Will Audi Come Out OnTop at LeMans for 2007?

On 16/17 June 2007 AUDI AG will again tackle one of motorsport’s biggest challenges of all: With three prototypes, Audi Sport Team Joest will be contesting the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s most demanding car race that will be staged for the 75th time this year.

Since 2000, Audi has been the brand to be beaten at Le Mans. Five victories with the Audi R8 that became a legend in its own time were followed by the historic first triumph of a diesel sportscar - the Audi R10 TDI - in its Le Mans début in June 2006.

Despite modified regulations, which prescribe tanks for diesel cars this year that are ten percent smaller than those of prototypes powered by petrol engines, the squad of Audi Head of Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich is banking again on the performance capabilities and the reliability of Audi TDI Power in the French endurance classic.

For the first time, the Audi R10 TDI will have to compete against another diesel sportscar: the Peugeot 908.

Audi’s opponent Peugeot is a manufacturer who has been successful in various motorsport categories and is a very strong competitor. However, as a pioneer of diesel technology, Audi has an advantage in terms of experience, which includes Le Mans, and Audi Sport Team Joest intends to translate this advantage into the seventh Le Mans victory for Audi.

For the first time since 2002, AUDI AG is fielding three factory cars in the 24 Hours of Le Mans again. Taking turns at the wheel of the third R10 TDI will be three young drivers who normally contest the DTM for Audi: Lucas Luhr (Germany), Alexandre Prémat (France) and Mike Rockenfeller (Germany).

The cockpits of the other two R10 TDI cars will be occupied by six veterans, who - between them - have scored a total of 20 Le Mans victories. They include Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen (Denmark), who will be celebrating a comeback after his serious accident in the DTM race at Hockenheim.

The first serious session at Le Mans will be the first qualifying at 7 p.m. (local time) on Wednesday. The race will start at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Worldwide, the "race of the year” will be broadcast on TV in more than 100 countries.

chewy - 6/12/2007 1:41:21 PM

+4 Boost

Can't wait for the race, qualifying starts tomorrow and continues on Thursday. Audi should do well.

chewy - 6/12/2007 2:00:28 PM

+1 Boost

There isn't a true Champion team this year at Le Mans. But Champion people will be working on the Audi North America Motorsports team with the #1 and #2 R10. Porsche will only be racing in GT2. The P2 Porsches did not come over to Le Mans.

Audilover - 6/12/2007 8:35:04 PM

+1 Boost

Audi will win if the TDi has anything to do with it, although I don't know about the drivers: some seem a bit young, and have never raced @ LM b4. Peugeot is no competition: all the diesel engines they make are low-class, no high-perf. experience. But as the R10 is tried-and-true, it should come as no surprise if they win, at the extreme least in the diesel side of things.