Le Mans Yesterday and Today: Audi

Audi is the second most successful manufacturer at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a record of 13 wins in 18 races from 1999 to 2016, during which it established itself as a premium brand in the market. The Le Mans operation proved successful for Audi in every aspect: showcasing and enhancing its technologies and powerfully communicating its image of excellence and quality.

The adventure began in 1999 when Audi teamed up with Team Joest, already successful with Porsche and experienced at Le Mans. They fielded three cars, one with a closed cockpit called the R8C and two with open cockpits, the R8R, which achieved a podium finish in its debut, leading to the choice of the roadster (R for roadster) configuration for the following year.

Audi debuted at Le Mans in 1999 with the R8C (closed cockpit) and the R8R, which secured a podium finish in its debut.

The new millennium started with a bang for Audi, which arrived at Le Mans with the R8 and a squad that left crumbs for the competitors. The overall podium was entirely occupied by Audi cars, achieving a historic triple and starting a dominance that would last until 2005, with only one interruption in 2003 by the "sister" brand Bentley, which shared the engine with the R8. Audi didn't limit itself to official cars and opened up to customer teams, inspired by Porsche, fielding more cars and gathering more development data or simply increasing the chances of victory with more cars on the grid. This strategy paid off when Team Goh from Japan won in 2004 and ADT Champion Racing from the USA won in 2005.

In 2000, in its second year of participation, Audi took the entire podium at Le Mans with a historic triple.

In 2006, a revolution: Audi introduced the first diesel prototype. New technology, same results: the R10 TDI won three consecutive years and ushered in a new era at Le Mans, making diesel fuel, traditionally seen as unfit for sports. These victories translated into extraordinary market results, with TDI technology being offered across the range and appreciated by the public. However, racing is about challenges, and Peugeot introduced its own diesel prototype, the 908 HDi, which won the 2009 24 Hours and pushed Audi to raise the bar with even more advanced models.

The R10 TDI introduced in 2006 won three consecutive 24 Hours of Le Mans, debuting diesel fuel in racing.

In 2010, the R15 achieved a historic result at Le Mans, which still stands today: the highest distance covered, 5410.71 km in 24 hours (about 18 Formula 1 Grands Prix), with the highest average speed of 225.446 km/h. Once again, the overall podium was all Audi.

The 2010 R15 TDI still holds the records for average speed and distance covered at Le Mans, demonstrating the great efficiency of this diesel car.

In the following years, the challenge intensified with the advent of the hybrid era and several manufacturers, including Toyota and Porsche, ready to take victory from Audi. The rivals chose a hybrid system powered by gasoline, while Audi confirmed diesel combined with an electric motor on the front axle for the R18 e-tron quattro introduced in 2012. The car managed to win three more consecutive times until 2014. The following year, the Dieselgate scandal struck a severe blow to the German group, leading to new strategies that pulled Audi away from Le Mans.

The R18 e-tron was introduced in 2012 and won three consecutive Le Mans. Unfortunately, the Dieselgate scandal ended Audi's presence at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.