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From YourSITE.com Miscellaneous Features
It’s hard to argue the merit of Frank Biela, works driver for Audi Sport. Now 42-years old, the German began his career driving for Ingolstadt back in the days when the brand campaigned its V8 sedan in the DTM series. He’d capture the DTM championship by 1991, another French touring car championship in ’93, the BTCC championship at the wheel of his A4 quattro during Audi’s world dominating 1996 season, the ALMS championship in ’05, and also no less than five wins at Le Mans - three in the R8 and two in the R10. It’s hard to imagine Frank driving anything but an Audi, though the possibility of just that was quite real as he returned to Le Mans hoping to win his fifth. Biela was noticeably absent from the Audi driver lineup in the American Le Mans Series 2007. With only two cars, each with their own two-man team, Frank took his turn off the ALMS roster, a roster that includes Emanuele Pirro, Marco Werner, Allan McNish and Dindo Capello this season.
Unlike some of his other Audi Sport teammates, Biela didn’t take a seat on Audi’s DTM squad until he was asked to substitute after a few fellow drivers were sidelined as the result of a crash in the season opener. Even still, Frank is a former champion of the series and raced during the golden years of the DTM and alongside greats like Hans Stuck. So, when he returned this year, the reception was warm, but short-lived as he only remained for only one race. We asked Frank about his DTM return when we ran into him in Le Mans. “It was fun,” he said, “but, I was only in it for one race. You cannot be competitive in only one race.” With Audi firmly entrenched in DTM and “tin tops” such a big part of Frank’s resume, we pushed further. Did he prefer sportscar racing or DTM? “Sportscar for sure,” he said with a smile.
When Frank returned to Le Mans this year, he appeared visibly more trim. He also looked relaxed, his young son sitting atop his shoulders and his partner by his side as he strode through the scrutineering area on Tuesday of raceweek.
Another change for Frank was his helmet. After nearly twenty years without changing the yellow and red design, he finally made a few slight changes that included a black top. Teammate Emanuele Pirro ribbed him about the change. “On the verge of retirement,” Pirro quipped, “he goes and changes it.”
Frank would go on throughout the week, focused in his own quiet way. You’d still see him giving in to his vise, taking one last drag on a cigarette and then tramping it out with his Sparco driving shoe as he began an interview. Still, it was actions like his out-of-the-box fast-paced qualifying times on Wednesday or his four-straight stints at the seat of his #1 Audi R10 during the 24 Hours of Le Mans that showed, in more ways than one, Frank was still in the game and still a force to be reckoned with.
Perhaps as a way of saying he’s still every bit as competitive as he once was and not ready for retirement, Frank ditched the new black-top helmet sometime during the race. Photos from the 24 Hours show him back in the familiar red and yellow and also back at a blistering pace. He and his teammates would go on to win this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans – the last remaining R10 in the race when the flag fell at 3 PM on Sunday. Frank’s contract with Audi Sport ended the following day.
Word around the track is that Frank is a free agent and looking for a seat, particularly in the ALMS for the remainder of the season. Certainly the man’s got credentials, though it’s hard to imagine him driving anything that doesn’t carry the four rings of Audi. It’s even harder to imagine a team at the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans without one of the brand’s most successful works drivers on one of the driver teams. So where will Frank end up? The German wasn’t saying anything on that subject in France, nor was Audi Sport. However, one might look down pit row at Swiss Spirit to imagine an Audi-powered future for Frank. It’s doubtful the Swiss team with the Audi-powered Lola will pick up Frank for the remaining LMS season, though mentions by Audi Sport staff of additional FSI-powered Lolas in sportscar racing for next season certainly point toward a wider selection of Audis on grids in either the ALMS or LMS for Frank to choose from. Either way, we can’t imagine Frank anywhere else than Audi for next year’s Le Mans.
Congratulations to Frank on his most recent win. With five first-place trophies from Le Mans on his mantle, the German joins an exclusive club. Only a handful of drivers, including teammate Emanuele Pirro, have ever made it to five. And, only the great Jackie Ickx (six wins) and teammate Tom Kristensen (seven wins) have ever earned more.
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