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Motorsport Week
Home Sportscars WEC 24H Le Mans

In pictures: Audi’s legendary Le Mans record

by Davey Euwema
5 years ago
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In pictures: Audi’s legendary Le Mans record

Image: Audi

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Audi took the endurance racing world by surprise on Monday when it announced it was preparing to return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with an LMDh program, joining past rivals like Toyota and Peugeot on the global stage of endurance racing.

Since the turn of the millenium, few brands have become as synonymous with Le Mans as Audi, with a near unbroken string of victories between 2000 and 2014.

Thanks in no small part to their diesel technology, Audi has become the second most successful manufacturer at Le Mans behind Porsche and allowed Tom Kristensen to become the most successful driver to ever race in the French endurance classic with nine overall victories.

With the news of Audi’s return still fresh in everyone’s mind, MotorsportWeek.com takes a stroll through the history books to explore how Audi became one of Le Mans’ biggest names.

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The early years

  • 1999: Audi arrives at Le Mans with the R8C (pictured) and the open-topped R8R, which would be succeeded by the R8
  • 2000: Audi introduces the twin-turbocharged V8 and takes its first win with Biela, Kristensen and Pirro
  • 2002: Emanuele Pirro hoists himself out of his R8 as Audi seals a third straight win with a podium sweep
  • 2004: After the factory team withdrew and Bentley won in 2003, customer outfit Team Goh leads another Audi podium sweep
  • 2005: After Pescarolo Sport took pole, Champion Racing took the R8’s fifth and final Le Mans win

The Diesel Wars begin

  • 2006: Audi takes the first of diesel win in Le Mans history with the R10
  • 2007: The start of the diesel wars as Peugeot arrives – but Audi beat their French rivals for win number seven
  • 2008: After Peugeot took pole and led early, rain in the second half allowed Audi to catch up and take a third straight win – but the gap was tightening
  • 2009: Audi introduces the R15 but struggles as Peugeot takes a one-two to end a five year winning streak

Diesel dominance & the hybrid age

  • 2010: Spurned on by the loss to Peugeot, Audi brings out the R15 Plus and sweeps the podium as Peugeot fails to finish
  • 2011: Despite horrific crashes for McNish and Rockenfeller, the all-new R18 comes out on top in a nailbiting fight with Peugeot
  • 2012: A new era with the introduction of the World Endurance Championship and the hybrid R18 as new opponent Toyota stumbles upon its return
  • 2013: Audi defeats a stronger Toyota as Le Mans mourns Allan Simonsen’s tragic passing
  • 2014: Coming back from a turbocharger issue, Lotterer, Fassler and Treluyer took Audi’s 13th and final victory
  • 2015: At the peak of the LMP1 Hybrid era, Audi’s years of dominance were ended by Porsche
  • 2016: In what would turn out to be its last appearance at Le Mans, Audi was relegated to third behind the Porsche-Toyota drama
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