24 Hours of Le Mans
Audi banks on efficiency at Le Mans
© Audi Motorsport
Audi will fight for victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours on June 12/13 with an evolution of the R15 TDI diesel race sports car. An extensive testing program with the revised LMP1 vehicle has just begun in the United States.
“From Audi’s perspective, the LMP1 is the better alternative to Formula 1 because this motorsport category features technologies and developments which are relevant to production vehicles,” explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “At Le Mans, efficiency is of paramount importance – and today, more than ever before, it is a key deliverable of production vehicles as well and it is one of Audi’s special strengths.”
Therefore, efficiency was a focal point during the R15 TDI evolution project – particularly in the complex area of aerodynamics. “This year, the Le Mans regulations prescribe air restrictors with a smaller diameter and reduced supercharging pressure for diesel-powered vehicles,” says Dr. Martin Mühlmeier, Head of Technology at Audi Sport. “Due to the reduction of engine power as a result of the regulations we have tried to make the car’s aerodynamics even more efficient than before and to improve the Cd value and downforce parameters.”
A late change in regulations that was announced only in November made the work of the engineers more difficult and forced Audi to completely modify the front section of the R15 TDI. Consequently, the diesel race sports car that is internally designated as “R15 plus” now has a new, distinctive face featuring a split nose.
The entire shape of the R15 TDI’s body has been revised for maximum efficiency. The same is true for the modified cooling and fuel tank system. The V10 TDI engine has been optimized for the smaller air restrictors and reduced supercharging pressure. “Our objective was to keep power loss to a minimum despite the limitations imposed by the regulations,” explains Ulrich Baretzky, Head of Engine Technology at Audi Sport. “We managed to do that through a lot of detailed work.” The 5.5-liter power plant continues to deliver more than 440 kW.
“After Le Mans 2009, our specifications for the R15 plus listed about 20 key items,” says Dr. Martin Mühlmeier. “Efficiency and reliability were at the top of the list but we also looked at details like improved nighttime lighting of the track. We were able to meet this wish of the drivers with a new headlight concept.”
The evolution version of the Audi R15 TDI completed its roll out on the Audi test track at Neustadt (Germany) on March 3. The vehicle was subsequently flown to the United States for two weeks of in-depth testing. Before the race at Le Mans in June, Audi Sport Team Joest will complete an extensive testing program on various European race tracks and test races at the 8 Hours of Le Castellet (France) on April 11 and at the 1000-kilometer race at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) on May 9.
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another monstrosity from audi, i’m sure its very functional and efficient, but what an eyesore. if you’re going to have a diesel racing car, at least the peugeot is much nicer to look at as it whizzes by in silence.
Disagree. I actually think it’s a VAST improvement! Anyway, since when did looks win you prizes? Granted, the Pug is a beaut and got the better of the R15 last year but overall it still needs to convince me of its dominance. Only time will tell i guess…
Like the Peugeot, I find the Audi R15+ to be QUITE beautiful. Granted, it’s in a different way, but meh. What matters is if it is fast and if it lasts.
Le Mans will tell all.
So Audi will have cars and personnel at the track while watching the race from their hotel rooms.
Thanks guys, for wetting our appetite all the more.
Now the R15 looks even more like a manta ray.
The new R15+ looks a bit like the 2004 Williams-BMW with the Walrus nose. Although the nose of the Williams was more extreme.
What surprises me is that the VAG-group is constantly denying future F1 involvement. Although this denial they are not able to kill this rumours, like the latest of the future HRT F1-team involvement. And mostly in autosport it is that the harder the denial, more of it is true.
At least I do not hope so, because it will be a loss for Sportscar racing.
I don’t like how the cars just keep getting ever more irrelevant. The traditions and history of what endurance sportscar racing should be all about is real cars that are in production and modified for racing.
Diesel powered F1 cars with bodywork is NOT what the 24 Hours of Le Mans is about. You all know this is true.
What’s the appeal of a car like the Audi or the Peugeot?
Why doesn’t the A.C.O. get a clue, is this the type of car they want to continue to attract?
I guarantee you the rules changes that are coming soon will do nothing to entice more manufacturers to compete at this once great race.
Just think about this:
Audi enters a trio of R8 road cars modified for a new top category at Le Mans.
McLaren will be releasing the new MP4-12C road car in a year and that must race at Le Mans in the NEW top category, as I see it.
You must get Pagani with their Zonda R to race at Le Mans, even though it’s essentially a race car for the road it can still be raced because it is based on a real road car.
Admit guys Le Mans has really been pretty boring for the past ten years. 1999 was the last great race even though that year did not reflect my want for real road cars modified to race at Le Mans it was much more exciting than bland, silent cars with politicians and accountants as the so-called racing drivers. While the organizer (A.C.O.) and the governing body (F.I.A.) with no clue as to what the identity of the 24 hours of Le Mans really is.
There was a great article in “Racecar Engineering” several years ago in which Gordon Murray, the designer of the McLaren F1 road car talks about what Le Mans and endurance sports car racing is all about, and what it should be about.
The problem this race has always had is with whoever coined the words: “The grand prix of endurance”
Le Mans should be nothing like Formula One
I really used to enjoy watching Le Mans, thankfully I still have the videos and You Tube to watch Le Mans 1983 through 1991, then ruined by the FIA and ACO for a couple of dark years in 1992 through 1994 then the BPR GT series came up and showed what endurance sports car racing should be 1996 – 1999 when it was comparatively good to the blandness of the event of today. What they have been doing at Le Mans now for ten years is really bad for the event. You have two boring manufacturers (admit it, they are) competing for overall victory in Audi and Peugeot. There is NOT McLaren nor Ferrari nor Lamborghini nor Toyota nor Honda nor Nissan nor Mercedes nor BMW NONE of those manufacturers are racing for overall victory at Le Mans.
That’s what is wrong with Le Mans.
They have politicians and accountants for race organizers at the Automobile Club d L’ouest who now want to introduce this new category called “Formula Le Mans” (Oh come on!) again another case of mistaken identity and a rather larger part of a ten year identity crisis at what sould be the greatest endurance race in the world.