With Audi, the 24 Hour and the WEC series is staring into the terrifying void it always feared. UP NEXT. This year's R18—the most radical LMP1 machine ever built—took weight reduction to psychotic levels in a bid to recapture Audi's Le Mans glory. We may earn money from the links on this page. The tone of the conversation would be entirely different if another manufacturer was on the horizon, and until that brand is identified, or changes are made to bring the costs down, the ramifications of Audi's departure will weigh heavily on the sport. By choosing LMDh as the prototype framework to pursue, Audi opens the door to racing at the 24 Hours of Daytona, 24 Hours of Le Mans, 12 Hours of Sebring, and any other marquee events of interest. There will be consequences. The news of Audi's upcoming departure from its long reign atop global sports car racing was as shocking as it was inevitable. Thanks to the (mostly) spec nature of Formula E, only a small portion of the vast engineering and mechanical expertise contained within Audi's Le Mans program is expected to be redeployed to the new venture. Despite all of the effort and advancement, the new R18 has failed in its mission to overtake its VAG stablemate. ... At the Le Mans 24 hours in June, Toyota and Aston Martin announced their commitment to the series. Had the company chosen Le Mans Hypercar (LMH), the new WEC-centric prototype formula due to go live next March, options to race in North America with IMSA would have been limited. Lo stesso argomento in dettaglio: 24 Ore di Le Mans 2002 e 24 Ore di Le Mans 2003. The maximum permitted volume per the Endurance Committee Decision for the car was 97 liters, and scrutineering revealed the No. Following the announcement of a $15 billion buyback settlement in North America alone, Less than 24 hours later, Wednesday's decision to cleave one of VAG's two most expensive racing projects from the books was the inevitable response. By announcing that it would enter Le Mans and Dakar in the same year, Audi is setting a new precedent for global motorsport participation. Big news, motorsport fans of the internet. One friend inside the Le Mans team estimates 600 people, from Audi employees to subcontractors to outside vendors, will be impacted by the dissolution of the Le Mans project. There’s a Legit Audi R18 TDI Le Mans Prototype Up for Sale By Hazel Southwell, The Drive 3/8/2021 Suspect locked entries, knew victims in deadly shooting at California office building, police say Audi is developing a new sports car to once again challenge for overall victory at Le Mans, after announcing that it will leave the Formula E championship at the end of next season. Despite having racked up 13 overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Audi no longer competes in the French endurance classic. It was the third and final concept car designed by Audi in 2003, following the Pikes Peak quattro and the Nuvolari quattro. Lo stesso argomento in dettaglio: 24 Ore di Le Mans 2002 e 24 Ore di Le Mans 2003. A resumption of the internecine fight would be a gift to the endurance racing world. Audi leaving Le Mans is like removing one of the legs from Eiffel Tower. 2021’s Formula E season will be the last for Audi’s factory-backed team. How many hotel rooms, rental cars, and flights have been booked at each round, and how much have those items contributed to local economies? Formula E has struggled to earn a following, meaningful TV ratings, and commercial success, but with Audi—the titans of endurance racing and forward-looking technology—opting in, the series has gained its first legitimizing presence. With a rumored annual investment of a half-billion dollars to consider, the numbers seemingly stopped making sense for the brand.