McNish, Kristensen pair up for ILMC

McNish and Dindo Capello have traditionally shared a car in Audi's championship campaigns in recent years, while Kristensen has joined up for the major endurance events.

But for the ILMC, which kicks off within Le Mans Series finale the AUTOSPORT 1000kms at Silverstone next month and continues through Petit Le Mans and a new six-hour race at Zhuhai in China, McNish and Kristensen will be permanently paired in the #7 Audi.

Capello will join them as a third driver at Road Atlanta, but will share the #8 car with Timo Bernhard at Silverstone and Romain Dumas at Zhuhai. Marcel Fassler, Andre Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer will come in to drive the #9 Audi for Petit Le Mans.

Audi sport boss Dr Wolfgang Ullrich said the driver rotations were part of the team's preparations for 2011, when it intends to field an unchanged line-up in the R18 it is developing for the new Le Mans rules.

"Because there's only a make and team but no driver classification we're using the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup as an opportunity to integrate the drivers who haven't competed for us very often, even better with our team," said Ullrich. "Our aim is to compete at Le Mans in 2011 with the same drivers as this year."

He also reiterated Audi's excitement at the start of the ILMC, which will expand into a full-length championship for '11.

"Audi has been involved in sports prototype racing since 1999 and has had the vision of a worldwide racing series for these types of vehicles ever since," he said. "We're delighted that the ACO is now translating this vision into reality. The Intercontinental Le Mans Cup gives us the opportunity to compete with our sports prototypes in very important markets."