Despite trailing Peugeot going into the weekend, Audi was able to celebrate triple title success after wrapping up the Le Mans Series drivers', manufacturers' and teams' titles in the final round of the year at Silverstone.

While victory in the race went to Allan McNish and Dindo Capello, fourth place for Mike Rockenfeller and Alex Premat proved to be good enough for them to secure the drivers' crown at the wheel of the #2 R10 TDi, with their only scare coming when they were forced to pit late on with damaged suspension.

However, having lost just four laps while repairs were carried out, the pair took the flag in fourth to lift the crown.

"I always believed that we could make it – and now it's come true,” Rockenfeller said. “In a championship you've got to consistently score good points and we did that at the first four races. And today we scored the necessary points as well. Of course we'd have liked to win this race, but I'm extremely happy that our 'sister car' clinched this win here for Audi.

“Audi won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the last race of the LMS and the championship – it's hard to top that. For Alex and me it was very important to clinch this title."

Audi Sport Team Joest also lifted the teams' crown after a race of misfortune for Audi, while the German manufacturer was able to successfully overhaul Peugeot to ensure a title hat-trick and leave the French squad empty handed – despite a season which yielded four race wins out of five.

“We're proud to have won the Le Mans Series straight in our first year against such strong rivals,” head of Audi Motorsport Wolfgang Ullrich said. “Maybe we dreamt that we'd be going home from here with race victory and the championship title but it was hard work. The whole team did a great job. The pit stops and the strategy were very good and the boys drove a constantly fast pace.

“We were at the level of our strongest rivals who took themselves out of the race due to accidents, and we made the maximum of the situation. Well done to the whole squad."