What a surprise…another Saturday, another Red Bull at the first spot of the starting grid, with a second Red Bull racer at its side: a site everyone has gotten used to this year.
What must have frightened poleman Sebastian Vettel rivals for tomorrow's race is his admission that he held back and did not perform at 100%: “On the last run, I tried a bit too much going into the really tricky chicane around Turn 10," said Vettel, adding that, "I decided to abort the lap, as it can be so easy to damage the car.”
The two Red Bulls were challenged not by Ferrari, as Fernando Alonso’s pace at the free practice promised, but by the McLarens of Jenson Button who beat his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, for third place.
The Scuderia had to be content with the third row of the grid with Alonso in front of Felipe Massa. The two Mercedes’ and the two Force Indias completed the top 10 of the first night race in this year’s Formula 1 calendar.
Following its tenth victory at the famous Le Mans 24 Hours in June, Audi is now aiming for its 10th triumph at the endurance race's U.S. counterpart, the “Petit Le Mans” at Road Atlanta in the state of Georgia, with the R18 TDI racecar.
From 2000 until 2005, the Audi R8 dominated the race, passing the torch to the R10 TDI which continued Audi’s rule in Road Atlanta until 2008. The R15 that replaced it wasn’t that fortunate over the next two years, so the team is returning to Road Atlanta with its brand-new weapon, the 3.7-liter V6 diesel R18 TDI. Team Joest will field two cars in the R18’s overseas debut.
Audi Motorsport boss Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich said: “I’m very much looking forward to Road Atlanta. I like this track and I think it’s one of the nicest circuits for sports prototypes, and a track on which Audi has had major success before. I’m hoping we’ll be showing a good performance with the R18 TDI in America and achieve victory.”
Qualifying for the “Petit Le Mans” will take place on September 30, and the race will start on Saturday, October 1, at 11:30 local time.
