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Immediate Release
October 6, 2001
Audi wins Petit Le Mans - title for Pirro

Braselton, Georgia -- Audi closed its successful 2001 motorsport season
with
a superb 1-2-3 performance at the Petit Le Mans and managed to repeat a
hat-trick for the second time in row: Just as last year, Audi won the
three
long distance classics at Sebring, Le Mans and Road Atlanta.

The incredible reliability of the Infineon Audi R8 was once more a key
to
success in the season´s final race of the American Le Mans Series
(ALMS).
Race winners Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro encountered not one
technical
problem during the 1000-mile distance and gave Team Audi Sport North
America
its eighth victory in the tenth ALMS race of the season.

Despite that, the Petit Le Mans was not easy for the Audi works team as
the
Audi customer teams Champion and Johansson once more put on a great
performance. Both customer cars were leading the race at Road Atlanta
and
had to settle behind the Audi works team only during the second half of
the
race. Stop-and-go-penalties were imposed against the two customer cars
and
some minor incidents, a broken wheel on the Champion R8 and non working
tail
lights on the Johansson R8 eventually played the race into the hands of
the
Audi works team. Stefan Johansson/Patrick Lemarié finished second,
Johnny
Herbert/Andy Wallace completed the Audi 1-2-3 victory with their third
place
in the Champion R8.

With their second ALMS victory in a row Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela
also
decided the drivers´ championship of the American Le Mans Series for
themselves. Because of the controversial ALMS point system, which gives
various extra points, Emanuele Pirro secured the title. Frank Biela has
to
be content with the second place in the championship by a narrow
margin.

The title dreams of Rinaldo Capello and Tom Kristensen in the companion
Infineon Audi R8 ended very early. Shortly before the end of the first
hour
Kristensen had to retire after an accident while leading the race.
Capello
and Kristensen finished the ALMS season 3rd and 4th.

Audi had already clinched the manufacturers´ and teams´ championships
of the
American Le Mans Series. Therewith Audi has successfully defended all
its
titles in the ALMS.

Quotes after the race:

Frank Biela (#2): "The race was not easy, and I had some big moments
during
my first two stints. You had to leave the race line very often because
of
the heavy traffic. That´s why I got pick-up on the tires and went off
more
than once. Apart from that the car was perfect. I enjoyed the race very
much
from the first to the last minute. I feel sorry for Dindo and Tom that
it
was decided in this way. But that´s racing. For us though it has been a
perfect race. This result makes me feel happy."

Emanuele Pirro (#2): "The race was very hard and very hot. Not in
temperature but in terms of competition, especially at the beginning.
We
tried to keep out of trouble and we succeeded. Of course I am really
happy
about the title. The only sad thing is that I am not able to share the
title
with Frank who has done exactly the same job and not one percent less
than I
did. Dindo and Tom also did a great championship. It would have been
nice to
have all four of us in first place. I also want to give a thought to
the
people who can not celebrate because of the problems that are going on
in
the world now. If I could give the championship away for a little bit
of
peace I would do it."

Rinaldo Capello (#1): "Of course I am disappointed for Tom and me
because we
were still hoping to win the championship. It is unbelievable that we
retired three times in the last six races. This never happened in the
past
and I hope it will never happen again. Tom and me showed everybody that
we
are quick enough to win the championship. But we had some bad luck at
the
end of the season. Congratulations to Emanuele and of course to Frank.
Both
of them had a great season winning Le Mans and Emanuele winning the
championship. I am happy for them."

Tom Kristensen (#1): "I am happy to be okay. The car proved to be very
strong because it was the biggest impact I have ever had in my whole
career.
When I braked for turn 1, everything was fine, but when I accelerated
and
steered more, the car just went straight. I suddenly lost so much front
end
grip, that I thought I had a puncture. But after having checked all the
data
it looks like there was pick-up on the front left tyre and the compound
appeared to have broken loose. Frank had similar problems later on. But
he
was warned after my accident while I was completely surprised. Hats off
for
Emanuele and Frank."

Stefan Johansson (#18): "I suffered a stop-and-go penalty early on when
I
was adjudged to have overtaken Pirro before the green flag after a
caution
period but I thought he was slowing. It was a really fun race but
frantic
from start to finish involving pure racing. The Audi ran strongly
throughout - a great car."

Patrick Lemarié (#18): "After three hours I served a 20-secs penalty
because
a mechanic had cleaned the brake duct while the car was being
re-fuelled.
The car was superb, I was really enjoying myself, but I lost a lot of
time
when we needed to change the rear body section due to a rear light
problem.
That looked to have cost us any chance of finishing second but then
Herbert
hit trouble."

Johnny Herbert (#38): "I had enjoyed a pretty steady race until 50
minutes
from the end when I lost the rear brakes. The car had been superb until
that
point and we looked good for a solid second - there was nothing we
could do
about the Pirro/Biela Audi, they were just too fast."

Andy Wallace (#38): "When I took over from Johnny I felt a bad
vibration
through a front wheel which lost me time. We got a penalty after almost
three hours when I run over some equipment in our pit area. Then a
wheel
centre broke on the left rear after seven hours when we were placed
second,
just 45secs behind the leading Audi."

Reinhold Joest, Team Director Audi Sport North America: "The beginning
of
the race was very turbulent. After the accident of Tom Kristensen our
chances to win the race had been cut in half very early. But I am more
than
happy that we were still able to put a nice end to the season for Audi,
our
team and the drivers."

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of Audi Sport: "This victory was a great team
effort. We had not a single problem with Frank´s and Emanuele´s car. Of
course, the end of the race for Tom and Dindo caused by the accident is
a
pitty. But we had also an exciting battle with our two customer cars.
Congratulations to the Johansson and the Champion teams."

Race results:

1. Biela/Pirro (Infineon Audi R8) 394 laps
2. Johansson/Lemarié (Audi R8) - 3 laps
3. Herbert/Wallace (Audi R8) - 6 laps
4. Taylor/Angelelli/Tinseau (Cadillac) - 12 laps
5. Bernard/Collard/Goossens (Cadillac) - 30 laps
6. Pilgrim/Collins/Freon (Chevrolet) - 32 laps
7. Duno/Graham/Maxwell (Reynard) - 33 laps
8. Said/Stuck/Auberlen (BMW) - 34 laps
9. Müller/Müller (BMW) - 35 laps
10. Magnussen/Brabham (Panoz) - 36 laps

Audi season to date:
Texas Qualify first and twenty-second, Capello on pole
Finish first and second, Capello/Kristensen win
Sebring Qualify first and second, Pirro on pole
Finish first and second, Capello/Aiello/Alboreto win
Donington Qualify first and second, Kristensen on pole
Finish first and second, Capello/Kristensen win
Jarama Qualify first and second, Kristensen on pole
Finish first and second, Capello/Kristensen
Le Mans Qualify first and second, Capello on pole
Finish first and second, Biela/Kristensen/Pirro
Sears Point Qualify first and second, Capello on pole
Finish first and second, Capello/Kristensen
Portland Qualify second and third, Kristensen second, Pirro third
Finish second and fifth
Mosport Qualify first and second, Capello on pole
Finish first and twenty-fourth, Biela and Pirro
Mid-Ohio Qualify first and third, Kristensen on pole
Finish second and fourth
Laguna Seca Qualify first and third, Capello on pole
Finish first and twenty-fourth, Biela and Prrro
Road Atlanta Qualify first and second, Kristensen on pole
Finish first and thirty-seventh, Pirro and Biela