After a five-day endurance test at Sebring last month, during which the new car covered some 5,500 kilometers without any technical problems worth mentioning, Audi will test the new car in racing conditions at this weekend's inaugural race of the Le Mans Series, at the Paul Ricard circuit in southern France. Audi's endurance program this year also includes the 1000 Kms of Spa Francorchamps and, of course, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
This weekend, Audi Team Joest will enter just one of the new R15 TDI's, internally designated as "R15 plus", which features a new red cockpit section and stylized silver and black bodywork. The car will be assigned to the experienced trio of drivers formed by Allan McNish, Rinaldo Capello and Tom Kristensen. However, Audi has not decided yet whether all three drivers will race the car. "We will only decide whether all three drivers will actually race at short notice", said Audi Motorsport chief Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.
"The race at Le Castellet comes at a very early point in time for us and is nothing but a test in racing conditions," said technical director Ralf Juettner. "Even though it's a difficult logistical undertaking, we wanted to gather experiences with the R15 plus at a race as early as possible. Le Castellet offers the opportunity to do this", added the official.
Google News