The involvement of Audi in competition is long term: since 1999, the marque has not missed a single Le Mans 24 Hours. It will not stop there ... As proof, three senior officers of the company are questioned about the future of the sport. Will there be alternatives to petrol and diesel engines in the future in motorsport? Could you imagine races with electric vehicles?

Dr. Ullrich: "There are already races for electric vehicles. This will become increasingly pertinent in the future. I am, however, convinced that the combustion engine will at least be present at the pinnacle of motorsport in forthcoming years - probably in association with intelligent recovery systems. For example, in the form of reusing stored braking energy. In motorsport everybody is developing such systems at the moment."

When will these systems be ready for use?
Dr. Ullrich: "Such systems add additional weight to the car - and weight is one of the greatest handicap factors in motorsport. The goal must be to work on systems that do not make the car overweight. I’m convinced that we’ll see systems in a few years that are more efficient as a whole than pure drive through a combustion engine."

When will this be the case?
Dr. Ullrich: "Motorsport is brutal: only the best system prevails. As long as the overall efficiency of new systems is inferior then the pure combustion engine will be better placed - unless the regulations are used to steer specifically in another direction. The question is whether this is objective and if the new systems should be given and individual touch to start, that they need support to be competitive."

Michael Splett: "We’ve generated scenarios of how the automobile landscape could look in 2020. With regards to technology we see two developments that are relevant for motorsport: the diversification of energy sources and electrification."

What would designers like from future regulations or racing formulas?
Wolfgang Egger: "A racing car’s design is determined by function and technology. It is mainly defined by the aerodynamicists. Our philosophy is that the design is not defining, but must try to represent the character of our brand in the areas where we have influence. In design we rather adopt and adapt ideas from the race cars for road cars. Some of the most beautiful cars of all time emerged when an authentic style element from motorsport was rendered into the design."

Where does the transfer actually occur?
Wolfgang Egger: "We adopt details like small additional winglets for example. With racing cars they are aerodynamic applications; with production cars they are not necessarily functional, but they create the connection between racing and production. I still see a lot of scope in the future in lightweight design and construction and with functional parts. In the past a great many innovations came from motorsport into production and this transfer will also continue to gear fruit in the future."

What are the design influences from race cars?
Wolfgang Egger : "Headlights can be used to communicate a specific brand. A Le Mans prototype also allows more scope than a Formula 1 car for example."

Racing series like Formula 1 or the DTM are extremely strictly regulated. Could it be a way with sport prototypes, which already allow plenty of scope,  to work with few guidelines?
Dr. Ullrich: "This is under discussion. One way of course would be to say that you are provided with a certain amount of energy with which you must complete the 24 hours as quickly as possible. "

 

 

In technology, what would Audi envisage for the future?
Dr. Ullrich: "We are currently at a very difficult decision-making stage. Problems could arise at large motorsport events if you run cars with very different alternative energy sources. We already see how difficult it is to reconcile diesel, premium and E85 gasoline at Le Mans. It won’t be any easier when new fuels like hydrogen or gas are added - whereby our parent company already demonstrates that you can race competitively with gas. Obviously you can say: you are provided with this or that much energy. But you have to be able to compare the amounts of energy - and also the storage capacity."

 

Wolfgang Egger: "It can get very interesting for design with the different drive systems and requirements arising. It would be a challenge for us to help shape and develop this. New forms and details would certainly arise, which will in turn help us to develop new forms."

How would a concept car look for a pure electric powered race car? 
Dr. Ullrich: "It depends very much on how the regulations look. Cars powered by an electric motor don’t necessarily have to look different. We’ll always try to build aerodynamically highly efficient bodywork. The type of motor that powers it is secondary to begin. Regardless of what the power source is, even with an electric component from a battery you just run for longer if the car is efficient."

 

Could you imagine a pure electric powered race car on a typical race track or would the sound be missed?

Dr. Ullrich: "Even today there are already many discussions about our efficient diesel engines not sounding like typical race cars because they are so quiet. At the moment it sets us apart. Just as long as there are others that are loud we make a lasting impression. Just as and when all are so quiet than maybe you’ll have to think again. You can generate noise with relatively little energy input. A race car doesn’t have to be loud, but must be present in some form or other; otherwise nobody will look at it anymore. What we currently do is being accepted: an efficient car is, as a whole, not loud, after all noise is energy. When something loud comes out the back it’s a sign that I didn’t use the energy correctly."

Wolfgang Egger: "It’s about emotion and noise is a part of emotion."

Michael Splett: "I also see opportunities here. Today, one or the other race track is not built because residents would complain continuously. We already have electric drives in motocross and in karting. This represents an opportunity to bring motorsport back to population centres. In the future it’ll be even more important that motorsport is environmentally compatible and that fans are not frowned upon if they visit a motorsport event because resources are squandered there."
 

Julien Hergault -  (Source Audi press information)

Photo : INGOLSTADT (GERMANY), 19 MAY 2011. From left to to right: Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport), Michael Splett (Strategic Corporate Planning), Wolfgang Egger (Head of Audi Design Group).