LE MANS, France — Audi has done it again!

Not only did it win its 11th 24 hours of Le Mans but it lived up to its slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik” by garnering a one-two finish with its new R18 e-tron (and a 1-2-3 finish with the R18 Ultra taking third) , a hybrid all-wheel drive diesel powered car — a first in the history of motorsports.

It was the No1 Audi driven by Marcel Fassler, Andre Lotterer, and Benoit Treluyer — who also are the defending Le Mans champions — who took the checkered flag after 24 hard fought hours. The threesome first had to fight off a stiff challenge from Toyota’s hybrid car and then for the last 12 hours  have a “friendly” with its sister ship, the No. 2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro.

Toyota’s TS030 Hybrid arrived with great promise and had its moments during the race, wrestling the lead from the Audi dreadnaught at one point in time. But this was not Toyota’s day. No sooner had the No 7 Toyota grabbed the lead — and lost it — the No. 8 Toyota with Anthony Davidson at the wheel was hit by a back-marker Ferarri, mirroring the accidents that took out two Audis last year. The Toyota took the air and went into the tire wall at speed in Virage de Mulsanne. Although Davidson was able to extricate himself from the car on his own, he was taken to the hospital where it was found that he had broken two vertebrae.The No. 7 Toyota TS030 hybrid soldiered on — but around one am the engine save out ending the run of the Toyota.

The TS030 was impressive in its brief stay at Le Mans, particularly given the fact that it was rushed to the World Endurance Championship scene after Peugeot pulled the plug (on the pug) on its Le Mans program. The new car showed excellent top end speed, leading all comers in

Once the Toyotas exited stage right, the friendly was on between the defending Le Mans champion and the veteran Audi No2, piloted by Allan McNish, Dindo Capello, and Tom Kistensen. The battle heated up Sunday morning with the No.2 team wrestling away the lead. The lead went back and forth until the No. 2 car, with McNish at the wheel had an incident with another car. Luckily it did not put the car out of the race — but it ended for all intents and purpose any head-to-head dicing.

Vorsprung durch Technik