Audi 2010 Annual Report Download - page 64

Under the body lurks a 3.7-liter V6 TDI engine.
62
For more than 17 years,
the fate of Audi Motorsport
has rested in the hands of
Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. A
doctor of engineering and
native of Vienna, Austria,
Ullrich discusses nodding
off , technical effi ciency and
against whom he would
like to compete at Le Mans.
What percentage of the previous
car, the R15, has it been possible
to carry over into the development
of the R18? Zero. The car was
developed from scratch. But this
eff ort won’t have been in vain. Many
ideas from motorsport make their
way into production vehicles.
The new rules allow the use of
hybrid technology. How far along
are developments in this area?
We won’t use any systems for energy
recuperation in 2011. Nevertheless:
We are continually working to
improve the effi ciency of the car.
How much sleep do you get during a
race weekend at Le Mans? Normally
none during the night of the race. I
do sometimes nod off in my chair for
few seconds, however.
What does Le Mans mean to you
personally? Mastering the greatest
challenge in motorsport. You work all
year long toward this race, and you
have to wait a year for the chance to
correct the result.
Which competitors would you
like to see come to Le Mans? It
would be nice if another premium
manufacturer from Germany would
fi nd the courage to return to
Le Mans. And I emphasize: return.
questions for
Dr. Wolfgang
Ullrich
There wasn’t a lot of time for the
development of the R18, as the newest
member of the Audi racing family is
known. The engineers had just one year
to develop a completely new automo-
bile. Compare this to more than four
years for the development of a produc-
tion vehicle. This tremendous feat was
made necessary by the late fi nalization
of the rules.
Since 2009, the race organizer, the
Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), has
permitted fewer mechanics to take
part in pit stops, doubling their length
compared with previous years. The
smaller restrictors specifi ed beginning
in 2011 also slow the fl ow of fuel and
lengthen the refueling process. Any
time saved climbing in and out of the
vehicle during a driver change therefore
hardly matters. The designers were able
to devote their full attention to the
aerodynamics. This resulted in the
most obvious novelty of the new
car: the roof. Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich,
Head of Audi Motorsport, explains it
like this: “It was clear to us that we
had to develop a car with a roof if we
wanted to compete for the checkered
fl ag at Le Mans. A closed car simply
cuts through the wind better.”
A daunting challenge awaits the
cars and the drivers. In this one race,
the pilots will cover roughly as many
kilometers as a Formula 1 driver does
in an entire season. Every last part of
the car must withstand these loads
until crossing the fi nish line. Wheel
bearings, engine bolts, pistons and
hoses – nothing is spared at Le Mans.
This makes the victories celebrated
by Audi in years past all the more
impressive. Besides nine victories and
the successful introduction of the
diesel engine to racing, Audi can also
boast of a large number of further
triumphs. Last year, Audi took the top
three places with the R15. The winning
car completed 397 laps in 24 hours
and covered 5,410 kilometers. It went
through 11 sets of tires. The average
speed was 225.23 km/h; it posted its
fastest lap time of 3:21.981 during
qualifying.
Why do all of this? Because we can,
certainly. Because a handful of people
believe in an idea, pursue a goal. And
what is very important to Audi: Many
of the developments that debut at
Le Mans make their way sooner or later
into production vehicles. Experience
crucial for the modern engine
technology used today in Audi-brand
automobiles is gleaned at Le Mans.
This year, innovative LED lighting
technology will be used to illuminate
the track during the race. Illumination
brings us back to faith. Without faith in
your ability to win, there is no point in
entering at Le Mans. At Audi Sport,
Dr. Ullrich is confi dent of having
designed a car capable of winning in
the R18. “We set ambitious goals for
ourselves, and we now have a lot of
testing work to do. If we are able to
confi rm these targets and also achieve
them on the track at Le Mans, we
will have taken a tremendous step
forward with this car.” Sounds as if the
R18 is a winner. Have faith.
TIM GUTKE
“Le Mans is the biggest
challenge in motorsport.”
Effi ciency
A daunting challenge awaits
the cars and the drivers.
O
PHOTOS | AUDI AG (2); OLAF TAMM/AGENTUR FOCUS; BIG – BJARKE INGELS GROUP
Experience the premiere of the R18 at:
www.audi.com/ar2010/lemans
Under the body lurks a 3.7-liter V6 TDI engine.
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Dr. Wolfgang
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