Audi 2013 Annual Report Download - page 140

You can find further information on the project and follow
Felix Baumgartner’s preparations on the Audi motorsport website :
www.audi-motorsport.com
RESTLESS
Car mechanic. Soldier. Boxer. Stratospheric skydiver. The path
taken by Felix Baumgartner is not a straightforward one,
but instead has been marked by many changes in direction.
This isn’t because he can’t finish things. On the contrary,
it’s because he is so irresistibly drawn to challenges. Because
he is addicted to them. And then he will move heaven and
earth to complete them. Once he has reached his goal, he
concludes that chapter of his life and seeks out completely
new terrain. That’s not without risk, since he is continuously
exposing himself to the possibility of failure. But he is
persistent. And this is how Felix Baumgartner lives his life.
If he decides to tackle something, he’s all in. Then he plans
it down to the smallest detail in order to reduce the risk
of failure to a minimum. And now comes Audi. Baumgartner
and Audi – a perfect match from the first moment. Meticulous
planning, unbridled forethought. This is the world of Felix
Baumgartner. His latest project takes him to the Nürburgring
and into the cockpit of an Audi R8 LMS ultra. He swaps his
space suit for a race suit so he can drive with the Audi race
experience in the legendary 24-hour race on the “Nordschleife.”
A PILOT PROJECT
When Felix Baumgartner heard about the offer from the Audi
race experience, he agreed to it immediately. He sees becoming
a race driver as the next logical step in his life. He has practi-
cally no experience with racing, and all he knows about the
Nürburgring is what he has seen on television. Only the gutsiest
drivers dare to take on the “Green Hell,” as the track is known.
Jackie Stewart, who coined the term, once called it “a many-
armed monster.” In comparison, it makes a jungle expedition
seem like a walk in the park. When Baumgartner first met
with the engineers from Audi, there was a sense of harmony
based on perfectionism. “I find the diligence with which
Audi approaches projects fascinating. We’re completely on the
same wavelength here.” The string of successes proves it.
In the last few years, the Audi R8 LMS ultra alone has won a
spot on the winner’s podium 550 times out of 800 starts.
Now Baumgartner will be taking the wheel. He is certainly one
of the most prominent drivers who has taken part in the Audi
race experience, but every customer essentially has a chance
to be part of the Audi customer racing team – as long as they
have the required qualification and a racing license. Baumgartner
is now a proud member of this team. “The professionalism of
the Audi race experience is impressive. The people here simply
know that, in this kind of sport, every detail counts.”
PREPARATION IS EVERYTHING
For this reason, Baumgartner is training just as obsessively
as he did for his stratospheric jump from space and his first
professional boxing match. For him, nothing could be worse
than feeling he did not get the most out of himself and his
Audi when it is all over. He knows that he has a strong partner
in this race car and a strong team behind him, and that
the rest is up to him. It’s a massive challenge. Just the way
he loves them.
PHOTOS : Bernhard Spöttel
PL AY EXTREME
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