Audi realigns motorsport strategy: electric instead of endurance; out of FIA WEC at end of 2016 season
26 October 2016
Audi is realigning its motorsport strategy. The brand will terminate its FIA WEC commitment, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, at the end of the 2016 season. Instead, Audi is taking up a factory-backed commitment (earlier post) in the all-electric Formula E racing series.
Speaking to 300 employees of the motorsport department on Wednesday morning, Chairman of the Board of Management Rupert Stadler put this strategic decision in the context of the current burdens on the brand, asserting that it was important to focus on things that would keep Audi competitive in the years ahead. That is why the Board of Management had decided to terminate Audi’s commitment in endurance racing.
We’re going to contest the race for the future on electric power. As our production cars are becoming increasingly electric, our motorsport cars, as Audi’s technological spearheads, have to even more so.
—Rupert Stadler
Participating in first all-electric racing series complements the strategy of offering fully battery-electric models year by year starting in 2018 (earlier post). Audi regards FIA Formula E—in which it is already increasing its commitment in 2017—as the racing series with the greatest potential for the future. Audi intensified its the existing partnership with Formula E Team ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport for the current 2016/2017 season. On the road toward a full factory commitment, the manufacturer is now actively joining the technical development.
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The ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport FE02 for 2016/2017. Click to enlarge. |
The commitment in the DTM, in which Audi will be competing with the successor of the Audi RS 5 DTM in 2017, will remain untouched. In mid-October, the premium brand won the manufacturers’ and teams’ classifications. In 2013, Mike Rockenfeller most recently brought the title of DTM Champion home for Audi.
Audi has yet to make a final decision concerning a future involvement in the FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX). In the current 2016 season, DTM factory driver Mattias Ekström in his Audi S1 EKS RX quattro clinched the World Championship title early, competing against numerous factory teams. Up to now, Audi’s involvement has been limited to supporting the private EKS team. The brand is currently evaluating a possible extension of the commitment, the exciting topic of electrification being on the agenda in rallycross racing as well.
The departure from the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) marks the end of a successful era. For 18 years, the brand was active in Le Mans prototype racing. During this period, it scored 13 victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and set numerous technical milestones.
At Le Mans, Audi clinched the first victory of a TFSI engine (2001), the first success of a race car with a TDI engine (2006), plus the first triumph of a sports car with a hybrid powertrain (2012). In the brand’s 185 races contested to date, Audi’s Le Mans prototypes have achieved 106 victories, 80 pole positions and 94 fastest race laps.
On two occasions, Audi won the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with the Audi R18 e-tron quattro race car. In addition, from 2000 to 2008, Audi, nine times in succession, secured the title in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), the world’s most important racing series for Le Mans prototypes at the time.
After 18 years in prototype racing that were exceptionally successful for Audi, it’s obviously extremely hard to leave. Audi Sport Team Joest shaped the WEC during this period like no other team. I would like to express my thanks to our squad, to Reinhold Joest and his team, to the drivers, partners and sponsors for this extremely successful cooperation. It’s been a great time!
—Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich
Audi will use the know-how and skills of the motorsport experts from Neuburg and Neckarsulm partially in motorsport and partially in production development.
We live about 15 air Km from current F1 race tracks. It is a real noise polluter for a few days. Would e-F1 be less noisy?
Posted by: HarveyD | 26 October 2016 at 09:48 AM
@Harvey, I imagine it would be very quiet, and this would be a big problem in terms of excitement and atmosphere.
The forumla E generates 80db, while a car generates 70db, but petrol F1 generates 124 db (the older V8's used to generate 129 db)! (From Wikipedia)
So Formula E would be like F1 with the sound turned off.
Good for the environment, bad for excitement.
Posted by: mahonj | 26 October 2016 at 11:09 AM
They don't race Formula E on purpose-built race tracks; they race in city centers on city streets. Hong Kong, Paris, Berlin, Monaco, Buenos Aires, New York, Montreal, Moscow . . . The cars are fast and have a great sound, especially bunched together. The drivers are the best in the world, uniformly at the top of their profession. Check out Formula E's youtube channel and watch some of the races, or highlights - https://www.youtube.com/user/FIAFormulaE
Posted by: ChrisL | 26 October 2016 at 01:29 PM
Well we have to forget audi, by doing so they admit that their actual and past gasoline and diesel cars are bad and almost nobody buy electric, LOL.
Posted by: gorr | 26 October 2016 at 03:01 PM
The real problem with diesel engines in Le Mans car has been the low engine noise. With helmet on, the drivers could not hear the engine. They solely had to rely on the tachometer to know what rpm the engine had. Particularly older drivers, who were used to gasoline engines, had a big problem to adapt.
We should not forget that current regulations favor gasoline hybrids. If the regulation was decent and equal, gasoline hybrids would not have a chance against diesel hybrids at Le Mans.
Posted by: Peter_XX | 26 October 2016 at 10:59 PM
Porsche is still in F1 and F1 WEC (LeMans Endurance).
This is all POLITICAL. If the WEC Rules were fair/OPEN, the Diesel R18 would never loose.
Peter XX is correct. The DB levels on the Diesel R18 are much lower than their Porsche Gasser cousin, and any F1 vehicle for that matter.
TORQUE wins races. Look at the move in MotcCross over the past 10 years from 2Stroke to 4Stroke. The power is more Trackable, a smoother Power band.
This is a Stupid Decision. CARB driven.
Start Racing Electric Vehicles in the ARCTIC, see how long the sport lasts.
This is not a Man's decision.
Posted by: Dr. Strange Love | 27 October 2016 at 07:11 AM
Fyi -- Exhaust temperature on the R18 diesel is much lower, hence the very low DBs.
Posted by: Dr. Strange Love | 27 October 2016 at 02:44 PM