Audi announces departure from WEC in favour of Formula E.

The brand is choosing to re-align its motorsport aspirations, in-line with their aim to begin production of all-electric road cars from 2018. The LMP1 programme will make way for an increased factory input in the Team ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport outfit, which has competed in the revolutionary FIA Formula E Championship since the first season (2014-2015). This will lead to “a full factory commitment”, as per Audi’s statement.

“We’re going to contest the race for the future on electric power,” said Audi chairman Rupert Stadler. “As our production cars are becoming increasingly electric, our motorsport cars, as Audi’s technological spearheads, have to even more so.”

The statement from Audi referenced “current burdens on the brand”, likely referring to the potential financial effects of last year’s ‘dieselgate’ controversy, which will necessitate cutbacks in the motorsport division.

The end of Audi’s tenure in the premiere class at Le Mans closes a chapter of racing history which began in 1999, with the open-top Audi R8R and its coupe variant, the R8C. In many ways their campaign at the end of the 20th millennia was a learning exercise, and by the turn of the century, they had used the lessons learnt to create the legendary R8 LMP.

From 2000-2005, Audi won the Le Mans 24 Hours five times with the R8, and only lost the 2003 win due to the dominance of VAG stablemate Bentley’s Speed 8, which owed much of its DNA to Audi’s existing programme. In the American Le Mans Series, the R8 was dominant, sealing the championship every year from 2000 to 2005, the last full year of competition for the R8.

After the R8 was retired following one last ALMS victory at Lime Rock in 2006, Audi moved on to Diesel power with the R10 TDI. This car proved equally successful, taking the first-ever Diesel powered victory at Le Mans in 2006, and triumphed again in 2007 and 2008 despite intense competition from Peugeot’s 908 HDi FAP.

The R18 TDI debuted in 2011 to great success, and Audi achieved another first in 2012 by winning Le Mans with a hybrid drivetrain using the first iteration of the R18 e-tron Quattro.

“After 18 years in prototype racing that were exceptionally successful for Audi, it’s obviously extremely hard to leave,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “Audi Sport Team Joest shaped the WEC during this period like no other team. I would like to express my thanks to our squad, to Reinhold Joest and his team, to the drivers, partners and sponsors for this extremely successful cooperation. It’s been a great time!”

In addition to the news that Audi will be increasing their Formula E involvement, it was confirmed that the DTM programme would be unaffected, and an increased presence in World Rallycross could be on the cards following Mattias Ekstrom’s championship success using an A1 Quattro entered by his privateer team.

 

Are you surprised by Audi’s withdrawal from LMP1? What effect will it have on the top-tier of WEC going forward? Share your opinions in the comments below!