Audi R15 TDI to Make Chinese Debut

Audi will field two Audi R15 TDIs in the last round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC), at Zhuhai Circuit in China, scheduled for November 7. And although this news might not seem of too bigger importance for the everyday racing fan out there, the German manufacturer thinks differently about its encounter with the Chinese public.

This will be the first time in 6 years Audi will come to Chinese territory with one of its motor racing programmes. Previewed by the DTM round at Shanghai this weekend, in which Audi will be a competitor, the ILMC event next week will mark China's first ever endurance sports prototype race. And Audi plans to make the most of it, especially since their influence on the Chinese market has grown to impressive proportions in recent years.

To mark the event, Audi Sport Team Joest will field two Audi R15 TDIs, with which the German manufacturer managed to score an impressive win in this year's Le Mans 24 Hour race. The first crew will comprise Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish, who will take on the No 7 Audi R15 TDI, while this year's winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours Race, Romain Dumas, will join Dindo Capello in the No 8 car.

“The 1000-kilometer race at Zhuhai concludes the 2010 prototype season in which we achieved an impressive one-two-three victory including a new distance record at the Le Mans 24 Hours with the Audi R15 TDI,” said Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of Audi Motorsport.

Audi is yet to win a round in the inaugural season of the ILMC so far.

“China is an extremely important market for Audi. That’s why we’ll do everything within our means to leave a good impression at our first showing with our diesel race sports cars in China. At the ILMC opening race at Silverstone we had both cars on the front row of the grid. At Road Atlanta we were leading the race for a long time. At Zhuhai we want to win - knowing full well that we’ve got an extremely strong rival,” he added.

Additionally, no less than three GT3 private teams will use Audi R8 LMS cars in the 1000-km race of Zhuhai, marking the first time in the ILMC when these cars will compete against the Audi R15 TDIs in the same field.