver celebrated countless race victories, prestigious champion titles and numerous other successes in sports cars and touring cars – and all of them for a single group of carmakers.

“This is an extremely unusual string of successes and a very emotional moment. On behalf of Audi I would like to express a huge thank you to Dindo,” says Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich whose initial driver signings included Capello.