[LM24] Audi plans for 2010 revealed

[tux1234]

Because they know they will lose to Peugeot.......

[MihokS5]

Originally Posted by tux1234

Because they know they will lose to Peugeot.......

...is that why Peugeot blocked them from running an interim car? Fear of losing?
This can go back and forth all day and trust me-i'm VERY disappointed they are not racing-but I get it.

Why would they want to risk losing to the Pugs(or any other team) during the cars' first race? For all we know-they could come out and win it like last year, but why risk having another result like Le Mans due to lack of prep?

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by merlot brougham

Come on now what? I couldn't agree with him more. Audi specifically stated that they could not have an R15+ ready for Sebring and Peugeot are dicks for not allowing them to compete with a non-compliant car. Now, we see that the R15+ is more than ready for Sebring but they won't compete b/c I assume they want to test more or don't want to show their hand.

I thought auto racing was for the fans? If there are no fans, no supporters, there is no auto racing. So this is how Audi treat their fans? Yikes, they could get real world data out of Sebring but they choose not to. I call all that a dick move fo sho....

More than ready?

Having the car built does not mean it is ready to race! The 15+ has not been tested, and the last place you want to race an untested car and try to be competitive with it is Sebring.



L.P.

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by merlot brougham

Come on now what? I couldn't agree with him more. Audi specifically stated that they could not have an R15+ ready for Sebring and Peugeot are dicks for not allowing them to compete with a non-compliant car. Now, we see that the R15+ is more than ready for Sebring but they won't compete b/c I assume they want to test more or don't want to show their hand.

Audi has done 0 km of testing with the R15+ and you expect them to race Peugeot who have done plently of endurance testing with the 2010 908? Without decent testing Audi will lose big time! They were really lucking in Sebring last year.

[Acid09]

For starters: The R15+ isn't even brand new, it's just an evolution model.

Last year, the car was brand new with a brand new engine, brand new battery sytem etc. And still, Audi raced the car with minimal testing and won the darn race!

So you tell me they can't race the car now with many of the parts already known and well tested? That's a load of bullcrap.

I always had lots of respect for Audi Motorsport as competitors for supporting sports car racing all these years but this is completely pathetic. They just don't want to race at Sebring for whatever reason and chosed to blame their competitors which is a complete low-blow.

I´m glad that many people now start to call them on their bluff, If I was an Audi fan I'd be deeply disappointed in their attitude.

[Acid09]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

Audi has done 0 km of testing with the R15+ and you expect them to race Peugeot who have done plently of endurance testing with the 2010 908? Without decent testing Audi will lose big time! They were really lucking in Sebring last year.

So they´re not just liars but cowards too? Awesome...

[merlot brougham]

Originally Posted by MihokS5

Its easy to point the finger from the stands, but if you were calling the shots for your raceteam-you would not be so quick to race your brand new car one of the toughest tracks for 12 hours without fully understanding it. This is why they struggled in Le mans last year-lack of knowledge of the car. The R15 plus just rolled out in Germany last Wednesday keep in mind

You are damn right it is. But I 100% do not flex on this issue. Without fans auto racing does not exist. Moves like this alienate fans, period. And trying to lay the blame on Peugeot is an absolutely abhorrent strategy. Here we have a team that doesn't sell a single car in the US coming to the US to RACE, in a compliant car, no less. Audi sold almost 83,000 units in the US last year and they are only showing up for one race but testing multiple times on US soil. It's a massive slap in the face.

If you don't have the confidence that the car will win, say so! Peugeot specifically said in the media last year that they weren't looking to win Sebring, it would serve as a real-world test in preparation for Le Mans. Whether or not they were being honest is moot, because they clearly were competing for the overall even if that was not the intention. Audi would only have to do the same thing. But they have been at the top of the P1 roost for so long they can't even use a RACE as a test anymore for fear of losing? LAME. Even if they were planning on trying to hide the performance from Peugeot it all gets out anyway. For chrissake, they'll be testing on the same track together after the race!

[arakis]

you people seem to forget (i can only guess on pupuse) that r15+ is not a new car. Its an old car with a few updates and tweeks, and if you people think that car, was never tested befor you are out of your nogins, they do have lots and lots of tracks in germany! As for peugeut blocking, they had every right why would audi be alowed to race with an unfair advantige, when they obviusly can built a full 2010 spec car in time

[Acid09]

Originally Posted by arakis

you people seem to forget (i can only guess on pupuse) that r15+ is not a new car. Its an old car with a few updates and tweeks, and if you people think that car, was never tested befor you are out of your nogins, they do have lots and lots of tracks in germany! As for peugeut blocking, they had every right why would audi be alowed to race with an unfair advantige, when they obviusly can built a full 2010 spec car in time

Thank you, nice to see some common sense around here.

[MihokS5]

Common sense?? This IS prototype sportscar racing-the smallest changes/adjustements can affect a cars' performance tremendously, so it's all about doing your homework.

All you Pug fans seem to forget that they are the ones who have been complaining about the R15 ever since it was introduced. Audi has kept quiet and has chosen to skip this event-that is their choice. DEAL with it

[Acid09]

No, they have not just chosen to skip this event. That would have been absolutely fine in my book!

They skip the event and chose to publicly blame their competitors for it, even though they never had any intension to compete in the event as their action now shows.

That's what I´m mad about, not that they´re not racing at Sebring. But trying to throw mud on your competitors just because you´re being afraid of losing? That's just pathetic.

[MihokS5]

Originally Posted by Acid09

No, they have not just chosen to skip this event. That would have been absolutely fine in my book!

They skip the event and chose to publicly blame their competitors for it, even though they never had any intension to compete in the event as their action now shows.

That's what I´m mad about, not that they´re not racing at Sebring. But trying to throw mud on your competitors just because you´re being afraid of losing? That's just pathetic.

You are putting A LOT of emphasis on Audi "blaming" Peugeot and this is not the case.

1-Audi said from the start that they would NOT have their new car ready for Sebring and were not racing.
2-Audi was then given the option to run an interim car-Pugs declined-which they have every right to.
3-Audi went on with developing and finsihed the R15+ ahead of schedule-and is just happened to be right before this race.
4-Audi has decided to bring the car over for testing and will be on the track at the same time as Peugeot- just not under race conditions with a full feild.

Both parties have had a hand in this outcome so stop blaming one side...

[Félix]

What are the sources for saying Peugeot kept them from entering an interim car? A furry bear or something more solid? Either way, it doesn't seem to make sense with the way the new car is ready at the same time as when they would have raced another spec of it.

I bet they'll still go through tests longer than 12 hours this week and at Sebring after the race, so it comes down to them not wanting to race if they aren't sure enough they can win. Peugeot will probably clock close to a race distance before the race in the coming week to make sure everything is to their liking; this is more testing than any non-factory team does anyways, but still it's not enough for Audi?!

It's kinda like Cadillac entering their car everywhere in its first year and seeing it break a lot, and then drastically cutting back on racing, especially in 2002. In fact even Audi entered the highly imperfect R8R at Sebring in 99.

I just hope they find out how rubber pickup from a field of other cars blocks their radiators before the big race. Or not; that would serve them a lesson!

[Fogelhund]

The sources on Audi not being able to race the interim car were solid, and quote from Audi's head.

Audi was originally scheduled to test this coming Monday and Tuesday, before the race, and have not decided not to test at Sebring for those dates. They are expected to test after Sebring though.

[MihokS5]

From TK's weekly column:

"We’re really gearing up now: next week we’ll start testing our new ‘baby,’ the R15 plus. It’s the car in which we want to bring the Le Mans trophy back to Audi – even though our ‘friends’ from Peugeot wont’ like that ...

Audi’s goal is always the same: victory. So third place last year wasn’t the result our bosses had in mind. And of course it wasn’t the result we were shooting for as drivers either. Allan, Dindo and I know exactly that the top of the podium at Le Mans is simply the best.

To be there is easier said than done. Le Mans is an extremely tough race where a lot of things can happen that catch you by surprise like in 2007 when we were forced to retire while clearly leading the race. Also, Peugeot won the race last year, so we’ll be playing the part of the challenger this time.

Right after Le Mans 2009, the engineers prepared an extensive list of specifications. Every item was ticked off step by step over the past few months – in the design department, on the rigs and during component tests on the race track. All of these things were put together and the result is the R15 plus that we’ll start testing next week.

The car was flown from Frankfurt on board of a Lufthansa Cargo plane to the United States where the guys from Audi Sport Team Joest took it over and have already prepared it for the test. I’ll fly to the U.S. on Monday and I’m really looking forward to it.

You probably know that the R15 plus is not a completely new car but an evolution. Many small details have been optimized but overall they should amount to a major step forward. The main focus was put on aerodynamics, the evolution of the engine and the transmission, the efficiency of the cooling system, and optimum use of the tires.

The results of the simulations, rig and wind tunnel tests will now be tested on the race track so that we can gather as much data as possible to continue optimizing the car. So over the next few weeks the ‘plus’ will become an even greater ‘plus.’ Our goal is to have achieved the final state by the time of the race at Spa in May – because that’s our dress rehearsal for Le Mans this year.

During the tests which have been scheduled before Spa it’ll be crucial for the whole team – from the mechanics to the drivers – to work exactly the way they would at a race. It’s the only way the squad can continue to improve the way it works together and detect and correct any weak areas in time for Le Mans.

Before you go, let me give you a positive update on my injured left foot: on Monday I finally got rid of that clumsy supporting shoe!”
Yours,
Tom Kristensen

[Dead-Eye]

To anyone suggesting that an untested car can reasonably be raced, I suggest looking up Bruno Senna's practice times from today in Bahrain.

[MihokS5]

Originally Posted by Dead-Eye

To anyone suggesting that an untested car can reasonably be raced, I suggest looking up Bruno Senna's practice times from today in Bahrain.

THANK YOU.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Dead-Eye

To anyone suggesting that an untested car can reasonably be raced, I suggest looking up Bruno Senna's practice times from today in Bahrain.

I might suggest there is a major difference between a completely untested NEW car, that has never turned a wheel, and a car that is an evolution of a thoroughly tested car, where most of the new parts have also been tested. It isn't an apples to apples comparison at all.

[cbbrit]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

I might suggest there is a major difference between a completely untested NEW car, that has never turned a wheel, and a car that is an evolution of a thoroughly tested car, where most of the new parts have also been tested. It isn't an apples to apples comparison at all.

THANK YOU! A much more relevant comparison!

[Acid09]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

I might suggest there is a major difference between a completely untested NEW car, that has never turned a wheel, and a car that is an evolution of a thoroughly tested car, where most of the new parts have also been tested. It isn't an apples to apples comparison at all.

Thanks, to bad many people here ignore the facts and act like the R15+ is a clean-sheet of paper car - It isn't and as such it woudln't be impossible to race it.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Acid09

Thanks, to bad many people here ignore the facts and act like the R15+ is a clean-sheet of paper car - It isn't and as such it woudln't be impossible to race it.

I for one am hugely disappointed that they have chose not to race. Having said that, I'm not certain that is says anything political. One could suggest that it might state they value Sebring so much, that they've chosen not to race, as they want to test more.

[MihokS5]

I'll say it again-

This IS prototype sportscar racing-the smallest changes/adjustements can affect a cars' performance tremendously, so it's all about doing your homework.

Not-
"well the car is done and its only slightly different in key aspects-so I'm sure we can predict how it will perform-lets go wing it!"

[joeb]

Well there are test sessions monday to wednesday and practice on thursday and friday, if they wanted they could do quite a bit of running prior to the race.

[dandrews]

I find it odd that claims have been made that Audi testing this weekend in Homestead while their support trailer has been parked outside SIR this entire week........kind of a slap in the face when the first rig/trailer you see driving up to the track is the one team not participating in the race. Glad to see the hundreds of fans lined up next to them though!

[Acid09]

Originally Posted by MihokS5

I'll say it again-

This IS prototype sportscar racing-the smallest changes/adjustements can affect a cars' performance tremendously, so it's all about doing your homework.

Not-
"well the car is done and its only slightly different in key aspects-so I'm sure we can predict how it will perform-lets go wing it!"

So the test in Homestead and two test days at Sebring wouldn't be enough to get the car race ready? Come on, you can't really believe that.

They only did brief shakedowns with the brand new R15 last year and arrived at Sebring, ending up winning the race.

So they have at least the same ammount if not more of testing and it's just an evolution-model this year, still we´re supposed to believe that it's impossible for them to compete in the race. It's an excuse, nothing else. They don't want to race...