Audi R15 Le Mans racer revealed

[Robbo]

Autosport can exclusively reveal the first image of the car Audi hope will continue their unbroken record of diesel-powered victories at Le Mans in June, as they seek to keep Peugeot at bay.

This spy-shot of Audi's new R15 TDI, seen in secret testing at Vallelunga, (more of which can be seen in this week's Autosport magazine, on sale tomorrow) reveals just how radical the German manufacturer's approach has been to the car that will replace their all-conquering R10.

Audi won the 2008 Le Mans 24 Hours, both Le Mans Series and American Le Mans titles, and Petit Le Mans, but the need for a new car was apparent as the German manufacturer was outdone for pace by Peugeot's 908 HDi FAP last year.

The R15 features a radical high-nose concept that looks similar to the approach used by the Renault Formula One team with their new R29. It is a major departure from the pointy, low-nose of its predecessor.

The car's radiators also appear to have been moved closer to the front wheel, probably in an effort to improve the car's weight distribution, hence the interesting scalloped ducts and shaping of the sidepods and rear cowling.

Other interesting developments on the car include a much lower, tidier rear end in an effort to regain some of the downforce lost to the new LMP1 regulations (which call for a 20 per cent reduction in aero) as well as innovative wing-mounted rear lights.

In a statement released by Audi yesterday, the team said the car has many 'technically innovative features' and will use a new 'smaller, lighter and even more efficient turbocharged diesel engine'.

The R15 has been testing in secret since before Christmas and will be raced for the first time in a two-car attack on the Sebring 12 Hours on March 21.

Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich said of the programme: "So far the R15 TDI has performed as we expected. Now it must also prove itself in race conditions. Sebring is a particularly hard race and is therefore perfectly suited to reveal even the smallest of weaknesses."

Allan McNish, who is one of the drivers to have tested the car said: "I drove it for the first time before Christmas as planned in Spain and everything went well. Since then Audi Sport has been busy with extensive testing and everything is progressing very well and on schedule - it's a tremendous car.

"I have been in the Audi 'family' for a few years now and have confidence that the team in Ingolstadt have again designed and built us a worthy successor to the R10 TDI," added the two-time Le Mans winner.

Audi Sport Team Joest has also confirmed their driver line-ups for Sebring with McNish sharing one car with his usual partners Rinaldo Capello and eight-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, and the second machine piloted by Germans Lucas Luhr, Mike Rockenfeller and Marco Werner.

[mgmark]

Nice strong line up from Audi again then, and the debut at Sebring will be agood opening "tester" for it.

MG Mark 

[Barry]

I wish they would put a roof on it, some of us oldies would , I am sure, like Audi's more if they did.

[Steve Pyro]

I wish they would put a roof on it, some of us oldies would , I am sure, like Audi's more if they did.

Definately.

[Perdu]

I wish they would put a roof on it, some of us oldies would , I am sure, like Audi's more if they did.

Absolutely

definitely

by far

It may just have been a tad of the extra respect I gave the Bentleys that they were "proper cars"

and this is from a confirmed wind in the hair driver

[TigerSam]

I wish they would put a roof on it, some of us oldies would , I am sure, like Audi's more if they did.

I was under the impression the R15 was going to be a closed top prototype  similar to the R8C (only more successful)

[MobileTradition1]

I'm sure Audi thought about it, but they couldn't deny the pit stop time advantage they had with an open top in the past (compared to the closed top Peugeots), so stuck with the same formula.

[Barry]

I'm sure Audi thought about it, but they couldn't deny the pit stop time advantage they had with an open top in the past (compared to the closed top Peugeots), so stuck with the same formula.

If Peugoet hadn't designed doors the size of letter boxes, then it might not have been such a problem.

[Robbo]

Are the ACO pressing ahead with the rule change regarding pit stops to help Peugeot (two tyre changers and one tyre gun)??

[DelBoy]

Are the ACO pressing ahead with the rule change regarding pit stops to help Peugeot (two tyre changers and one tyre gun)??

Yes. And there's a whole raft of new regulations about this - eg the two tyre mecanics must leave the apron before the car can depart, they must 'carry' the used wheels back into the pit, they must connect the one gun to the air jack on the apron etc etc. 

One rule anounced at Silverstone seems to have gone - it looks like tyre-warmers are still allowed, at least until the end of 2010.

Del

[Barry]

Hope I have a good view of the Peugeot pits then, it's going to look like the Benny Hill Show in there.

[Kpy]

The regs state:

2 people maximum with only one gun or torque wrench are
allowed onto the working area to carry out any operations
necessary to change the wheels. They may have access to the
working area only when the fuel filler and vent are disconnected
from the car.
These 2 people:
− Must bring and connect the air hose to the air jacks,
− Must bring only one gun on the working area,
− Must take the new wheels and put those replaced into the pit,
− Must carry permanently the dismantled wheels when they are
on the outside of the pit. It is possible however, in order to
facilitate the wheel changes, to lie them flat on the ground
near the car.
− Must not throw the wheels or drop them.
− Must disconnect the air jacks and bring the equipment into
the pit.
The car cannot leave the pit until the mechanics in charge of the
wheel changes and equipments are no longer in the working area.
The area between the pit curtain and the line painted outside the
pit curtain must not be used to dispose tires and tools necessary
for these

Penalty: Stop and Go 1 minute

18.6 - Is prohibited : all kind of special equipment that is designed :
18.6.1 - To make the wheel change faster.
One (1) pneumatic devices or one (1) torque wrenches only will be
permitted per car on the working area.
18.6.2 - To heat the tyres in the pit lane (“working area”), in the pits and
on the starting grid.

the sentence:
The area between the pit curtain and the line painted outside the
pit curtain must not be used to dispose tires and tools necessary
for these
Just means that tyres and tyres and tools cannot be placed in that area.

[chop456]

BIG pic HERE

[Martini...LB]

BIG pic HERE

Looks a lot like my new screen wallpaper 

>Martini...

[Jack the Hat]

That looks like a winner to me, shame they are not going back to petrol version i thought the Dr hinted at it last year when they announced the retirement of the current car ?