Ingolstadt/Le Mans – Logical lightweight construction, downsizing, efficiency and the best possible aerodynamics – the same subjects which currently occupy the brains of the automobile industry development departments are also key elements in the 24 Hours of Le Mans held for the 77th time on the weekend of June 13/14.

In the world’s most famous endurance race it is, in addition to speed, also more a question of reliability and efficiency – and to set trends afterwards. Audi has used Le Mans since 1999 to test technical innovations under racing conditions and has, in the process, repeatedly set milestones thanks to its technology leadership. In this way, the Audi R8 successfully introduced gasoline direct-injection TFSI, with the Audi R10 TDI in 2006 a diesel powered car won for the first time in the history of the race.

The Audi R8 and Audi R10 TDI have one thing in common: Both were victorious on their Le Mans débuts. Audi Sport Team Joest now aims to continue this phenomenal trend with the new Audi R15 TDI in Audi’s 100th anniversary year. A ninth victory – with only eleven participations – would see Audi draw level with Ferrari in the French endurance classic’s all-time winners list. Only Porsche has achieved more victories in its long Le Mans history.

The R15 TDI is packed with technical innovations. Among them a more compact, more efficient V10 TDI engine, logical lightweight construction, a totally new aerodynamic concept never before seen on a Le Mans sportscar and a novel vehicle power supply system using for the first time a lithium ion battery as used in hybrid vehicles of the next generation. It is lighter than a conventional battery and instead of supplying the more common twelve volts usually found in production cars, it supplies 15.2 volts. As a result of the higher power, electric consumers such as the starter motor can be designed to be smaller and lighter and thus increase the efficiency.

Logical lightweight design and construction
In general the Audi R15 TDI was trimmed logically for lightweight construction. The minimum weight of 900 kilograms originally stipulated by the regulations was significantly undercut through complex and intricate measures in order to facilitate the best possible weight distribution. That the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) ordered the minimum weight to be increased by 30 kilograms for diesel cars at short notice before the race hit the Audi Sport technicians hard. As a result, the R15 TDI was robbed of one decisive advantage.

To fit the additional 30 kilograms in the aerodynamically refined car several R15 TDI components had to be modified and their durability checked in extra endurance tests. The green light for the final version was thus only given following a successful 30-hour test at Le Castellet at the end of May – less than three weeks before the race. A few days later, on May 29, the roll-out was made at a test track close to Ingolstadt for the three newly built-up race cars with the chassis numbers 104 (start number “1”), 105 (start number “2”) and 101 (start number “3”).

The new Audi R15 TDI demonstrated its potential in March on its victorious race début at Sebring (USA). Many details have been optimized on the diesel racing sportscar for Le Mans since then. Improved cockpit cooling also numbers among the modifications.

Aerodynamic Cd optimized
Furthermore, an aerodynamic version designed for efficiency is used for the first time at Le Mans. While the R15 TDI still races with maximum downforce, a more favorable Cd value for the long straights at Le Mans is of prime importance. The R15 TDI nevertheless generates more downforce than its predecessor model the R10 TDI thanks to its innovative aerodynamic concept incorporating the uncompromising implementation of air-flow through the car.

Key factor tire wear
A very decisive factor during the 77th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be the lowest possible tire wear. Since only two, instead of the previously allowed four mechanics, can change tires during pit stops the standing time in the pit almost doubles. Therefore it will depend more than ever on being able to drive for as long as possible on the same set of tires without losing too much performance.

The six-hour free practice session on Wednesday evening and Thursday evening’s four-hour qualifying session are therefore of particular importance. Because there was no additional test day for the first time before the race, Audi Sport Team Joest will use both days efficiently to find the optimum car set-up and to find the best tire choice for the race. Indeed, grid positions in a 24-hour race are of secondary importance for the final result.

Last year’s winners Dindo Capello (Italy), Tom Kristensen (Denmark) and Allan McNish (Scotland) drive the Audi R15 TDI with car number “1”. The three Germans Lucas Luhr, Mike Rockenfeller and Marco Werner share car number “2”. Sharing driving duties in the R15 TDI with car number “3” are Timo Bernhard (Germany) and the two Frenchmen Romain Dumas and Alexandre Prémat.

As well as by their car numbers, the three Audi R15 TDI can be distinguished by the different additional colors yellow (car #1) red (car #2) and black (car #3).

Some of the team has been in Le Mans since Wednesday (June 3). The three Audi R15 TDI cars arrived in the paddock on Friday. The public technical scrutineering in the Le Mans town center is staged on Monday (June 8), practice begins on Wednesday evening. The start is scheduled on Saturday (June 13) at 3:00 p.m. Eurosport broadcasts almost the entire race “live”.

Source: Audi Sport

This 77th edition of the greatest endurance race in the world will be the first one to use the new ACO rules. These rules will be progressively put into place between 2009 and 2011, with essential directions for the future of the race in terms of sporting equity, safety, reduction in costs and in terms of sustainable development.

More than ever, the 24 Heures du Mans will be in tune with the times. The sport will gain from it, and the show will once again delight and thrill the spectators, the record number of which to beat is 258,500 (2008 figures).

Big news for 2009: A round of the ‘Formula Le Mans’ will open the race.

source: Automobile Club de l’Ouest

Audi has just completed its first production batch of R8 LMS cars set to be delivered to Audi Sport Italia, ready to tackle the GT3 class. Audi’s motorsport lineup now includes the R8 LMS, the R15 TDI and the A4 DTM that all run successfully in their own respective series. The R8 is scheduled to debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring next week, allowing it to showcase its mighty 500 hp V10.

The greatest Le Mans 24 Hours have always been the theatre of thrilling battles between works cars, and the 77th event is no exception to the rule. There will be 3 manufacturers at the start: Aston Martin, Audi and Peugeot with a total of 12 cars all out for victory.

You dreamed it: it’ll happen at Le Mans!

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest received 82 entries for the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours, each one as deserving of an invitation as the next for the 55 places at the start. The list (see below) of the 55 entries accepted designates the teams that will be present on Wednesday 10th June, after the test day was canceled as a cost-cutting measure in agreement with the private teams and the manufacturers. It shows the healthy state of the Le Mans 24 Hours, and the large number of potential winners in the overall classification as well as in each of the 4 categories: 21 cars in LM P1, 12 in LM P2, 8 in LM GT1 and 14 in LM GT2.

12 works prototypes in LM P1!
The major surprise on the list comes in LM P1, the top endurance category for overall victory in terms of distance, thanks to entries from 3 major manufacturers with considerable resources.

Aston Martin has chosen the 2009 race to leave the LM GT1 category (victorious in 2007 and 2008), and enter LM P1 with 3 spanking new prototype Lola-Aston Martins powered by V12 engines. The aim is to recall that 50 years ago in 1959, the Aston Martin DBR1 snatched victory from Ferrari, the out-and-out favorite at the time.

Will history repeat itself?
It’s difficult to forecast as Audi has stacked all the odds in its favor to score its ninth victory. The German manufacturer has entered 3 of the new R15s, and entrusted two of the older R10s to a private team.

The message is clear. With 5 cars Audi is out to fend off other potential winners like Aston Martin, and its most dangerous rival over the past 2 years: Peugeot. But the Lion is hungry for victory and makes no bones about it.

And this is the reason for the biggest surprise on the list of the 55 invitations: 4 Peugeot HDi FAPs including one entrusted to a private team that is an integral part of the Le Mans legend – Pescarolo Sport!

Even if the diesel has not always been in the team’s good books, nobody can contest the enormous experience and the unflagging determination of Pescarolo Sport.

It’s an exciting challenge and one that will be very popular among Le Mans 24-Hours aficionados. If Audi has a numerical advantage, the level of Peugeot’s riposte underlines its desire for revenge and victory. But the ambitions of these 3 manufacturers should not obscure the fact that so much happens in 24 hours, that all the top teams can have their stroke of luck on the day.

Among them, the know-how of the Team Oreca-Matmut must be taken into account, as the team has entered 2 very well prepared Courage-Orecas with considerable backing from the Japanese engineering company, AIM. Among the other outsiders capable of upsetting the applecart is the Pescarolo-Judd entered by Pescarolo Sport independently of the Peugeot operation, the Epsilon-Euskadi-Judd, the Ginetta-Zyteks, the Creation-Judd and the Courage-Judd from Signature, a new arrival in the world of endurance, which has built up an excellent reputation in single-seater championships. And bearing no.13 at the start will be the Speedy Racing Sebah Team’s Lola-Aston Martin powered by the V12 petrol engine, whose aim is to upset the diesels and do better than the Lola-Aston Martin’s ninth-place finish last year.

Porsche-Mazda battle in LM P2
Three Porsche RS spyders are among the entries in LM P2 including last year’s category winner (bought by the Navi Team Goh, the only Japanese team to have won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2004 with an Audi R8).
They will be up against strong opposition in the form of 2 Lola coupes with Judd power (Racing Box SRL, Speedy Racing Team Sebah), and above all the 4 Mazda-powered cars: 2 in Lola coupes entered by the RML and KSM teams, and 2 in the Oak Racing (formerly Saulnier Racing) Pescarolo-Mazdas. Added to this battle of engines are outsiders like Zytek, Radical, AER and Ginetta-Zytek, so the battle for the top positions in LM P2 is going to be a hard-fought one!

LM GT1: still there
No, the big GT1s have not deserted Le Mans as proved by the presence of 8 cars – and what cars!
The 2 private Aston Martin DBR9s will be locked in battle with their sworn enemies, the Corvette C6.Rs (2 works entries and 2 from the Luc Alphand Adventures stable), plus 2 Lamborghini Murcielagos to add a touch of exoticism, one from Russia and one from Japan.

LM GT2: numerical advantage to Ferrari
Out of the 14 LM GT2s invited Ferrari has a numerical advantage with nine F430 GTs (including five automatically selected entries), but the 3 Porsche GT3 RSR 997s will not let the Italian cars have things all their own way.
A great scrap in perspective to which can be added a singleton Spyker Laviolette and a newcomer to the category, the V8 Aston Martin driven in particular by its well-know owner, Lord Drayson, the minister of science and innovation in the United Kingdom.

10 reserves!
Exceptionally, the number of reserves is increased from 8 to 10 cars in case of unexpected withdrawals so that the figure of 55 starters can be more easily respected. Should a reserve be called in, it will be picked in the order of the list designated R1 to R10 no matter what category is concerned by the withdrawal. Reserves will be not allowed in after 22nd May 2009. If R1, the Ferrari F430 GT entered by the Seattle Advanced Engineering team (which carries the colors of Cardiac Surgery sponsorship), is at the start, it will attract fans of the TV series “Grey’s Anatomy” as the actor Patrick Dempsey (Dr. Shepherd) will be at the wheel.

Remember 2003 when Jason Priestley made headlines for crashing his Infinity Pro Series car at 190 mph and being stuck in the hospital? Well we hope that wont happen again but what we DO hope for is that one of the Hollywood stars with racing aspirations comes through on top for once!
Of course Hollywood is often synonymous with names like the late Paul Newman, who owns his racing team Newman-Haas in the IRL, but this time around may be our lucky charm. Gray’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey is having a go at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Team Seattle and last year’s Grand-Am Koni Challenge champion, Joe Foster.

Advanced Engineering will be preparing a Ferrari F430 GT and will be entered in GT2, a class in FIA GT that they have already won in year’s past.
Tuned wishes best of luck to Mr. Dempsey!