Who's going to replace Dindo Capello?

[alexkiller8]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

The odd thing that I read Dindo as being quoted as saying it that "when Allan wins the WEC, all will be forgotten" about his late race off. Is it possible that Dindo will be in the #2 R18 the rest of the WEC season, or am I reading too much into this?

surely he was trying to comfort mcnish after the race, in an italian motorsport program on monday 18, capello said that after the race mcnish was crying and some hour later mcnish wife called capello to apologize for his husband mistake, meanwhile mcnish was in a deep depression status. Surely capello was aware that was his last ride on a r18 and hardly will be run also in the remaining 5 races of WEC.
BTW capello said that he's now getting too old to support the pressure and his eyesight isn't good anymore like in the past, so he had a tacit agreement with ullrich about his last le mans first in 2011 and then in 2012. Sincerly i've never been a capello fan, he's a good driver but i always thougth that in late '90 he was picked by audi in the lmp program without a great palmares (he just won twice the italian supertourism champ) basicly has been in the right place in the right moment... to make an example before enter in the audi team, mcnish won already a le mans and ran in f1 for a year, while kristensen won a le mans and had more international experience like JGTC and f1 test driver. Now to enter in the audi team is still harder. However i can't be the fact that surely is the driver of the #2 that did better in 2012, in spa was the driver who ran for more than 2 hours and at le mans was the driver able to recover the gap with #1 getting really close to the lotterer/treluyer/fassler car before the dramatic mcnish stint.

[Wild Dog]

But Porsche will come in 2014 first?

What about Laurens Vanthoor? He's driving for Audi in GT1.. One of the DTM drivers are better chances though.

[Creep89]

But they will race in 2013.. So they need some drivers.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Would you want to break up the trio which have just won back-to-back Le Mans? I don't see Audi doing that to be honest.

Personally I think they might. I probably would.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Lol , sorry ..... Audi need a young American hot shot in their car , how about that .

Audi's team at Grand-AM is APR. None of the drivers has a career which I'd consider for the Audi LMP1 works team.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Audi's team at Grand-AM is APR. None of the drivers has a career which I'd consider for the Audi LMP1 works team.

Just a young American who is quick , doesnt have to be a currant Audi driver .

Jordan Taylor possibily ..... be good for their marketing in the USA .

[Aysedasi]

Tracy Krohn?

[The Badger]

Oh , your fulla wit !!! .....

[the.cosmic.pope]

I imagine they'll go back to 3 cars, and that way nobody really needs to replace Dindo, it's just a squad reshuffle.

Bernhard and Dumas are off to Porsche, Gene is a reserve driver. That leaves you with:

1 - Lotterer, Fassler, Treluyer
2 - McNish, Kristensen, Duval
3 - Jarvis, Bonanomi, Rockenfeller

Could easily move those drivers about until Mr Ulrich is happy.

[Simmi]

Who (if anyone) was the stand-out driver in the #4 at Le Mans? It wasn't that easy to gauge at the track without the benefit of T&S.

[Aysedasi]

I'd like to see Duval with Lotterer and Treluyer.

[Hawkwood]

Any reason why Audi never put Ekstrom or Scheider in their prototypes?
Both obviously have the talent.
I know Scheider did Le Mans once or twice in a GT Porsche, but nothing for Ekstrom as far as I remember.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I'd like to see Duval with Lotterer and Treluyer.

Have to agree. If you wanted to put together the absolute strongest three in a car then those are your guys. Scary line-up!

[DeathOrGlory]

Bonanomi.

And Duval/Lotterer/Treluyer?

SUPER GT REPRESENT!

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Ostrogothicus

Any reason why Audi never put Ekstrom or Scheider in their prototypes?
Both obviously have the talent.
I know Scheider did Le Mans once or twice in a GT Porsche, but nothing for Ekstrom as far as I remember.

Wasn't there a mention of Ekstrom on RLM as not liking Le Mans?

[Pandamasque]

Audi had 12 drivers at Le Mans this year. Bring back Timo Bernhard and you still get 12 without Dindo. It's more about who is going to replace the guys that leave for Porsche! I think Audi used the opportunity of having 4 cars to prepare/try out some new drivers to cover that inevitable exodus.

[LeManske]

What about Davidson, he was flying around Le Mans

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Wasn't there a mention of Ekstrom on RLM as not liking Le Mans?

Yes , he has done a test day , and doesnt like the place ..... which is fair enough . At least he is not bad mouthing it , as some have done in the past , its just not for him .

James Weaver didnt like it in the end , as he was supposed to race a dallara for Oreca one year , and pulled out too .

[Aysedasi]

Weaver hated the 'poxy' chicanes.......

[courageous]

A related question - will Dindo retire properly or might we see him in an R8? (daytona, spa, nurburgring, bathurst all beckon)

[chernaudi]

Dindo might do GT racing like Frank and Pirro are, but he seems set for retirement as he's already a big time Audi ambassador and is co-owner and manager of an Audi dealership near his home. I don't know what Dindo is up to, but things look pretty pessimistic about him being back in an Audi LMP1 car anytime soon aside from press demos and things like that.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Weaver hated the 'poxy' chicanes.......

So do I !!!

[Holt]

What I think Audi's lineup will look like next year with 3 Hybrids. Duval replaces Fassler. Fassler's speed is decent enough, but Duval solidifies the #1. He's earned the ride with his performances over the past few years.

Gene takes over for Capello in the #2. He's as consistent as Capello but also a bit faster. He's also 10 yars younger then Capello and several years younger then the other two drivers in the car. He should be able to drive the car more throughout the 24 hours then Capello taking pressure off the other two Audi aces.

Marcel Fassler is demoted to the #3 car. Rockenfeller keeps his seat with Audi. Romain Dumas gets the 3rd spot.

Yes, the #1 car has won Le Mans two years straight. However, I remember that the #1 car was the slowest of the 3 Audis in last year's race. And they were fortunate to win this year's race thanks to a fortunate safety car and despite mistakes. So I dont think its over just yet for the #2 team. With Gene boosting the lineup of the #2 I think it will be close once again. I dont think the #2 team had a car they were satisfied with at all and they will be back and much hungrier next year.

#1
Benoit Treluyer
Andre Lotterer
Loic Duval

#2
Allan McNish
Tom Kristensen
Marc Gene

#3
Mike Rockenfeller
Marcel Fassler
Romain Dumas

[chernaudi]

I think that Dumas' last race for Audi was Le Mans--Porsche factory driver, remember.

I don't think that Audi will make any major changes to the line up, except move Gene to the #2, and maybe move Duval to the #1, but that sort of unbalances the line up a bit in my view--putting all the fast young guys in one car doesn't seem to be as wise a move as it might be. Duval might even end up in the #2 for all we know as well.

And think that you're going off of fastest lap--I don't think we saw the guys in the #1 push for that fastest race lap, while Duval and McNish were frustrated, had nothing to lose, and both tried to claim fast lap. And the #4 Audi was never really quite on the pace of the "big 3" at all during the race.

[Holt]

Personally I would go for two fast cars and one weak car rather then 3 watered down cars. Peugeot tried the 3 watered down cars trick in 2008 and I think that cost them. Villeneuve cost them loads of time in that race with slow driver changes and on track performance. I remember Montagny being 40 seconds faster over a single fuel run.

I wonder how Kristensen and McNish would respond to having Duval in their car. I'm not sure they would like not being the fastest.