Audi and Toyota are locked in battle for the World Endurance Championship crown as the racing resumed after a long break since Le Mans.
‘You may have won the battle but the war continues’. It’s a pretty common and clichéd taunt and one that Toyota may have used against Audi after the German manufacturer won the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The famous endurance race was the third round of this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship, which has three more rounds left following the conclusion of events in America and Japan.
In many ways, however, Le Mans is a championship in itself given that it is four times longer than any of the other six hour events that make up the WEC calendar.
Even if Toyota manages to clinch this year’s overall title, Audi would arguably have bragging rights thanks to its Le Mans triumph that came after yet another failed attempt by Toyota to be victorious at the storied event.
As if to rub it in to Toyota, the German marque triumphed at the Six Hours of Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas when the WEC returned to racing following a long break after Le Mans.
The third place for Toyota’s team of Anthony Davidson/Sebastien Buemi/Nicolas Lapiere was a repeat of the consolation podium for the Japanese carmaker at Le Mans as they saw Audi take the top two places.
Formula 1’s latest ‘rookie’ Andre Lotterer along with Benoit Treluyer and Marcel Fassler took the win at Texas just as they did at Le Mans.
Suddenly Audi had not only won two straight events but had also taken the lead in the manufacturer’s championship.
The concern for Toyota was obvious as they headed into their home event at the spectacularly located Fuji Speedway.
Against the backdrop of Mount Fuji, Toyota felt their proverbial backs against the wall. Not only had they yet again failed to triumph at Le Mans, but were losing out on the overall championship.
It was a situation that needed to be corrected and the team responded as former F1 racers Davidson and Buemi took pole and victory to give Toyota the lead in the manufacturers’ championship by the slender margin of eight points.
Races in Shanghai, Bahrain and Sao Paulo will continue to be the stage for Audi and Toyota to battle it out while Porsche eases into their return to prototype endurance racing.
Live streams on the championship’s official website and social media updates have allowed fans to keep up with the engrossing tale that is unfolding this year.
Now to see who is in it for the long haul in the motorsport discipline that is all about being locked in battle for the long run.
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