Audi engined Lola gets set for Le Mans
With an all Swiss driver line up of Marcel Fassler and Jean Denis Deletraz, the team are sure to be front runners with the Audi V8 bi-turbo powered Lola LMP1. Today's announcement means that Lola now have programs involving three manufacturers; Acura (Honda), Mazda and now the manufacturer that has recently re-written the sportscar history books – Audi.
Last season the Swiss Spirit team competed in a full European program with the French, Courage chassis manufacturer. With Fassler continuing with the team for 2007 it was decided to upgrade to the Lola B07/10 chassis, that proved to be the only consistent challenger to the Audi R10's in last seasons American Le Mans Series.
In charge of the new combination of Lola chassis and Audi engine will be experienced sportscar entrant and long standing Audi customer Fred Stalder, who ran Touring Cars for the German manufacturer in the 1980's and 1990's. Jean Denis Deletraz has a long and varied career in motorsport after racing for the French GDBA F3000 team in the later 1980's before making his Formula One debut for the Larousse team in 1994. Deletraz has also raced many sportscars and enjoyed success with Stalder's former team, ROC in 2001 and 2002 when they took victory in the LMP675 class at Le Mans.
Marcel Fassler is acknowledged as one of the fastest sportscar drivers around and is a former test driver for the Sauber Formula One team. He was also a front runner in the DTM with Mercedes and Opel.