Motorsport | Audi ditches Le Mans for Formula E
After almost two whole decades of dominance, one of the biggest names in endurance racing has called time on participation.Â
Audi Sport officially announced yesterday that, at the end of 2016, the Audi brand will no longer compete in the World Endurance Championship. That means 18 years of Le Mans competition will also come to an end, as Audi Sport elects to pursue Formula E instead.
This decision is hardly surprising, and had been rumoured in the previous weeks as a very real possibility. Since the introduction of the R10 TDI, Audi’s LMP strategy for the past decade has been built around the use of diesel engines. Following last year’s dieselgate furore, diesel power has become immediately unfashionable across the Volkswagen Group. Whilst the motoring world was already pushing towards the greater use and integration of electric power, dieselgate has made this even more important for brands like Audi and Volkswagen. Audi Sport already has a partnership with Team ABT Schaeffler Motorsport in Formula E, meaning the barriers to entry are low. Throw in the fact that Formula E now allows for the development of bespoke powertrain elements, and it becomes a fairly easy decision.
Jaguar, BMW, Renault and Citroen already have involvement in Formula E, proving it to be an extremely attractive marketing arena for manufacturers. With street circuits bringing racing directly to crowds in cities, there’s no denying Formula E is the current hot ticket.
But does ...
-------------------------------- |
|
How BTCC’s New Hybrid Boost Rules Will Affect the Racing
26-04-2024 09:05 - (
motor )
2025 Hyundai Tucson: New Styling, Upgraded Cabin Tech & Plug-In Hybrid Option
25-04-2024 07:26 - (
motor )