.
 
  2008 ALMS Drivers
 
  Emanuele Pirro (Italy)
  Frank Biela (Germany)
 
  Marco Werner (Germany)
  Lucas Luhr (Germany)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
         
     
 

The four Audi drivers have won a combined total of 9 ALMS titles
 
  Emanuele Pirro (left) and Frank Biela – one of the most successful driver duos ever  

Lucas Luhr returns to the American Le Mans Series after a year in the DTM

  

Marco Werner won the LM P1 title twice

in succession in 2003 and 2004
 
 

Biela/Pirro team up again

Audi relies on four former champions in the American Le Mans Series: Frank Biela, Lucas Luhr, Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner. With the duo Biela/Pirro one of the most successful driver pairings returns to the series. From 2000 to 2002 and 2005/2006 the two seasoned campaigners celebrated a total of 16 overall victories in the American Le Mans Series. They each won the LM P1 class title twice.

 

Marco Werner was also twice LM P1 class champion. In 2008

the German forms a new team with Lucas Luhr. “Lucky” Luhr

 
 

has already won three American Le Mans Series titles: 2002 and 2003 in the GT2 class, 2006 the LM P2 category.

Luhr demonstrated at Le Mans and in the “Petit Le Mans” event at Road Atlanta in 2007 that he also numbers among the quickest at the wheel of a LM P1 sportscar.

Luhr/Werner contest all eleven races. Biela/Pirro start their campaign at the second round in St Petersburg. Audi starts with the driver teams Capello/McNish/Kristensen and Luhr/ Rockenfeller/Werner in the season opener at Sebring.
 

 

 
 
  Audi factory driver Emanuele Pirro (I)
 
 

Women have to keep an eye on Emanuele Pirro: He is a charmer who loves to flirt. And whoever invites Emanuele Pirro on stage at an event must be prepared for almost anything. He usually says, “I’m delighted to see you all here” before responding to the first question.

 

Emanuele Pirro knows how to get support and listeners on his side. He uses his personality and charisma. Hardly any other racing driver has such excellent all-round knowledge and as many interests as Pirro.

 

“As racing drivers we are extremely privileged to be able to travel so much”, says the Roman who uses every opportunity to see the sights, or visit museums or exhibitions. In addition to his day job as professional
 

race driver, he also runs a software company, hotels and an agency specialising in marketing and events. He has a pilot’s licence and owns a plane. The list of sports that interest him and those that he does himself is long.

 

Hard to believe that he has any spare time for the family that is of special importance to him. His wife Marie-Hélène comes from Belgium. They met each other at the Monaco Grand Prix when he was a Formula 1 driver.

 

His sons Christoforo and Goffredo could follow in his footsteps one day. Emanuele Pirro has driven for Audi since 1994. He knows that his career will not last forever, but the fire still burns. His target for 2008: The tenth podium finish in succession at Le Mans.
 
 
  He saw a shooting star when he was 5 years-old and wished to be a racing driver
 
 

 
 

 

  Audi factory driver Frank Biela (D)

 
 

Whoever researches the last 20 years of Audi Motorsport history repeatedly encounters the name Frank Biela. The man born in Neuss drives for Audi since 1991. Nobody has won more championship titles and races for the Ingolstadt based brand than Biela. And not only that: Frank Biela played a decisive role in the development of every successful Audi race car – from V8 quattro to R10 TDI.

 

Despite numerous victories and championship titles the German’s feet remain firmly planted on the ground. He is not a poser. He did not become a racing driver to be the focus of attention. The media hubbub was never his thing, but he is nevertheless popular with journalists since he tells the truth and knows what he is talking about.

 
 

Frank Biela is reliability in person – his private life and ontrack

alike. Scandals? No such luck. Race cars destroyed? You can count them on one hand. He is nevertheless somebody who broods frequently and is always selfcritical. He views this as strength and weakness at the same time.

 

His greatest weakness is smoking. When he stopped, his racing went downhill. So, he started again. Things have looked better ever since.

 

His private bliss is called Patricia, with whom he is married since 2004 and has a son with. Daughter Isabelle is the fruit of an earlier partnership. In addition to racing, Frank Biela is involved in the property business. Model aeroplanes and slotcars are a great passion.
 

 

  Frank Biela contests his 18th season for Audi

 

 

 
 

  Audi factory driver Marco Werner (D)
 
 

“Audi”, says Marco Werner “was the biggest break I’ve had in my career. In the formative years of my career it was always a question of money or politics. At Audi it’s only about performance.”

 

The qualified mechanic has always delivered the goods throughout his career. He even defeated a certain Michael Schumacher at a “star of tomorrow” driving assessment. He came within an ace of concluding a Formula 1 deal after winning the prestigious Formula 3 Grand Prix in Monaco in convincing style in 1992. However, owing to a lack of funds he landed in the endurance cup held on the Nürburgring – a racing series for private drivers and the championship in which he contested his first ever race. Marco Werner has had to take such setbacks and disappointments on the chin time and again.

 

The big opportunity to race sportscars for Audi only came in 2002. It speaks volumes that he has never given up and has nevertheless made it. “One of my strengths is that I’m very calm”, says Marco Werner. “It’s not that easy to ruffle my feathers.”

 

Between races, tests and PR appointments he finds time to relax in Ermatingen, a small village on the Swiss side of Lake Constance. He lives together with Annett, who he married in 2007, and spends his time-off in the garden, cycling, playing golf and can be seen on his wakeboard regularly in summer. However, Werner prefers the seclusion of the Audi R10 TDI cockpit. In the summer of 2007 he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the third time in succession. “To be able to drive for Audi is, quite simply, a dream. I’m enjoying my time here.”

 
 
 
  Marco Werner celebrated his third Le Mans victory in a row with Audi in 2007
 

 

 
 

  Audi factory driver Lucas Luhr (D)
 
 

Lucas Luhr has a dream: “I want to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And I believe that at Audi I’m in exactly the right place.” The young German, who moved from Monte Carlo to Lake Constance in Switzerland a year ago, originates from the Porsche staircase of talent. With the Swabians he’s won everything there was to win. More recently the 2006 American Le Mans Series LM P2 class title.

 

Lucas Luhr now targets more than just class wins. “With Audi I can fight for overall honours”, he says. After a year of DTM and a start at Le Mans he concentrates solely on his sportscar programme. He demonstrated his abilities at Le Sarthe by posting constant fast laps before the car retired early following his team mate’s accident.

 

His performance in the American Le Mans Series was even more noteworthy: When he deputised at the shortest possible notice for Emanuele Pirro, Luhr had to start from the back of field without having turned a single lap in the Audi R10 TDI beforehand. He was already in second place overall when we handed the car over to Marco Werner.

 

The career change from Porsche to Audi was not the only important step Lucas Luhr made before the 2007 season. He also married his partner Claudia. The couple have two children and he spends as much of his free time as possible with the family. His second great passion is rather unusual for a racing driver: Lucas Luhr likes to go fishing.

 
 
 

  Lucas Luhr won the 24-hour race around the Nürburgring in 2006