Audi Explains Why It Favors Le Mans Over Formula One Racing

Despite being invited to advise the FIA on developing the new rules that will govern F1 from 2014 onwards, Audi is simply not interested in the sport, Ingolstadt top brass have told CAR. 

Ullrich is adamant that Le Mans endurance racing is a better testbed than Formula One will ever be.

'Let me show you how – at Le Mans, one of our cars will cover 325 miles more than an F1 car will cover in an entire season, our average speed including pits stops will be 20mph higher than an F1 car and we will use 42% less fuel.

'You cannot argue with those figures.'



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chewy - 5/23/2011 9:52:42 PM

-1 Boost

As I said earlier I see racing developments as basic research and actual production vehicle/engine design as applied research, with that in mind Le Mans and endurance racing is by far the most applicable to road going cars right now.

Agent009 - 5/23/2011 11:40:06 PM

-1 Boost

Isn't that why Toyota is in NASCAR?

Joe_Limon - 5/24/2011 1:03:57 AM

+2 Boost

speaking of NASCAR, don't they go faster then le mans cars, go more miles in a season, and average higher speeds?

100octane - 5/25/2011 4:26:09 AM

+1 Boost

they go faster (less downforce = higher top speed but slower around corners), and yes they average higher speeds (what else do you expect if they hardly use their brakes???)

more miles in a season? what do you think how often these cars get a complete revision? once a season or what? just because there are more races means nascars are superior to lemans cars?

i can't believe that comments like this get boosted, autospies experts

racerf109 - 5/24/2011 5:57:03 AM

+4 Boost

Odd way to rationalize it. Seems like more developments come from F1, but both are good test beds in different ways for different technologies. F1 has arguably more competition though.

JUGNU - 5/25/2011 7:11:23 AM

+1 Boost

Newer Le Mans cars are looking more and more like F1 cars.

Also i believe technologies like Active Suspension, Traction control, faster gearboxes, Paddle shifters, Launch control, increased use of carbon fiber in production cars, carbon ceramic brakes..etc are developed in F1 and have made their way to road cars.