Could the Audi R10 Go Down in Flames At St. Petersburg This Weekend?

Audi will battle prototypes from Acura, Porsche, Lola, Creation and Mazda for the overall victory this weekend.

"We know that street courses are not optimally suited for our Audi R10 TDI," said Capello, who won with McNish last year at Houston in an Audi R8. "It was developed for long straights and quick corners like the track at Le Mans. For me, the lighter LMP2 cars are the favorites in St. Petersburg. But we want to win the championship. This means that we also have to be competitive on circuits that are less suitable for our car."

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Agent009 - 3/29/2007 1:16:33 PM

+3 Boost

The LMP2 cars have almost no restrictions and are up almost 100HP over last year, and the R10 is lugging along 300 lbs of sanctioned ballast, plus a smaller than normal gas tank.

matt635 - 3/29/2007 12:42:35 PM

0 Boost

No hollower a victory than competing against yourself!

If Audi have designed a car that isn't good on street circuits, whose fault is that? If Audi chose to use a diesel engine, knowing that it would incur different regulations, whose choice is that?

matt635 - 3/30/2007 7:06:08 AM

+1 Boost

It's not my intention to bash Audi. As a motorsport fan I am just being realistic. Contrary to Audifanboy belief, it is not just Audi who have to meet ever changing regulations, it happens all the time in 95% of motorsport. You have 2 choices, adapt or quit. Nearly all touring car championsips have sucess ballast, it helps to keep the racing interesting! Racing fans do NOT like to see one team dominate, only fanboys like to see one team dominate.

I am NOT bashing Audi, I just disagree that it's good for ALMS for them to win every race.

matt635 - 3/30/2007 12:26:47 PM

+1 Boost

Well the most obvious comparison I can think of in recent times was the added ballast in ETCC/WTCC for RWD cars (aka the BMW's). Although I think they've stopped doing that now, they did give alfa romeo a weight advantage (negative ballast!) just to help them be more competitive.

In F1 teams exploit every loop-hole possible to design an extra 0.001% of performance in to their cars, if another team complains the FIA changes the way the scrutineering is done to close loop-holes.

In DTM the older cars and the newer cars are allowed to run different handicaps.

It's the nature of racing. If Audi decide to stay in ALMS, overcome the new regs and still win, fair enough... that's what motorsport is about.

I am technically biased because I am a BMW fan, but I'll be following ALMS live this year for the first time (I can now watch it on MotorsTV) and I hope to see an exciting season - not one where the result is known before the lights even go out.

chewy - 3/29/2007 6:20:06 PM

+1 Boost

I think in the end it will be all good.

AUTO_UNION - 3/30/2007 3:38:01 AM

+1 Boost

I would still put my money on R10!