Motorsport: The first match point for Neel Jani

If everything doesn't go wrong, Neel Jani will be the 2016 World Endurance Champion with Porsche. Ideally, the man from Biel can close the bag as early as Sunday in China. For Marcel Fässler, the short farewell tour with Audi begins. In principle, Neel Jani's tactics would be quite simple to make the math work out as early as at the second-to-last race. "We just have to be ready before the [...]

The cameras will now be increasingly focused on them: Porsche team boss Andreas Seidl chats with his Swiss driver Neel Jani.

In principle, Neel Jani's tactics would be quite simple to make the math work in the second-to-last race. "We just have to finish ahead of the best Toyota and the best Audi in the championship. Then we won't have to dither in Bahrain." But it was the four races following the triumph at Le Mans that turned into a sustained nail-biter for Romain Dumas, Marc Lieb and him. The Porsche trio's lap times were too inconsistent, added to that was racing bad luck, and the lead melted away like snow in the sun.

At the two 6-hour races at Shanghai (November 6) and Bahrain (November 19), 25 points each are up for grabs for victory and one additional point each for pole position. But apart from pole setter Neel Jani at Le Mans, the best grid position has not yet helped anyone to a full victory, if one disregards the subsequent disqualification of Marcel Fässler's Audi at Silverstone. On Sunday, Neel Jani's team will start in China with a 23-point advantage over the Toyota that won at Fuji three weeks ago.

If Jani's car wins, it no longer matters who finishes second in Shanghai. The 32-year-old from Biel will then be the second Swiss world champion since Marcel Fässler in 2012. Otherwise, the nail-biter will go into overtime until Bahrain. The worst would be a total failure, i.e. a zero, as every other factory team has experienced this season. Neel Jani: "The Shanghai GP circuit suits our Porsche 919 Hybrid better than Fuji because of its aerodynamic efficiency. But I still expect it to be another close battle with Audi and Toyota, as has been the case in all races so far."

Start of the farewell tour: Marcel Fässler will be driving the Audi R18 for the penultimate time on Sunday in China.
Start of the farewell tour: Marcel Fässler will be driving the Audi R18 for the penultimate time on Sunday in China.

Marcel Fässler will not comment on his future until after the end of the season
For Marcel Fässler, China is the beginning of the end of his LMP1 career with Audi. As reported, the Ingolstadt-based company will focus on the DTM and Formula E as well as customer sports in the future. In the course of the sporting realignments within the VW Group and the cost-cutting measures as a result of the emissions scandal, Volkswagen also announced its withdrawal from the World Rally Championship. Marcel Fässler no longer has a chance in the WRC, he can only hope for a race win. In terms of basic speed, the Audi R18 would be capable of doing so. The 40-year-old from Schwyz will not comment on his sporting future until after the finale in Bahrain.

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