Marcel Fessler, Andre Lotterer (centre), and Benoit Treluyer (right).

Audi Motorsport has opened its doors just a crack and let slip an insight into how the drivers the company chooses have made the brand so dominant in endurance racing.

As the Le Mans 24-hour race approaches, long-standing head of Motorsport Wolfgang Ullrich has explained in an Audi-hosted interview that putting personal interests aside and being a team player are vital.

“Our drivers have to be team players and identify with the brand,” he said. “Then they will form a unit together with the team director and the head of Sport. Everyone pursues their aims together and everyone supports each other, especially in difficult moments. The drivers have to be willing to put individual interests aside.”

Simply being fast is not enough for the company that has won eight of the last 11 Le Mans 24-hour races. Having the right ideals is what interests Audi, and one of the key ideals is finishing the race – not crashing.

“The talent has got to be very strong, but it’s not strictly about sitting in a car for a longer period of time and driving consistent lap times anymore,” said Dr Ullrich.

“Today, we need drivers who manage to complete a real 24-hour sprint in the team without making any mistakes. That’s why we’ve always signed driver personalities who caught our attention with their performance potential and ability to assess risks, and who thus rarely had accidents.”

“For us, it’s important to have race drivers in the squad who also fit the Audi brand well in terms of their personalities,” he stresses, “but you can only tell how good a driver squad functions after it’s driven together. A single race is typically not enough for this.”

Dr Ullrich, who has been in the same post since 1993, has a fine track record of signing the right drivers. The first driver who penned a contract with the Austrian was Emanuele Pirro. He remained under contract for 15 years and today is a brand ambassador for the company.

Likewise, his compatriot Dindo Capello, who has since acquired shareholdings in three Audi centres in Italy, was an Audi factory driver for an incredible 19 years, and Frank Biela for 18.

At the moment, though, it’s a trio of more recent acquisitions who are enjoying the greatest success. Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer have celebrated two consecutive Le Mans victories and the FIA WEC World Champion’s title in 2012. Prior to being signed by Audi in 2010, none of the three drivers had even been on the podium at Le Mans.

“This is a combination of three exceptional talents,” praises the head of Motorsport. “Here, a squad has formed that has absolute trust in each other. And every member is on a great performance level.

“This means we’ve got three absolute sports car stars together in one car. And they’ve personally grown so close together that they’re extremely united and thus exceptionally strong.”