Audi has announced that it will field four Audi R18 e-tron quattro cars at the official test day on 9th June for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In addition to cars No.1, 2 and 3, which are officially entered for the race, a fourth hybrid sports car will be testing for eight hours at La Sarthe to gather valuable findings for the future. Specifically, Audi will be working closely with tyre partner Michelin to prepare for a new generation of rubber for 2014.
From next year onwards, a new set of regulations will apply to sports prototypes which includes a reduced tyre size. The smaller dimension corresponds to the current tyre dimension for LMP2 cars (14 instead of 16 inches overall width, 28 instead of 28.5 inches outer diameter).
Other technical aspects of future LMP1 race cars will significantly differ from this year’s models. For the first time, the amount of energy available when the car runs in a race will become a crucial factor of the hybrid concept. To gather valuable data, the No.4 Audi will be equipped with measuring technology available exclusively for tyre testing on the test day.
“Our objective is to generate a database for handling the future tyres that is as versatile and reliable as possible,” emphasizes Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “The tyres are an absolutely safety-relevant topic. The impending technological change is fundamental. Therefore, we are providing all the data being gathered to our long-standing partner Michelin as well. Ultimately, all Michelin partner teams will benefit from this. We thank the ACO and the FIA and WEC officials who paved the way for us to nominate a fourth car. This marks a commitment to high safety in racing.”
Fiona Miller (from Audi Communications Motorsport press release)
Photo: CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES (LE MANS, SARTHE, FRANCE), 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SUNDAY 17TH JUNE 2012. The 2012 race-winning No.2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro.
