Forza 4 'November Speed Pack' includes Audi R15++ and RS3

For those four-ringed Forza 4 fans out there, you have two very enticing reasons to download the new November Speed Pack. As part of this month's ten car DLC, Turn 10 Studios has introduced the Audi R15++ TDI and RS3 Sportback to Forza Motorsport 4. Official trailer and details after the jump.



As posted on ForzaMotorsport.net, The full November Speed Pack includes:

2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4: The newest Bull in the Lamborghini stable has arrived: fans can take it for a spin in “Forza Motorsport 4”and experience what it’s like to whip past rivals at 200 miles per hour.

2012 Aston Martin Virage: Aston Martin’s newest coupe features a barking V12 that balances a perfect ratio of horsepower to torque to propel the Virage down the open road.

2011 #2 Audi Sport Team Joest R15++ TDI: The final version of the Audi R15, the R15 “Plus Plus,” celebrated the R15s final race at the 2011 Sebring 12 Hours.

2011 Audi RS3 Sportback: The newest member of the Audi RennSport line boasts the same 2.5-liter turbocharged direct-injection five-cylinder found in the TT-RS, propelling it from 0 to 60 in only 4.6 seconds.

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air: A true automotive icon, the “57 Chevy” gained notoriety as a hot rod and is now one of the most recognizable American cars of all time.

2012 Dodge Charger SRT8: The 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 is a serious performance machine with a 470-hp 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 that responds to throttle inputs with no hesitation.

2011 Ferrari #62 Risi Competizione F458 Italia: Matched only by the legendary heritage of Ferrari, the Risi Competizione team has won two Le Mans championships and achieved 29 podium finishes.

2013 Ford Focus ST: Debuting with the same 250-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine that the much larger Ford Explorer SUV uses, the new Ford Focus ST packs a serious punch.

1992 GMC Typhoon: The 280 horses on tap in the GMC Typhoon allow it to do things unthinkable for an SUV before its introduction.

2011 Volkswagen Scirocco R: The Scirocco R serves as the platform for race cars in the Scirocco R-Cup, which brings world-famous drivers to the Hockenheim track each year.

"The November Speed Pack will be available for 560 MS Points ($7 USD) and will be free to download for those who have already purchased the Forza Motorsport 4 Season Pass. The Season Pass is your ticket to six game add-on packs as they’re released through the next year. Players can purchase the Season Pass on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and at participating retailers – including Best Buy and GameStop – for only 2,400 Microsoft points ($29.99 USD) The “Forza Motorsport 4” Season Pass is redeemable for six game add-on packs, representing a 30 percent overall savings as compared to purchasing the content separately. New purchasers will also receive all previously released game add-on content and the November Speed Pack."

Source: ForzaMotorsport.net

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Audi finishes 4th and 5th in R15 TDI's farewell race at 12 Hours of Sebring

Yesterday's 12 Hours of Sebring marked the end of an era in Audi Motorsport; the final race of the venerable R15 TDI. Unfortunately though, yesterday's race would not be followed by the pomp and circumstance and champagne shower such a great car deserves. Despite a blistering fast pace (even being the fastest cars on the track at times), a series of unexpected incidents such as back-to-back tire punctures on the #1 car and unavoidable contact between the #2 and a Peugeot would keep Audi from the podium with a 4th and 5th place finish.

Press Release: Ingolstadt/Sebring, March 20, 2011 - The Audi R15 TDI was on par with the new LMP1 sports cars from Peugeot and Acura/Honda in its last ever race. But Audi Sport Team Joest missed racing luck in the season opener of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) at Sebring (U.S. state of Florida).

Both cars were delayed by incidents in the first half of the 12-hour race. The hopes of Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Mike Rockenfeller were destroyed after one hour of racing, when Rockenfeller had to pit twice in a row with a rear left puncture. Both times there was also bodywork and rear wing damage. The repairs cost a total of eight laps and dropped the reigning Le Mans winners down to 50th position.

Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish were able to take the lead several times with the "sister” car. At the beginning of the fifth hour, however, Capello, running in second position, became the victim of an attack by Peugeot driver Marc Gene who hit Capello hard on the right rear wheel. As a result of the collision, the right rear suspension of the Audi R15 TDI had to be replaced. The Italian rejoined the race in 17th position, seven laps down.

In the remaining hours, the two Audi teams were able to move up into fourth and fifth positions respectively with consistently good lap times. However, Audi Sport Team Joest was denied the hoped-for victory in the "farewell” race for the Audi R15 TDI despite both cars having the performance to achieve it.

In March 2009, the Audi R15 TDI won the Sebring 12 Hours on its race debut. The greatest triumph came last year with a 1-2-3 victory and a new distance record in the Le Mans 24 Hours. In total, the Audi R15 TDI competed in ten races from 2009 to 2011. It scored three victories, twelve podium results, one pole position and two fastest race laps. A total of ten chassis (100-105 and 201-204) have been built.

After its "farewell” appearance at Sebring, the record winning car of the Le Mans 24 Hours will now finally be moved to the museum. Audi Sport Team Joest from now on will entirely focus on the new closed Audi R18 with its race debut scheduled for the second round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup on May 7 at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium).


Quotes after the race:

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "Today we had the performance to get on the highest spot of podium. But unfortunately we had problems with both cars we could not really influence. The team afterwards simply tried to make the best of it. After the problems, which were not our fault, both cars recorded consistently good lap times. The R15 TDI would have certainly deserved a better conclusion. And that today would have been possible. Now we have to look forward.”

Dindo Capello (Audi R15 TDI #2): "The incident with Gene destroyed the race for the #2 Audi and affected me mentally in my last stint. The car was capable of going faster, Tom (Kristensen) and Allan (McNish) showed that. Watching the television replays of the incident afterwards, it is clear I was not responsible for the accident – and only this makes me feel a little more relaxed. To have our race effectively ended before mid-distance was frustrating.”

Tom Kristensen (Audi R15 TDI #2): "The Sebring 12 Hours is over – a brilliant race and a good send-off for the R15 TDI and certainly one of its best performances. But of course we are disappointed too. Until the incident with Marc Gene we were definitely in contention. We had a great car, especially in the evening stints, and would have had a good shot at winning to put the car in the museum in perfect style. The engineers and crew did a great job all week.”

Allan McNish (Audi R15 TDI #2): "It was a fast and tense race as we knew it would be but unfortunately for our car and also the sister car we had problems earlier on. The sister car with two punctures while for our car, Marc Gene miscalculated and collected Dindo which damaged the right rear suspension and put us some laps down. We can go away with some positives that the car was very competitive with good balance and worked well especially towards the end of the race. The lap times were fast and we would have been in with a chance for the victory.”

Timo Bernhard (Audi R15 TDI #1): "We finished fifth, although today we had a car to win. The Audi R15 TDI was absolutely competitive here. We had two punctures in a row which was just unlucky. ‘Rocky’ apparently collected carbon splinters on the track. We never gave up, but of course we could not make up all of our lost laps.”

Romain Dumas (Audi R15 TDI #1): "It was a difficult race and as we’d expected with such a big field, this can create a lot of problems. Unfortunately we had a problem early in the race with punctures and this killed our race as we were unable to get back the lost time. That was a shame because I think we had one of the fastest cars in the race – our pace was very good so that’s a big shame. In general it was good, we could have won, but we didn’t – perhaps next time.”

Mike Rockenfeller (Audi R15 TDI #1): "I had two left rear punctures at the very beginning. However, I have to confirm that neither of these issues were tire problems. The first time, I ran over fragments of carbon on the track. The second time it was a result of damage by a touching body part. Too bad, because the car was handling incredibly well, especially at the end when the sun had gone down. We have to get over this and analyze the errors that have also happened.”

Ralf Jüttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Team Joest): "The cars were both very good, the drivers almost talking enthusiastic about them. We’ve really been competitive. But after an hour our problems began with ‘Rocky’s’ two damaged tires. We had to go back to the tent and it is clear you cannot make up this lost time. After that a few other bugs happened which we must learn from. The other car did well until Marc Gene ran into Dindo. We had to change the suspension in the tent, so this car was also out of contention. The fact that we still came home in fourth and fifth places at the end was quite sensational.”

Results:

1 Lapierre/Duval/Panis (Peugeot) 332 laps in 12h 00m 28.423s
2 Brabham/Franchitti/Pagenaud (Acura/Honda) + 31.868s
3 Montagny/Sarrazin/Lamy (Peugeot) + 44.502s
4 Capello/Kristensen/McNish (Audi R15 TDI) - 5 laps
5 Bernhard/Dumas/Rockenfeller (Audi R15 TDI) - 6 laps
6 Dyson/Smith/Cochran (Lola-Mazda) - 8 laps
7 Prost/Jani/Bleekemolen (Lola-Toyota) - 12 laps
8 Wurz/Gené/Davidson (Peugeot) - 17 laps
9 Petersen/Cameron/Guasch (Oreca) - 20 laps
10 Priaulx/Müller/Hand (BMW) - 20 laps



Source: Audi Motorsport

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Audi qualifies 2nd and 4th for 12 Hours of Sebring

With a lap time of 1 min. 47.680 sec., the #1 Audi R15 TDI Plus driven by Romain Dumas would be the fastest Audi of today's Sebring qualifying. Nearly one second behind pole-sitter, Stéphane Sarrazin in the new Peugeot 908 prototype, Dumas would qualify in position two; putting Audi and Peugeot neck and neck on the front row of tomorrow's 12 hour race at Sebring.

- Starting positions two and four for Audi in ILMC opener at Sebring
- Romain Dumas second in his first-ever qualifying for Audi
- 30 degrees in the shade and 56 cars on track

Press Release: Ingolstadt/Sebring, March 18, 2011 – 30 degrees in the shade and 56 cars on mere six-kilometer long race track – the conditions for the season opener of the Le Mans Intercontinental Cup (ILMC) at Sebring (U.S. state of Florida) could hardly be more difficult. Audi is in a good shape for the classic U.S. endurance race with positions two and four on the starting grid.

In its tenth and last race, the Audi R15 TDI has to run with significantly reduced engine power due to the new technical regulations. Nevertheless, Frenchman Romain Dumas, in his first-ever qualifying session for Audi, was able to split the two new Peugeot 908 prototypes and to conquer an unexpected place on the front row of the grid for Audi Sport Team Joest with the "old” R15 TDI.

During the 15-minute qualifying session, Tom Kristensen was on a similarly fast lap as his team-mate, before losing time in the final corner behind a slower car. Thus the second Audi R15 TDI will start the race from grid position four on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. local time (3:30 p.m in Germany).

Due to the high temperatures and an extremely large starting field of 56 cars from a total of six classes, the Audi team during the four practice days exclusively focused on race preparations of the two Audi R15 TDI cars making them as comfortable as possible for the drivers. Reliability will also play a decisive role over the 12-hour distance on the extremely tough track. Historically, this has been a major strength of the record winning car of the Le Mans 24 Hours.


Quotes after qualifying:

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "It is certainly a good base for a 12-hour race if you are on the first two rows with both your cars. Especially when you know that it will be a very difficult race with so many cars and certainly a lot of caution periods. Tomorrow it will be important to make no strategic mistakes and that everybody stays calm, even if the things might get hot on the track from time to time.”

Timo Bernhard (Audi R15 TDI #1): "We had a good, productive week so far. Also qualifying was really good. Romain (Dumas) put our car on the front row. This is a good starting position. The race will not be easy, because with over 50 cars it gets pretty close on a 6-kilometre track. In some corners you even cannot drive side by side. In addition there is the sand. If you have to go off-line, you quickly collect dirt. We know the reliability of the R15 TDI, so we should have fairly good chances.”

Romain Dumas (Audi R15 TDI #1): "To get a front row place on my first ever qualifying for Audi is very nice. My fastest lap was good and I did what I needed to do. It’s been a long time since I did a qualifying session in a sportscar. The Audi was nicely balanced. I don’t think there was much more in the driver and in the car. We’ve done a good job so far. Now we wait to see what will happen in the race but already we know that it will be long, hot and very competitive. It’s not decisive to start second or fourth.”

Mike Rockenfeller (Audi R15 TDI #1): "We know from experience that track coditions are constantly changing at Sebring, depending on temperatures and grip levels. I think that Romain (Dumas) did a great qualifying. To start from the front row is always nice. But the race will be damn long. We knew that qualifying is not crucial here. We therefore focused on the race from the very beginning. I hope we can still make up one place.”

Dindo Capello (Audi R15 TDI #2): "We have been here for a week and as always, the track is always different. What works one day doesn’t work the next. We are looking forward to the race and know that we have an advantage compared to our competitors with our open car with so many cars on track. We knew that in qualifying we would not be on pole but for the race I think we have a good car to fight until the end for overall victory.”

Tom Kristensen (Audi R15 TDI #2): "We’ve worked hard concentrating on optimizing our ‘old weapon’, the R15 TDI, to give it a great farewell in its final race. Qualifying was a good effort – I gave it my best shot. I was on a good lap but caught another car in the last corner. I did well not to lose too much time and still place fourth. A little more would have been possible – but not pole which was not expected, we knew the new Peugeot would be fast over one lap. The race entry must be a record and means that it’ll be a busy and long Saturday for our Audi, crew and us drivers. We have to focus on being consistent, concentrated and keep out of trouble. We have a great team and we know the car has been bullet proof in the past. So fingers crossed.”

Allan McNish (Audi R15 TDI #2): "We have worked hard fine-tuning the set-up for the race. This is more important than ever because with over 50 cars on track, traffic is a major part of the event. When you have to drive off line to overtake, you need a car that you know and feel very comfortable with so that has been one of the main objectives this week. We have got a car and a team that has the experience of this event and that will be crucial.”

Ralf Jüttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Team Joest): "Romain (Dumas) and Tom (Kristensen) have shown in qualifying, that despite the restriction the R15 TDI is still quite good. The fact that we are not on pole is not a big surprise. But starting from second and fourth positions on the grid is a strong base. It is important that the cars are the way the drivers want them. Tomorrow the last tenth of a second will not be decisive. This will rather be a strategic and tactical race, marked by numerous caution periods. Many incidents will happen. I think for that we have prepared ourselves very well.”

Qualifying results:

1 Montagny/Sarrazin/Lamy (Peugeot) 1m 46.571s
2 Bernhard/Dumas/Rockenfeller (Audi R15 TDI) 1m 47.680s
3 Wurz/Gené/Davidson (Peugeot) 1m 48.020s
4 Capello/Kristensen/McNish (Audi R15 TDI) 1m 48.173s
5 Lapierre/Duval/Panis (Peugeot) 1m 48.569s
6 Pickett/Graf/Luhr (Lola-Aston Martin) 1m 49.679s
7 Brabham/Franchitti/Pagenaud (Acura/Honda) 1m 49.802s
8 Prost/Jani/Bleekemolen (Lola-Toyota) 1m 50.756s
9 Lahaye/Moreau/Ragues (OAK-Pescarolo) 1m 51.781s
10 Dyson/Smith/Cochran (Lola-Mazda) 1m 52.233s

Source: Audi Motorsport

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Successful test for the Audi R18 at Sebring

Although Le Mans is over four months away, the Audi Sport team is hard at work gearing up for the 2011 season; and of course, the 24 hour race in June. Last week, all nine Audi ILMC drivers took to the track at Sebring (Florida) for a work out of the all-new R18 and R15++. Though we'll have to wait till Spa to see the R18 compete, Audi will contest two R15++ cars at the 12 hours of Sebring this March, kicking off the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Full press release and photo gallery after the jump.

- Two new Audi R18 cars used in tests at Sebring (USA)
- Preparation for the 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours
- All nine “factory” drivers shared the test tasks

Ingolstadt, January 31 – Four and a half months before the Le Mans 24 Hours, preparations for the endurance classic are in full swing at Audi. Two new Audi R18 cars and one Audi R15 TDI were used in tests at Sebring (U.S. state of Florida).

The program planned for the tradition-steeped American circuit specified endurance runs for one of the completely re-developed LMP1 sports cars while the second Audi R18 was primarily used for development work. The Audi R15 "plus plus” that will be fielded at the 12-hour race at Sebring – the season opener of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) – completed a long run as well. In addition, the basic setup for the race in March was worked out on the vehicle.

During the tests, which ended on Saturday, the nine Audi "factory” drivers took turns at the wheel so that all of them had the opportunity to drive each of the three sports cars.

"We’re very pleased with the performance of the Audi R18 at our first outing at Sebring,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "We opted for this race track because it makes high demands on the mechanical systems of our vehicles. The temperatures are better than in Europe right now, plus the dry weather provides us with assurance that we’re able to conduct the endurance runs as planned. On a wet track the loads would be lower and the test results therefore less conclusive.”





Source: Audi Motorsport

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Audi confirms R18 driver line-up for 2011 season

Audi Sport has released the official driver line-up for the 2011 ILMC season today. Notably, last year's Le Mans winning formation will remain unchanged for the 24 hour race in June. The season will be kicked off at Sebring where many familiar faces will be behind the wheel of an "R15++." From there, the all-new Audi R18 will debut at Spa with Bernhard, Fässler, Kristensen and McNish forming Audi's core ILMC team. Full press release after the jump.

Ingolstadt, 2011-01-24 - Audi confirms driver line-up for new Audi R18

- Unchanged formation for 24 Hours of Le Mans

- 2010 Le Mans winners also race at Sebring

- Bernhard, Fässler, Kristensen and McNish form ILMC core team

Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich has managed to sign all nine drivers who mounted the podium after last year’s historical one-two-three Audi finish in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Le Mans in 2011. The drivers who compete for the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) for Audi are also confirmed.

“Over the last few years we’ve had a very strong and harmonious driver line-up at Le Mans,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “Any one of our three cars could have won, which explains why it was our aim to compete with an unchanged driver squad at Le Mans in 2011. I’m delighted that we achieved this. Now we can concentrate solely on the development of the Audi R18 and need not integrate any new drivers into the team, which would have been associated with additional work and risks. The schedule to Le Mans is tight enough as it is.”

The three new Audi R18, competing in the 79th running of the endurance classic on 11/12 June 2011, will be occupied exactly as the three R15 TDI that broke the old distance record on the way to claiming the first three finishing positions. The R18 with start number “1” is driven by last year’s winners Timo Bernhard (Germany), Romain Dumas (France) and Mike Rockenfeller (Germany). Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen (Denmark) once again forms a team with Dindo Capello (Italy) and Allan McNish (Scotland) with whom he triumphed in 2008 at Le Mans. Last year’s second placed finishers Marcel Fässler (Switzerland), André Lotterer (Germany) and Benoît Treluyer (France) share the third R18.

The same Audi Sport Team Joest squad also contests the official Le Mans test day on April 24 and the 6-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) on May 8, which Audi uses as dress rehearsal for Le Mans again this year and in which the technically innovative Audi R18 will celebrate its race debut.

For the opening round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) at Sebring (US state Florida) on March 19, Audi Sport Team Joest will compete with two Audi R15 TDI cars modified to comply with the new technical regulations. At the wheel sit current Le Mans winners Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Mike Rockenfeller as well as 2009 Sebring winners Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish.

Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish and Timo Bernhard/Marcel Fässler are regular race drivers for the four remaining Intercontinental Le Mans Cup races held after the 24 Hours of Le Mans. If required, Audi can fall back on Porsche “factory” driver Romain Dumas to reinforce its squad at Road Atlanta.

“Due to the clashing dates in the DTM and ILMC it wasn’t easy to form the driver squad,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “For example, it prevented Mike Rockenfeller from driving a complete season in the R18. But with Porsche ‘factory’ driver Timo Bernhard, Marcel Fässler, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish for the sport prototypes we have a strong core squad with which we are well placed.”

In addition to the races a comprehensive test program with the Audi R18 is on the agenda for all nine Audi sportscar drivers. The tests will be held in the USA and Europe.

The 2011 Audi driver line-ups

Sebring
Dindo Capello/Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish
Timo Bernhard/Romain Dumas/Mike Rockenfeller

Spa, Le Mans
Dindo Capello/Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish
Timo Bernhard/Romain Dumas/Mike Rockenfeller
Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Treluyer

ILMC after Le Mans
Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish
Timo Bernhard/Marcel Fässler

Source: Audi Motorsport

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Audi R18 Le Mans Prototype Revealed

For the Audi motorsport enthusiast, this week has been one spent anxiously awaiting the debut of the successor to the Le Mans winning Audi R15 TDI Plus. Unveiled this evening at the Audi Sportpark in Ingolstadt is the future of Audi Sport - the R18. Aside from looking like the love child of Darth Vader's helmet and the Batmobile, the R18 marks the first closed cockpit Audi Le Mans prototype in over 10 years. We imagine the folks at Peugeot choked on a few croissants after seeing this bad boy.

As the powers that be at Le Mans have changed the rules for the 2011 season, a significantly smaller engine had to be used than that found in the R15 Plus. That said, Audi opted to use a 3.7-liter V6 TDI unit (retaining the company's trademark Le Mans winning diesel technology). The R18's six-speed transmission was also significantly modified for use with the smaller engine.

"From our point of view, the TDI continues to be the most efficient technology,” says Ulrich Baretzky, Head of Engine Development at Audi Sport. "There are good reasons why the share of TDI units among Audi’s production models is as high as it is.”

With regard to the chassis, the R18 separates itself from other closed cockpit cars by using a single component carbon fiber monocoque rather than two separate halves. This one-piece design both saves weight and increases stiffness. As you may imagine, Audi engineers drew on many experiences with the R8C (Audi's last closed LMS racer) when designing the R18. In fact, engineers not only drew inspiration from the R8C, but also from "sister," Bentley's 2003 LMP1 car which was also a subject.

One bit of information that we found particularly interesting is what Audi calls "progressive electrification," leading on to various hybrid applications. "But efficiency is always the crucial factor for us,” says Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "No matter which form of energy recovery we may choose the key aspect for Audi – in motorsport as well as on the production side of the house – is that it provides a true advantage.”

Finally, a small, yet very cool features of the new R18 is the car's headlights. If you notice from the photos, the LEDs create a number "1" nodding to Audi's historic brand logo (though we rather think it denotes the place in which Audi will finish this year's 24 hours of Le Mans).

While the R18 is completely new to you and I, Audi says that development has been on-going since mid-2009 and the car's V6 TDI has been running on the dynamometers since the summer of 2010. The R18's first test run took place last month with none other than Allan Mc Nish at the wheel.

The racing debut of the Audi R18 is planned for the Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) 6 Hours on May 8. Three R18 cars will then contest the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans in addition to the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC), consisting of a total of seven endurance races on three continents (including the Le Mans 24 Hours) with two cars. Unfortunately, the R18 will not race at Sebring in 2011. Instead, the R15 TDI Plus will compete for Audi in the 12 hour race.







Press Release:

Audi extends motorsport commitment

- New Audi R18 for the 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours
- Dual project in the DTM
- Endurance races with the Audi R8 LMS

Audi aims to continue its string of victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours with a completely new LMP1 sports car development. Since its debut in 1999, the brand with the Four Rings has won the world’s most important endurance race as many as nine times with the R8, R10 TDI and R15 TDI models. In doing so, Audi has equaled this feat in the race’s roll of honor with Ferrari. With the new R18, which was presented at the Audi Sportpark in Ingolstadt on the evening of Friday, December 10, 2010, Audi is aiming for its tenth Le Mans success in 2011.

For the first time since 1999, Audi will contest Le Mans with a closed coupe again. "In the future, aerodynamic efficiency will be even more important at Le Mans than it was in the past,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "A closed car has clear advantages in this respect. Our computer simulations have been confirmed in the wind tunnel and during initial track tests.”

Significantly smaller engines than those used before will be prescribed at Le Mans in 2011 as the rule makers aim to achieve a substantial reduction of engine power. By opting for a 3.7-liter V6 TDI unit, Audi retains the diesel concept that saw its first victorious fielding in 2006. "From our point of view, the TDI continues to be the most efficient technology,” says Ulrich Baretzky, Head of Engine Development at Audi Sport. "There are good reasons why the share of TDI units among Audi’s production models is as high as it is.”
Through the innovative V6 TDI engine for the Le Mans 24 Hours, motorsport is yet again performing pioneering work for the production arm at Audi where there is a growing trend towards smaller, more economical but yet powerful engines.

Another new development is the six-speed transmission in the R18 which has been specifically modified for use with the smaller engine.

Numerous detailed solutions

With regard to the chassis Audi Sport wants to live up to its promise, expressed in the brand’s "Vorsprung durch Technik” tagline. Unlike those of the closed Le Mans prototypes, the carbon fiber monocoque of the R18 does not consist of two halves but features a single-component design. This saves weight and increases stiffness.

For the development of the closed R18, engineers at Audi Sport were able to draw on the experiences gained in 1999 with the R8C and in 2003 with the LMP1 of the corporate "sister brand” Bentley that was victorious at Le Mans. "Also the Audi A4 DTM, which for example, features a heated windshield, allowed us to shorten the development cycle with respect to the ventilation of the cockpit, the doors and the heating of the windshield,” explains Dr. Martin Mühlmeier, Head of Engineering at Audi Sport.

The chassis and aerodynamics package contains a lot of know-how from the R8, the R10 TDI and the R15 TDI whereas the fitting of identically sized front and rear wheels is new to an Audi Le Mans sports car. This configuration allows a more balanced weight distribution.

The R18’s headlights, which are the first to completely consist of LEDs with optimized amount of light, are a technical highlight. The new generation of headlights was developed in close cooperation between Audi Sport and the Technical Development (TE) division of AUDI AG and by using at Le Mans, will be prepared for future use in production vehicles. Audi’s light designers had the chance to make their mark on the development as well: The LEDs of the daytime light form the shape of a "1” which is intended to inspire associations with Audi’s historic brand logo.

The Audi R18 has been designed for progressive electrification, which Audi Sport is planning to drive forward step by step. "But efficiency is always the crucial factor for us,” says Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "No matter which form of energy recovery we may choose the key aspect for Audi – in motorsport as well as on the production side of the house – is that it provides a true advantage.”

The development of the new Audi R18 started in mid 2009. The V6 TDI engine has been running on the dynamometers since the summer of 2010. The R18, with Allan McNish at the wheel, completed its first test on a racetrack at the end of November.

The racing debut of the Audi R18 is planned for the Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) 6 Hours on May 8. Prior to the event, the new prototype will be able to do its first laps on the race track at Le Mans during the official test day on April 24 and gather important data for the race on June 11 and 12.

Audi is planning to field three Audi R18 cars at Le Mans, which will be entered by Audi Sport Team Joest, the most successful Le Mans team of all time. In addition, Audi Sport Team Joest will contest the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC), consisting of a total of seven endurance races on three continents (including the Le Mans 24 Hours) with two cars. At the opening race at Sebring on March 19, the team will use two "R15 plus plus” cars. "Sending the R18 into a race at such an early point in time would be difficult in terms of logistics and interfere with our development program,” explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.

Dual project in the DTM

In parallel to the commitment with the R18 in the sports prototype class, Audi aims to bring the DTM title back to Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. As the DTM technology freeze continues in 2011 the main focus for the engineers at Audi Sport during the winter will be placed on development work with the DTM’s new exclusive tire partner. "In 2010 the tires were a really crucial topic which caused us to fall a little behind our competitor,” says Dr. Martin Mühlmeier. "This mustn’t happen again.”

As before, Audi Sport is again planning to field a total of nine vehicles entered by the proven Audi Sport teams Abt Sportsline, Phoenix and Rosberg. The driver line-up will only be decided in January of next year.

But not only the twelve DTM events (including one show race at the Olympic Stadium in Munich) have to be tackled in 2011. In addition, Audi Sport is working on the successor model of the current Audi A4 DTM, internally designated as the "R17,” for the new Technical Regulations that will come into effect in 2012. The first tests are planned for next summer.

Customer sport to be expanded and restructured

AUDI AG’s customer sport program that was launched in 2009 will be expanded and restructured. The responsibility for the further development of the Audi R8 LMS, sales of the vehicles and technical support for the worldwide customer and importers teams has been delegated to quattro GmbH.

Whereas the main focus was previously on Europe, the Asian market will be served as well in 2011.

The participation in the 24 Hour races at the Nürburgring (June 25/26) and at Spa-Francorchamps (July 30/31) spearheads the customer sport commitment with the Audi R8 LMS. Audi will also support entries at other endurance races such as the 12 Hours at Bathurst (Australia) as part of its customer sport commitment.

In addition, Audi is planning a modular customer sport concept that will include an endurance version of the TT RS and a GT4 version of the Audi TT. The TT RS has already successfully completed first runs on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife and will continue to be developed during the winter. A concept of the TT GT4 was presented at the DTM race meeting in Shanghai. Delivery of the first customer vehicles is planned for 2012.

Audi Motorsport Events in 2011

Audi R15 TDI

Mar 19 Sebring 12 Hours (USA)

Audi R18

Apr 24 Test day, Le Mans (F)
May 08 Spa-Francorchamps (B) 6 Hours
Jun 11/12 Le Mans (F) 24 Hours
Jul 03 Imola (I) 6 Hours
Sep 11 Silverstone (GB) 6 Hours
Oct 01 Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta (USA)
Nov 12 China (CN) 6 Hours

Audi A4 DTM

May 01 Hockenheim (D)
May 15 Zandvoort (NL)
Jun 05 Spielberg (A)
Jun 19 EuroSpeedway Lausitz (D)
Jul 03 Norisring (D)
Jul 17 Show event Munich (D)
Aug 07 Nürburgring (D)
Sep 04 Brands Hatch (GB)
Sep 18 Oschersleben (D)
Oct 02 Valencia (E)
Oct 23 Hockenheim (D)
Nov 06 Shanghai (CN)

Audi R8 LMS

Jun 25/26 Nürburgring (D) 24 Hours
Jul 30/31 Spa-Francorchamps (B) 24 Hours


Source: Audi Motorsport

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Audi finishes 2nd and 3rd at ILMC finale in Zhuhai, China

Sunday's Le Mans series race in Zhuhai, China marked not only the finale of the 2010 ILMC season but also the last race of the beloved Audi R15 TDI. Of course, it would only be appropriate that this year's Audi/Peugeot duel come to a dramatic close as well. With an hour left in the race, the Audi R15 TDI of Kristensen and McNish was holding a 30 second lead over the closest Peugeot - only to be lost from a controversial safety car period. The checkered flag would ultimately wave a Peugeot victory, followed by a 2nd and 3rd place finish for Audi Sport Team Joest.

- Strong showing by the Le Mans winners in ILMC finale at Zhuhai
- Controversial final phase costs Audi a possible victory
- Second and third place for Audi Sport Team Joest

Ingolstadt/Zhuhai, November 7, 2010 – Audi Sport Team Joest thrilled the fans on its first showing in China with a fantastic season finale of the sports prototypes at Zhuhai. However, a controversial final phase deprived Audi of the victory the brand would have actually deserved.

During the entire 1000-kilometer race Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish and Dindo Capello/Romain Dumas at the wheel of the two Audi R15 TDI cars fought a fascinating duel with the two Peugeot 908 cars. One hour before the end, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish were clearly leading the race when the only safety car period caused their advantage to shrink from over 30 to 13.5 seconds.

Afterwards the spectators witnessed a sprint race in which every tenth of a second counted. Accordingly, Tom Kristensen was very surprised when immediately before the last refueling stop of his direct rival in the Peugeot, Stéphane Sarrazin, he was slowed by Sarrazin’s team-mate Sébastien Bourdais, who was running as much as three laps behind. This allowed Sarrazin to come back out after his last refueling stop with a one-second advantage over Kristensen and to ultimately win the race with a 4.8-second lead.

The controversial "teamwork” deprived the Chinese fans of a true final shoot-out. Nonetheless, they witnessed the performance capability and reliability of the two Audi R15 TDI cars that were equal and at times superior to the competition in the race that took place in warm humid weather and temperatures of 26 degrees in the shade. The strategy of changing the tires at each pit stop after the second hour of the race proved to be right. The Audi drivers were able to take advantage of the fresher tires again and again and made up the time lost in the pits after each change. In the crucial phase of the race Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen managed to distance themselves from their immediate rivals before the deployment of the safety car one hour before the end of the race thwarted their plans and forced them to settle for second place by a narrow margin. Dindo Capello and Romain Dumas occupied third place.

The finale of the Intercontinental Cup was the last race of the Audi R15 TDI in its current technical configuration. From 2011 onward, new Technical Regulations which prescribe a downsizing of the engines will apply to Le Mans prototypes. The successor model, the R18, will be presented in December.

The Audi R15 TDI competed in a total of nine races in 2009 and 2010. Three of them were victorious. The innovative diesel sports car secured its place in the history books primarily due to its one-two-three victory at the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours, the fastest Le Mans race of all time.

The Audi R15 TDI was developed, among others, in cooperation with Bosch, a major and long-standing innovation partner of Audi’s. Both companies pursue similar aims through their motorsport commitments: the development of optimal solutions for motorsport based on volume-production technology. Gasoline direct injection and diesel injection technology are good examples of these endeavors. In 1989 Bosch and Audi launched the world’s first diesel engine with direct injection and turbocharging technology on the market in the Audi 100 TDI. This technological strategy laid the foundation for the success story of today’s diesel engines – in production cars as well as in motorsport.

Zhuhai was also the first race in a Le Mans Series to see the fielding of the Audi R8 LMS. Marchy Lee, Alex Yoong and Mathew Marsh from the KK Performance team managed to clinch twelfth place overall and victory in the GTC class.

After the Audi R15 TDI and the Audi R8 LMS the Chinese spectators will soon be able to witness the Audi A4 DTM in action as well: on November 28, the finale of the DTM will be held on the city street circuit in the financial center of Shanghai.

Quotes after the race

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "We came very close to winning the race. Unfortunately, there was a safety car period in the final phase which caused us to lose a large portion of the advantage again which we had achieved. After the final pit stop we caught the second Peugeot that was no longer in contention for victory but that held up Tom (Kristensen) for several laps nonetheless. Tom also ruined his tires in the process. When he finally got past the Peugeot it was no longer possible for him to win the race. In our opinion this was not a particularly fair action on the part of our competitor but, unfortunately, things like these happen in motorsport. For us, it was important to deliver a fantastic race to the Chinese spectators and we managed to do this. To capture hearts and market share it is not necessary to win a race at all cost. Now we’re looking forward to the DTM finale in Shanghai.”

Tom Kristensen (Audi R15 TDI #7): "It was a very challenging race for Audi Sport Team Joest at Zhuhai. The start was a little bit funny. One of the Peugeots was already gone before we were allowed to go. This was strange. We had some guesses to do on the setup because of the two days of rain. Nevertheless the car was quite good but the ‘green’ circuit did not allow us to do two stints. I stopped with almost no more rubber left. From then on Allan (McNish) just single-stinted the tires which he did brilliantly and brought us back in contention. When I got back in the car everything was going really well. With the lead we had, the safety car killed us. From then on it was really tough. Driving behind Bourdais I noticed how much the aero upsetted my car. And I also had a front left slow puncture. Wen I got clear with only four laps left it was not possible for me to regain what the sister car gave to Sarrazin. It could have been a great finale of another great year if I had been in the lead where I deserved to be and fighting with Sarrazin to the flag. Now it was a little bit different but nevertheless an end of a great sesaon. Winning Le Mans this year was very good for Audi. I hope we can keep having real fights with Peugeot in the future.”

Allan McNish (Audi R15 TDI #7): "It was a very exciting race. After having such wet test sessions the engineers gambled a little bit with the setup and they gambled in the correct way. The car handled pretty well all the way through the race and came to us as the race progressed. Dindo (Capello) and Tom (Kristensen) were able to mix the Peugeots at the start of the race. We changed the strategy and went to three single stints for me in the middle of the race. This was a better way to run it. Torwards the end Tom was pushing really hard and we were in the lead. Unfortunately we had a little bit of blocking from the other Peugeot which was out of contention. This was an era which was a little bit frustrating. But it is the way it goes. The Pace Car took away the 30-second lead we had. I was pleased with the team’s performance, with the car and mine and Tom’s performance. It was just disappointing the race ended a little bit under a cloud.”

Dindo Capello (Audi R15 TDI #8): "An exciting start of the race. Then our setup was a little bit hard on the rear tires. At the beginning we decided to double stint the tires. Looking back this was a mistake because I had no more rubber left on the rear left tire. That’s why from the next run every driver was only doing one stint with each set of tire. A part from that the car was quite good but a little bit inconsistent. It was difficult to judge. From my side it is good we did a podium again – as I did in all races I did with the R15 TDI this year.”

Romain Dumas (Audi R15 TDI #8): "Dindo (Capello) was doing great in the beginning. We thought that we’d have a good chance. Unfortunately, we changed the setup of the car after the warm-up. The car was good on fresh tires but not on used ones in the second part of the stint. It was too hard on the tires; that’s why we lost some time in each stint. We weren’t really able to fight with the front runners. The level was extremely high. We were only able to make up some ground to our sister car in the end due to the safety car.”

Ralf Jüttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Team Joest): ”That was really exciting – albeit with a result that spoils my good mood. In all fairness, I’ve got to say that at the race’s midpoint I was expecting us to be clearly beaten here. I can only praise the drivers and our two crews here who continually managed to put us back into contention again. At the pit stops we were again clearly faster than Peugeot – and we had to be, too, because we changed tires more frequently. That we managed to stay on their heels so closely was only possible because the crews were incredibly good and the drivers really made good use of the tires. So when our hope of winning this race came up, it was really justified. The most hurting thing for us was the caution period. The 30 seconds we had would have been enough for us. But afterwards we only had eleven and that was simply not enough. That Bourdais then drove in front of Tom’s (Kristensen) car and slowed him so that the other car could come back out of the pits in front of him wasn’t so nice. I don’t think we’d do something like this. Still, for the spectators it was a great race.”

Results

1 Montagny/Sarrazin (Peugeot) 232 laps in 5h 35m 39.053s
2 Kristensen/McNish (Audi R15 TDI) + 4.826s
3 Capello/Dumas (Audi R15 TDI) + 49.302s
4 Bourdais/Pagenaud (Peugeot) - 3 laps
5 Nicolet/da Rocha/Lafargue (Pescarolo-Judd) - 26 laps
6 Bergmeister/Long (Porsche) - 27 laps
7 Müller/Werner (BMW) - 30 laps
8 Lieb/Lietz (Porsche) - 30 laps
9 Zacchia/Zhang/Lee (FLM-Oreca) - 30 laps
10 Bruni/Vilander/Melo (Ferrari) - 31 laps
...
12 Lee/Yoong/Marsh (Audi R8 LMS) - 40 Rd.
17 Richard/Li (Audi R8 LMS) - 61 Rd.

Final standings, LMP1 manufacturers classification:
1 Peugeot 140 points
2 Audi 101 points

Source: Audi Motorsport

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