Audi LMP1 Discussion

[rich07]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Most recent (but not very good quality) video of an R18 at EuroSpeedway that was uploaded a few days ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Owc89LRk4Ik

Funnily enough when I went to watch that video, an ad for peugeot appeared before I could watch the audi video

[gwyllion]

Audi is sticking to their plan to run both versions of the R18 in the WEC.

Right at the beginning of the season, Audi decided to contest the rounds following the 24-hour race with a hybrid vehicle and a conventionally powered race car. After their second consecutive Le Mans victory, Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer are driving the R18 e-tron quattro hybrid sports car designated as car number “1.” Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish, who are running as a duo, are switching to the cockpit of the Audi R18 ultra that will be marked as car number “2.”

source: https://www.audi-mediaservices.com/p...tlichkeit.html

[CTD]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

Audi is sticking to their plan to run both versions of the R18 in the WEC.
source: https://www.audi-mediaservices.com/p...tlichkeit.html

Sad.
I had hoped that Tom and Allan would get the best car.
(knowing this will create debate, i will clarify this to: best car= future development car)

[Articus]

I guess the E-tron went to whichever driver lineup won Le Mans.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Articus

I guess the E-tron went to whichever driver lineup won Le Mans.

But surely Audi could prepare a new e-tron in the time after Le Mans (minding the winning car is on museum duty)

[GT3.14]

The e-tron is not necessarily the superior machine. If by some act of God it does not rain at Silverstone, the Ultra may be the better car like it was at Spa.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by GT3.14

The e-tron is not necessarily the superior machine. If by some act of God it does not rain at Silverstone, the Ultra may be the better car like it was at Spa.

But there is no hiding that the Ultra is a dying car and the e-tron might be the only R18 next year.
Therefor the e-tron is more likely to receive updates than the Ultra, which probably wont get any other than the ones it car share with the e-tron.
Especially the e-tron system i suspect is under heavy development (they do have some sort of deal with KTM on this), and the remaining WEC races could be a good chance to test these under race situations. Of course, if the development is a failure, the Ultra will take the win, but it's Audi who rarely run failures when there isn't any pressure on them.

[GT3.14]

Originally Posted by CTD

isn't any pressure on them.

No pressure? If I were Dr. Ullrich I would have probably had a heart attack after seeing how competitive Toyota were at Le Mans this year. The Toyota's hybrid system is a better concept and I would have been developing both cars as much as possible to compensate. I do agree that a Hybrid Audi will be the only Audi next year though, unless they switch to supercapacitors.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by GT3.14

No pressure? If I were Dr. Ullrich I would have probably had a heart attack after seeing how competitive Toyota were at Le Mans this year. The Toyota's hybrid system is a better concept and I would have been developing both cars as much as possible to compensate. I do agree that a Hybrid Audi will be the only Audi next year though, unless they switch to supercapacitors.

I believe Audi will still have the upper hand over Toyota the rest of the year. So for this year, there isn't any pressure on them.
However, i agree next year is different

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by GT3.14

No pressure? If I were Dr. Ullrich I would have probably had a heart attack after seeing how competitive Toyota were at Le Mans this year.

Ullrich is completely aware of what Toyota is capable of. In the Silverstone preview he states the following:

At Silverstone, I’m expecting a very close battle with Toyota. We’ve analyzed the lap times at Le Mans. By applying this knowledge to the specific requirements at Silverstone we’ve got to assume that our opponent Toyota will probably be competing at a high level. So the question of who can deliver the better performance for six hours straight and stay clear of all trouble will be crucial.

Originally Posted by GT3.14

The Toyota's hybrid system is a better concept and I would have been developing both cars as much as possible to compensate. I do agree that a Hybrid Audi will be the only Audi next year though, unless they switch to supercapacitors.

Supercapacitors are too heavy for Audi. Toyota can only use them because they run a much lighter NA petrol engine.

BTW according to Toyota batteries will be become the best technology in the near future. See http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...81#post3103081

[Victor_RO]

I'm surprised nobody has picked up on this: Lucas di Grassi to join TK and Nishy in the #2 car for Interlagos. News broken by Dagys on Twitter last night, official press release out now: https://www.audi-mediaservices.com/p...tlichkeit.html

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

I'm surprised nobody has picked up on this: Lucas di Grassi to join TK and Nishy in the #2 car for Interlagos, according to both Endurance-Info, John Dagys and Audi Sport on Twitter.

A Surprise for me. I wonder if he's Dindo's permanent replacement or Audi just testing who will fit in with Tom and Allan.
I don't think di Grassi to have the same driving style like Dindo, but dont know a lot of him

[Creep89]

He got contract only for the Brazilian WEC round. So I do not think he will be driving next year, it is for better advertising only.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

Ullrich is completely aware of what Toyota is capable of. In the Silverstone preview he states the following:

Then again, what else would he say? That the opposition isn't though enough?

As I said on the Silverstone thread, it'd probably be as good (or even better) PR for Audi if Toyota won the race instead, you know the level of competition would seem at least a tad higher.

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by Creep89

He got contract only for the Brazilian WEC round. So I do not think he will be driving next year, it is for better advertising only.

Audi is looking for new drivers because Capello has tired and the two Porsche drivers have also left.

[MihokS5]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

Audi is looking for new drivers because Capello has tired and the two Porsche drivers have also left.

Timo and Romain have officially left??

[chernaudi]

They're Porsche drivers who were only contracted though LM this year. Audi, especially if they want to pull a 4 cars for LM deal again next year (since Toyota will likely try and run 3), they need more drivers. Signing Gene this year has helped, but there's still the spot that was vacated when Dindo retried, and I think that Bonanomi is still too inexperienced and is somewhat lacking in pace right now to be teamed with Allan and Tom as far as experience in an LMP1 or faster machine.

We have to remember that Marco didn't exactly set the world on fire in his F3 efforts, and I think that current LMP1s are faster than F3s at a lot of circuits, and aside from that, the fastest car that he's driven is the R8 LMS GT3 cars, and he's had success there, but he lacks the experience in the faster cars to team with Allan and Tom to take up some of the slack in speed to the other R18 that lead to Allan's off at LM this year, and TK's near wrecks this year also at LM, and Allan and Tom can't drive for Audi forever, no matter how much we wish that they could.

[rich07]

Originally Posted by Creep89

He got contract only for the Brazilian WEC round. So I do not think he will be driving next year, it is for better advertising only.

Brazilian driver gets a one race contract for the Brazilian race? Coincidence?

Thats not a slight on his driving skills btw.

[chernaudi]

Peugeot were about to hire him until the plug got pulled. Again, as with Gene, Peugeot's loss may be Audi's gain, especially if he does well at Interlogos.

[TF110]

Unless he replaces someone after Brazil, he'll have to wait until March to drive the R18 or whatever Audi's car is next year, IF he's even still contracted with them.

[Simmi]

I think it's a shrewd move from Audi to stick Di Grassi in the car for Brazil.

People assume that only Romain and Timo will go to Porsche. It's not beyond the realms that other Audi drivers might want to go there too. They need to be looking ahead, but also over their shoulders!

As an aside I really can't wait to see how the Toyota fares against the R18s at Silverstone. Mortified I'm not going to be there.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Simmi

I think it's a shrewd move from Audi to stick Di Grassi in the car for Brazil.

People assume that only Romain and Timo will go to Porsche. It's not beyond the realms that other Audi drivers might want to go there too. They need to be looking ahead, but also over their shoulders!

As an aside I really can't wait to see how the Toyota fares against the R18s at Silverstone. Mortified I'm not going to be there.

The only ones i dare garantuee to stay with Audi is Joest and therefore also Tom K, and Lottere and Treluyer.

[BSchneiderFan]

Surely Nishie and Fässler likely to stay at Ingolstadt too?

[Creep89]

Well.. Rocky will stay, too, since he is part of the DTM drivers. Fässler&McNish will stay, too. Can't imagine that they will leave the team.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by BSchneiderFan

Surely Nishie and Fässler likely to stay at Ingolstadt too?

I wouldn't guarantee it them .
Tom will stay with Joest, no doubt.
Treluyer and Lottere has proven themselves with winning Le Mans, so Audi will do everything to keep them and they will probably also want to stay in the car they are winning with.
Allan i don't see the same deep connection with Audi, as Tom has. And Fässler, hasn't been the best of the trio, but very likely to stay.

Remember i'm not saying they are leaving Audi, i'm saying i think they are all (but the 3) purchasable for another manufacture, where Tom, Ben and André isn't