New era
With the entry of Le Mans prototypes in 1999 and joining the DTM in 2004, Audi began an exceptionally successful era heading into the new millennium. The regulations for open sports cars resulted in a technological boom, which also flowed into the brand’s production cars. The DTM had evolved from a category for production-based race cars in the 1980s and 1990s to prototypes that only resembled road vehicles with their silhouettes. Moreover, in 2009, Audi entered a whole new domain with customer racing.
At the end of 2017, Audi was the first German car manufacturer to enter Formula E with a factory commitment. After seven years, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler ended its factory involvement in 2021 as Formula E’s most successful team up to that point in time. In 2022, Audi entered the Dakar Rally for the first time with the Audi RS Q e-tron¹ and its alternative drivetrain². Audi celebrated victory and wrote motorsport history at the Dakar Rally in 2024.
¹This vehicle mentioned here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model.
²The Audi RS Q e-tron combines an electric drivetrain with an energy converter system based on the TFSI engine and a generator.
¹This vehicle mentioned here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model.
²The Audi RS Q e-tron combines an electric drivetrain with an energy converter system based on the TFSI engine and a generator.
Success at Le Mans
After the successful quattro drive was banned from touring car racing, Audi switched to sports prototypes, also underlining its slogan ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ in this motorsport category for eighteen years. At its debut in the 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours, it promptly claimed a podium result with third place. In the following years, the Audi R8 was in a class of its own at the toughest endurance race in the world. A historic hat-trick was celebrated from 2000 to 2002, also thanks to the TFSI technology first used in 2001. The combination of turbocharging and direct injection proved revolutionary at the time and is now standard in Audi production models. In 2004 and 2005, customer teams in Le Mans took two more overall victories for Audi. The R8 secured its place in motorsport history with a total of 63 wins in 80 sports car races.
Pioneering performance with TDI technology
Audi demonstrated a pioneering feat and at the same time again proved ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ with TDI technology: the newly conceived Audi R10 TDI triumphed in 2006 as the first diesel-powered racing car at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Overall, the TDI technology has won the toughest endurance race in the world eight times. Audi also won the American Le Mans Series three times in a row with the diesel racing car as well as the European Le Mans Series in 2008. With the R15 TDI, Audi celebrated a 1-2-3 victory in the fastest Le Mans race ever, setting a new distance record. In 2014 followed the 13th victory from only 16 races entered. ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ also applied to energy efficiency. In the TDI era at Le Mans, Audi reduced the diesel consumption of its sports prototype race cars by 46 per cent within a decade.
Another pioneering achievement also helped here: hybridization of the drivetrain system. With the first victory for a hybrid racing car at the Le Mans 24 Hours, Audi achieved another pioneering feat in 2012. The Audi R18 e-tron quattro remained unbeaten in Le Mans three times in a row (2012 to 2014). Many other innovations, such as the Audi laser light, add to the list of technical developments.
Going out on a high
The participation of Audi in sports prototypes came to an end in 2016, when Audi began realigning its motorsport strategy for its factory-backed commitment in the all-electric Formula E racing series. In Bahrain, Audi Sport Team Joest closed this highly-successful 18-year chapter of Audi’s motorsport history in sports prototypes by scoring a 1-2 triumph at the season finale of the 2016 FIA WEC. It was the 107th sports prototype race win for Audi.
DTM titles
After Laurent Aiello’s title win in 2002 with the privately entered Abt-Audi TT-R, Audi returned to the DTM with a factory-backed commitment in 2004 and won the title with Mattias Ekström – the Swede then won again in 2007. In 2008 and 2009, his brand colleague Timo Scheider took the crown. By now, Audi is the only car manufacturer in DTM history to win a title hat-trick. Martin Tomczyk completed the Audi A4 DTM’s success story by winning the title in the 2011 season. Two years later, Mike Rockenfeller clinched the drivers’ title with the Audi RS 5 DTM, marking the ninth DTM title for Audi.
In 2017, René Rast achieved a sensational result. The newcomer secured the DTM drivers’ title as a rookie. The teams’ title also went to Audi Sport Team Rosberg. Audi also rounded off a strong season by winning the manufacturers’ title.
A new DTM era dawned in 2019, with the introduction of new turbo-charged four-cylinder engines and lighter cars. Audi clinched another perfect triple by securing all three DTM titles: the manufacturers’ title, the teams’ title with Audi Sport Team Rosberg and Rast clinched his second drivers’ crown. The triple crown was repeated in 2020 with René Rast becoming the champion for the third time and Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline taking the teams’ title in a season that saw the Audi RS 5 DTM winning 16 of the 18 races. A fitting and triumphant conclusion as Audi bid farewell to the DTM as a factory entrant.
Audi Sport customer racing
With the R8 LMS, Audi developed its first racing car specifically for customer racing. The GT3 sports car, more than 50 percent of which is standard parts, proved itself immediately during its debut season in 2009. Audi has delivered now more than 200 racing cars to customers. In March 2015, Audi presented the second generation of the successful GT3 sports car, which won the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring only two months later. 2015 also heralded the Audi Sport TT Cup that saw youngsters proving themselves in action-packed races over three seasons. Jan Kisiel, Joonas Lappalainen and Philip Ellis were crowned champions between 2015 and 2017 respectively.
In September 2016, the launch of the Audi RS 3 LMS marked the brand’s venture into the world of TCR competition in touring car racing. Whilst the RS 3 LMS was enjoying a successful first season in the hands of customers during 2017, the Audi R8 LMS GT4, for the ever-growing GT4 category, was released in April of the same year. The 470-kW (640 hp) Audi R8 LMS GT2, the most powerful car ever from Audi Sport customer racing, was unveiled at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The Audi R8 LMS for GT3 competition has seen two evolution versions since its introduction in 2015, the first in 2018 and the current version – the Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II – in 2021. The second generation of the entry-level touring car for TCR competition – the Audi RS 3 LMS gen II – also made its debut during 2021. This completes Audi Sport customer racing’s current portfolio of the internationally popular categories GT3, GT2, GT4 and TCR.
Title in World Rallycross
In addition, Audi provided Mattias Ekström’s rallycross team with support for two seasons from 2017 to 2018. The DTM champion of 2004 and 2007 celebrated the drivers’ and teams’ titles in the World Rallycross Championship in 2016, and thus continued Audi’s success story. “In 1983, Hannu Mikkola was the first to race to the title with quattro-drive, then the Audi R18 e-tron quattro was successful over many years, and now I have been able to contribute a chapter with my Audi S1 EKS RX quattro,” says Ekström. After ending his DTM career, the Swede focused on the rallycross season in 2018. At the end of the year the rallycross chapter came to a close with Ekström finishing as the runner-up in the drivers’ standings, followed by team mate Andreas Bakkerud in third place.
“It’s been electrifying!” – Audi in Formula E
In 2017, Audi Sport repositioned itself. The company not only demonstrated ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ in the DTM, but also in Formula E, which joined the brand’s portfolio for the first time. Since the 2016/17 season, Audi became more involved in the world’s first racing series for pure-electric-powered racing cars. With success: Audi driver Lucas di Grassi won the drivers’ title at the season finale 2017 in Montreal.
The commitment of Audi in the 2017/18 season was extended to a factory motorsport programme. Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler participated in the 12 Formula E races with the Audi e-tron FE04 and won the teams’ championship for Audi.
After seven successful years Audi left Formula E at the end of the 2020/2021 season: with two titles and numerous victories in a total of 84 races with an all-electric drivetrain. Equally valuable as the sporting results is the extensive technical experience gained during this motorsport mission.
Audi RS Q e-tron, pictured above: This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model. Closed course, professional driver. Do not attempt.
Audi RS Q e-tron, pictured above: This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model. Closed course, professional driver. Do not attempt.
Desert adventure
From 2022, Audi took part in the Dakar Rally with the Audi RS Q e-tron¹ and its alternative drivetrain concept² – achieving four stage victories and a total of 14 podium finishes on its debut. In only its second competitive outing, at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the Audi RS Q e-tron¹ wrote a new chapter in motorsport history by taking overall victory with Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger in Abu Dhabi – the first triumph for an electrified drivetrain² in the desert. The Audi RS Q e-tron¹ combines an electric drivetrain² with an energy converter consisting of a TFSI engine and generator.
At the second Dakar participation in 2023, the Audi RS Q e-tron¹ had been significantly improved, for example through optimized energy management, increased drivetrain² efficiency when compared to the previous model, new bodywork with better aerodynamics, weight saving and improved control systems. Team Audi Sport recorded good individual results at the 2023 Dakar Rally and achieved 14 daily podiums with the Audi RS Q e-tron¹, but also experienced some setbacks.
¹Audi RS Q e-tron pictured to the left: This vehicle is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model.
²The Audi RS Q e-tron combines an electric drivetrain with an energy converter system based on the TFSI engine and a generator.
¹Audi RS Q e-tron pictured to the left: This vehicle is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model.
²The Audi RS Q e-tron combines an electric drivetrain with an energy converter system based on the TFSI engine and a generator.
Successful conclusion
Audi then made history at the 2024 Dakar Rally: Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz won overall with the Audi RS Q e-tron¹ – the first victory for a vehicle with an electric drivetrain², high-voltage battery and energy converter, thus adding another milestone in Audi’s motorsport success story. Daily stages of more than 400 kilometers, two marathon stages with limited or even no service opportunities, as well as 4,600 kilometers of timed special stages within a total of 7,883 kilometers, characterized the 2024 Dakar Rally. Sharp stones and gravel roads, but also towering dunes and often difficult navigation demanded everything from the driver crews. After taking part in the Dakar for the third time, Audi concluded the rally project as planned.
¹Audi RS Q e-tron pictured to the left: This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model. Closed course, professional driver. Do not attempt.
²The Audi RS Q e-tron combines an electric drivetrain with an energy converter system based on the TFSI engine and a generator.
¹Audi RS Q e-tron pictured to the left: This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model. Closed course, professional driver. Do not attempt.
²The Audi RS Q e-tron combines an electric drivetrain with an energy converter system based on the TFSI engine and a generator.
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