Audi 2010 Annual Report Download - page 63

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The city of Le Mans lies in
northwestern France. Its
two claims to fame – the
Cathedral of Saint Julien and
the world’s most legendary motorsport
race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans – could
hardly be more diff erent. And yet they
share a striking similarity: faith. It is
the lifeblood of both.
On June 11 this year, the world will
see whether Audi placed its faith
wisely. In a completely new car, a
diesel engine and a roof, after
nine victories with open Le Mans
prototypes.
The starting gun for the legendary
struggle between man, machine
and the opposition sounds at 3 p.m.
Held for the fi rst time in 1923, the
race was intended to demonstrate a
vehicle’s durability. This original idea
has endured to the present day more or
less unchanged.
The Circuit de la Sarthe is extremely
fast and dangerous, covering nearly
14 kilometers of mostly public
interurban roads that are closed for
the race. Dips and ruts are among the
particular challenges posed by this
course. Structural changes were made
to the circuit in 1990 because the
racing cars had become too fast. In
the early 1980s, for example, drivers
reached top speeds of over 400 km/h
on the fi ve kilometer-long Ligne Droite
des Hunaudières straight. Despite the
addition of two chicanes, the racing
cars still reach speeds of nearly
350 km/h. Le Mans is a 70 percent full
throttle track. This means that with a
lap time of 3 minutes and 30 seconds,
the driver spends 2 minutes and 27
seconds at full throttle.
The smell of racing fuel and burned
rubber signals the awakening of the
Queen of Motorsports. And heroes are
born with the crescendo of the engines
on the banks of the Sarthe River. Each
year roughly 250,000 motorsport fans
cheer on the daring young drivers in
their high-tech, carbon-fi ber racing
machines. Since the fi rst Audi Le Mans
prototype debuted in 1999, Audi
pilots have stood as winners on the
podium and hoisted the heavy trophy
into the air nine times already. This
year, however, a number of things are
diff erent even before the start.
Le Mans at night:
The racing circuit
demands maximum
concentration.
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