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new energy by spending time with his
family and with friends. There is no
time for that during an endurance race
such as Le Mans. Being in action for
24 hours, including right through the
night, is a real drain. You need to fi nd
some peace and quiet so that you can
concentrate and recharge your bat-
teries quickly. “I never lose focus during
a race,” declares the racing driver.
“But when you’re in the lead, you
suddenly start to refl ect on your next
moves.” Things can then get precarious.
“That’s when mistakes happen.”
Badstuber, too, recognizes the
danger. “You need to keep your
concentration going throughout the
whole game.” As a soccer player, he
makes intensive mental preparations
and plays through the moves in his
mind – over and over again. “In soccer,
strategy is even more important
than speed,” he concludes. “As a
professional, you need to know your
opponents, analyze their weaknesses
and play to your own strengths.”
Badstuber is left-footed, so he hits the
ball more powerfully with his left foot
than with his right. He is also highly
regarded by his team colleagues for his
passing technique and positional play.
Those are his strengths, and the reason
why coaches prefer to play him on the
left side of central defense.
Rockenfeller agrees that strategy
is also important in motor sport.
“Our 2010 win at Le Mans is a good
example,” explains the 27-year-old.
“We soon worked out that we weren’t
going to be the fastest.” Instead, a
change of strategy was called for: to
protect the engines and concentrate on
endurance, rather than push the cars
to the limits and drive on full throttle.
At various times a number of other
contenders held a commanding lead.
But one by one, they were forced out of
the race by technical faults.
Rockenfeller’s ambitions for 2011
are to “drive a lot and compete in
both the DTM and Le Mans. Winning
Le Mans again would be just brilliant.”
And the soccer player? “I want to keep
developing as an individual and a
player,” he declares, with ambitions to
remain at the top of his game in the
Bundesliga, the Champions League and
the next World Cup.
LEONIE THIM
Mike Rockenfeller (left) and Holger
Badstuber are motivated by the same
things: speed, endurance and strategy.
O
Strong partners
Audi and Bayern Munich
AUDI AG has also been a shareholder
of FC Bayern München AG since 2010.
The association that dates back to
2002 has consequently been taken
to a new level. AUDI AG is also the
exclusive vehicle partner of the record-
breaking German league champions.
In 2010, coach Louis van Gaal secured
the German league title and won the
German Cup with his team Bayern Munich.
PHOTOS | DAVID KÖNIGSMANN/TANK MANAGEMENT (4); FRED JOCH
An audio version of this article is available
at: www.audi.com/ar2010/athletes