With the 24 Hours of Le Mans half over, another look at the Audi e-tron quattro

[xcel]

Audi’s e-tron quattro takes the pole as first diesel hybrid at Le Mans.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - Jun 16, 2012

Audi’s diesel hybrid takes grid position one at Le Mans.

The combination of TDI turbo diesel power at the rear axle and an electrically driven front axle made it possible for André Lotterer in the #1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro to achieve a fastest lap of 3m 23.787s in the final qualifying session on Thursday night and improved upon last year’s best time by nearly two seconds!

André Lotterer:

“The car was running like it was on rails, simply incredible. The guys at Audi Sport did a top job yet again and made my first pole position at Le Mans possible for me.”

World championship front runner Loïc Duval in the fastest conventionally powered number “3” R18 DI ultra was only 0.291 seconds slower.

“The main goal was to be in front of Toyota – and we achieved this.”

Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen in the number “2” Audi R18 TDI e-tron quattro set the fourth-fastest lap (3m 25.433s) just behind the quickest hybrid vehicle from Toyota.

Le Mans rookie Marco Bonanomi in the number “4” Audi R18 ultra took grid position six (3m 26.420 s. This meant that all four vehicles fielded by Audi Sport Team Joest qualified for the three front rows.

After 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2011, this marked the seventh pole position for Audi at Le Mans. Each time, the brand with the four rings secured the complete front row at those events as well – albeit never before with two different technologies.

Audi’s formidable R18 e-tron Quattro

The 80th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours has already and is being broadcast live by numerous TV outlets worldwide. When Speed Channel screws up and covers something far less important like NASCAR (dumb @$$es), you can pick up the live coverage at Audi Live Racing.

Audi live stream is providing spectators a unique onboard perspective directly from the cockpit of the Audi R18 TDI based race cars.

“Go gettem” Audi with turbo diesel hybrid power!

We are covering the race in a number of threads so I will move the latest details to this one thanks to Audi Motorsports 1-hour updates.

[NeilBlanchard]

There is live video streaming here with French and English comments:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqx...s-tv-com_sport

[xcel]

Hi All:

Some of the hourly updates from the green flag to the numerous yellows as we close in on the half way point.

First hour

The 80th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours saw both Audi R18 e-tron quattro cars dominating the race in the first hour. Both Audi R18 ultra cars lost valuable seconds in the pits.

With slight drizzle at the start, André Lotterer started from pole position and took the lead in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1. Only during refuelling, he was not listed on the top. After one hour, car number “1” had an advantage of 23 seconds over the Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2 driven by Allan McNish.

Both Audi R18 ultra cars had unscheduled pit stops in the first hour: One lap after his car’s first refuelling, Loïc Duval had to come back to the pits again owing to a rear left puncture. Hence, the R18 ultra #3 dropped from second to fifth position. Mike Rockenfeller pitted early in the R18 ultra #4 after nine laps for a check of the rear suspension. After one hour, car number “4” was fourth one lap down.

Positions after hour one

1. Audi #1
2. Audi #2
3. Toyota #7
4. Toyota #8
5. Audi #3
6. Lola-Toyota -1 lap
7. Lola-Toyota -1
8. Oak Pescarolo-Judd -1 lap
9. HPD-Honda #22 -1 lap
10. Audi #4 -1 lap

6 Hours in

After a heavy accident involving the #8 Toyota and the #81 Ferrari the field completed the entire sixth hour at Le Mans behind the two safety cars. The #1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro is back in the lead.

Due to the clearing-up operations and the repairing of the crash barriers in Mulsanne corner the race was led by the safety cars from 20.00 until 21.00 hrs. The leading #7 Toyota and the second placed #1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro both came into the pits under yellow flags at 20.15 hrs. A quicker pit stop by the Audi Sport Team Joest crew put Marcel Fässler back into the lead.

After six hours Dindo Capello in the #2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro was racing in fourth place, Oliver Jarvis in the #4 Audi R18 ultra was in position five one lap. The #3 Audi R18 ultra rejoined the race after an incident in the first chicane eight laps down with Marc Gené behind the wheel. It took the crew 25 minutes to repair the front and the front right suspension.

Positions after 6-Hours

1. Audi #1
2. Toyota #7
3. Audi #2
4. Audi #4 -1L
5. Lola-Toyota #12 -3L
6. Lola-Toyota #13 -3L
7. HPD-Honda #22 -3L
8. Oak Pescarolo-Judd # 15 -4L
9. Morgan-Judd #24 -5L 10
10. HPD-Honda #22 -5L
11. Audi #3 -7L

8 Hours in

• Audi is still leading with three cars
• #3 Audi R18 ultra back in the top ten

Except a spin of Dindo Capello the four Audi R18 cars experienced a troublefree eighth hour of racing at Le Mans.

After a third of the race the Audi Sport Team Joest drivers defended their clear 1-2-3 lead. The Lola-Toyota in position four was four laps behind the leading #1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro driven by Marcel Fässler.

Just before he handed the car over to Allan McNish, Dindo Capello lost some time due to a spin in the second chicane. Nevertheless, the #2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro was still on the same lap like the leader. Marc Gené made his way back to the top ten with his #3 Audi R18 ultra.

Positions after 8-Hours

1. Audi #1
2. Audi #2 -1L
3. Audi #4 -1L
4. Lola-Toyota #12 -4L
5. Lola-Toyota #13 -5L
6. Audi #3 -7L
7. Oreca-Nissan #48 -7L
8. Morgan-Judd #24 -7L
9. HPD-Honda #44 -6L
10. Oreca-Nissan #49 -7L

11 Hours in

The eleventh hour of the race brought no changes at the top. Audi continues to lead with three cars.

Except for regular pit stops, Audi’s pit crew didn’t have to do any extra work on the four Audi cars. The #1 Audi e-tron quattro remains in the lead after Benoît Tréluyer took over from André Lotterer. The second-placed #2 hybrid prototype was driven by Tom Kristensen one lap down without any troubles through the night. One more lap down follows the Audi R18 ultra driven by Marco Bonanomi. In sixth position, Romain Dumas sees the two Lola-Toyota cars ahead of him under pressure in the second Audi R18 ultra.

Positions after 11-Hours

1. Audi #1
2. Audi #2 -1L
3. Audi #4 -1L
4. Lola-Toyota #12 -6L
5. Lola-Toyota #13 -7L
6. Audi #3 -8L
7. HPD-Honda #44 -11L
8. HPD-Honda #22 -12L
9. Oreca-Nissan #26 -11L
10. Oreca-Nissan #49 -11L

Wayne

[xcel]

Hi All:

24 Hours of Le Mans - 12 Hours in

Audi continues to lead with three cars in positions one, two and three at half time.

Positive results continue for Audi for half time at Le Mans. Both Audi R18 TDI e-tron quattro hybrids were leading after twelve hours of racing.

The three prototypes continue to run without issues. The leading Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1 had completed 188 laps with Audi #2 less than one minute behind, after a string of fast laps by Tom Kristensen.

Romain Dumas had an incident during the 13th hour: His Audi R18 ultra #3 touched a slower car while lapping and spun. At an unscheduled pit stop the rear bodywork had to be replaced. Despite this mishap the Frenchman was still in sixth position.


Positions after 12-Hours

1. Audi #1
2. Audi #2
3. Audi #4 -2L
4. Lola-Toyota #12 -5L
5. Lola-Toyota #13 -7L
6. Audi #3 -8L
7. HPD-Honda #44 -12L
8. Oreca-Nissan #49 -12L
9. Oreca-Nissan #26 -12L
10. Oreca-Nissan #46 -12L

Wayne

[xcel]

Hi All:

24 Hours of Le Mans - 14 Hours in

Allan McNish takes the lead in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro in the 14th hour of the race during a caution period.

The #1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro dominated the event but lost a position when Marcel Fässler lost time during a unscheduled pit stop. The Swiss driver pitted early after he had slightly touched the barriers after a spin in the Porsche curves. No repair was necessary though. André Lotterer took over the #1 car during the stop. For the first time, Allan McNish took the lead.

Shortly before the end of the 14th hour, a caution period began. Whilst Lotterer used the time to refuel, McNish stayed out behind the safety car. Oliver Jarvis in the #4 Audi R18 ultra remained third, Marc Gené in the sister #3 car was fifth.

Positions after 12-Hours

1. Audi #2
2. Audi #1
3. Audi #4 -2L
4. Lola-Toyota #12 -7L
5. Audi #3 -8L
6. Lola-Toyota #13 -10L
7. HPD-Honda #44 -13L
8. Oreca-Nissan #49 -14L
9. HPD-Honda #22 -14L
10. Oreca-Nissan #26 -15L

Wayne

[NeilBlanchard]

Wayne,

The crash between the # Toyota and the DeltaWing was particularly frustrating. I think that happened in the 7th hour.

[jeffdavis]

I thought it was a great race. It was mentioned just before the race and again during it that Mazda is bringing a 2.2 Liter 4-cylinder SkyActiv turbo-diesel to LMP2 next year and one team confirmed for LeMans is Dempsey Racing. Patrick Dempsey has a certain popularity among female sportscar fans.

Also starting in 2014 all factory entrants in LMP1 must be hybrid powered and the amount of regeneration and hybrid usage will be increased significantly.

No doubt prototype sportscar racing has captured the emerging "green technology" motorsports movement.

[xcel]

Hi All:

Still catching up...

24 Hours of Le Mans – The illustrious checkered flag waved

First victory of a hybrid car for the Audi R18 e-tron quattro

The final stages of the Le Mans 24 Hours finished without further drama for the Audi team.

During the last hour the four Audi R18 prototypes formed up for a photo finish in order of the overall positions. And at 3 PM a new chapter in the history of motorsport was made: The Audi R18 e-tron quattro is the first hybrid car that has won the Le Mans 24 Hours.

It was the 11th victory for Audi at Le Mans. For a fourth time Audi clinched a 1-2-3 victory. Marcel Fässler (CH), André Lotterer (D) and Benoît Tréluyer (F) repeated their victory from last year with the #1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro.

Final Positions for the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans

1. Audi #1
2. Audi #2 -1L
3. Audi #4 -3L
4. Lola-Toyota #12 -11L
5. Audi #3 -12L
6. HPD-Honda #22 -21L
7. HPD-Honda #44 -24L
8. Oreca-Nissan #46 -25L
9. Oreca-Nissan #49 -26L
10. Oreca-Nissan #26 -28L

Jeff, I still have to post the Mazda 2.2L SKYACTIV story but that was certainly some news about "requiring" hybrid motive power for 2014 and beyond. Maybe OEM racing programs will once again provide the consumer with the latest in propulsion technology to improve both performance and fuel economy at the same time?

Wayne

[jeffdavis]

The Mazda story:
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...gine-for-2013/

The 2014 regulations story:
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...ons-announced/

The new LMP1 regulations allow non-hybrids but only if run by a "privateer" team and not a manufacturer. The big thing in the regulations is the fuel meter and that is going to go a long way to "encouraging fuel efficiency. Of course, fuel efficiency has already been a big deal at LeMans for some time because of the pit stop time and weight. The sportscar world is eager to see some of these 2014 cars, that's for sure.

I hope it's ok to link to those Speed.com articles. That's my #1 source of sportscar racing news lately.

[xcel]

Hi Jeff:

I posted the Mazda 2.2L SKYACTIV-D racing story minutes ago (2013 Mazda SKYACTIV-D 24 Hours of Le Mans race entry) as it was a standard release with my own additions as always. I do not follow the racing regs so I have to assume speed.com pulled it from an ALMS or Le Mans release itself?

Thanks again for the regs change detail as that is indeed a huge deal for all of us!

Wayne