| Spa, September 12, 2004 The Audi R8 continues to write motorsport history: The most successful Le Mans prototype of all time celebrated its 50th victory at the 1000 kilometre race at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend. This milestone is particularly impressive because it was achieved over a mere four year period and in only 60 races. Since its debut at the 12-hour race at Sebring in March 2000, the Audi R8 has been considered the sports-prototype to beat. The R8 has already won the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans four times. With its five victories in succession at Sebring, it remains, up till now, unbeaten, just as it does in “Petit Le Mans” at Road Atlanta. R8 drivers have won the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) five times in a row. And the R8 was also in a class of its own from the off in the Le Mans Endurance Series (LMES) held for the first time in 2004. The R8 development, overseen by Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich as well as both Wolfgang Appel (Vehicle Engineering) and Ulrich Baretzky (Engine Technology) has not only set new standards as far as performance is concerned in sports car races. Quite literally its reliability: There has not been a single engine failure in a race to this day. Since the 2001 season, the Audi R8 V8-engine has been using the worldwide unique combination of FSI and turbo technology. In the meantime it is also successfully used in the new A3 and A4 2.0T models. The advantage of this technology in motorsport is the same as in every day life: reduced fuel consumption coupled with simultaneously improved initial throttle response. The Audi engineers also demonstrated “Vorsprung durch Technik” in many other areas in the R8 project. The R8 was the first Le Mans prototype with a pneumatic gear-shift. Audi developed also a unique system that allowed the complete gearbox and suspension unit to be changed in a little over four minutes – a fascinating spectacle that the regulations have forbidden in the meantime. Other regulation changes targeted the performance of Le Mans prototypes. That’s why the Audi R8 must now, in the intervening period, manage with less power (approximately 550 instead of the original 610 hp) and a narrower rear wing. Nonetheless, the Audi R8 is still in a class of its own particularly over the race distance. The importance of the model designation “R8” was puzzled over for a long time. The explanation is simple: Since the legendary original quattro, Audi has numbered all internal vehicle projects consecutively. With the R8, the project name also became the official vehicle name and is now synonymous for the world’s most successful Le Mans prototype. |
2000 |
| 1 Sebring (USA) |
Frank Biela / Tom Kristensen / Emanuele Pirro |
| 2 24h Le Mans (F) |
Frank Biela / Tom Kristensen / Emanuele Pirro |
| 3 Sears Point (USA) |
Rinaldo Capello / Allan McNish |
| 4 Mosport (CDN) |
Rinaldo Capello / Allan McNish |
| 5 Dallas (USA) |
Frank Biela / Emanuele Pirro |
| 6 Portland (USA) |
Rinaldo Capello / Allan McNish |
| 7 Petit Le Mans (USA) |
Michele Alboreto / Rinaldo Capello / Allan McNish |
| 8 Laguna Seca (USA) |
Rinaldo Capello / Allan McNish |
| 9 Las Vegas (USA) |
Frank Biela / Emanuele Pirro |
| 10 Adelaide (AUS) |
Rinaldo Capello / Allan McNish |
|
| Frank Biela |
1111 |
| Tom Kristensen |
11 |
| Emanuele Pirro |
1111 |
| Rinaldo Capello |
11111 |
| Allan McNish |
11111 |
| Michele Alboreto |
1 |
2001 |
| 11 Dallas (USA) |
Rinaldo Capello / Tom Kristensen |
| 12 Sebring (USA) |
Laurent Aiello / Michele Alboreto / Rinaldo Capello |
| 13 Donington (GB) |
Rinaldo Capello / Tom Kristensen |
| 14 Jarama (E) |
Rinaldo Capello / Tom Kristensen |
| 15 24h Le Mans (F) |
Frank Biela / Tom Kristensen / Emanuele Pirro |
| 16 Sears Point (USA) |
Rinaldo Capello / Tom Kristensen |
| 17 Most (CZ) |
Stefan Johansson / Patrick Lemarie |
| 18 Mosport (CDN) |
Frank Biela / Emanuele Pirro |
| 19 Laguna Seca (USA) |
Frank Biela / Emanuele Pirro |
| 20 Petit Le Mans (USA) |
Frank Biela / Emanuele Pirro |
|
| Frank Biela |
1111 |
| Tom Kristensen |
11111 |
| Emanuele Pirro |
1111 |
| Rinaldo Capello |
11111 |
| Michele Alboreto |
1 |
| Laurent Aiello |
1 |
| Stefan Johansson |
1 |
| Patrick Lemarie |
1 |
2002 |
| 21 Sebring (USA) |
Rinaldo Capello / Johnny Herbert / Christian Pescatori |
| 22 24h Le Mans (F) |
Frank Biela / Tom Kristensen / Emanuele Pirro |
| 23 Mid-Ohio (USA) |
Frank Biela / Emanuele Pirro |
| 24 Road America (USA) |
Rinaldo Capello / Tom Kristensen |
| 25 Trois-Rivières (CDN) |
Rinaldo Capello / Tom Kristensen |
| 26 Mosport (CDN) |
Rinaldo Capello / Tom Kristensen |
| 27 Laguna Seca (USA) |
Frank Biela / Emanuele Pirro |
| 28 Miami (USA) |
Frank Biela / Emanuele Pirro |
| 29 Petit Le Mans (USA) |
Rinaldo Capello / Tom Kristensen |
|
| Frank Biela |
1111 |
| Tom Kristensen |
11111 |
| Emanuele Pirro |
1111 |
| Rinaldo Capello |
11111 |
| Johnny Herbert |
1 |
| Christian Pescatori |
1 |
2003 |
| 30 Sebring (USA) |
Frank Biela / Philipp Peter / Marco Werner |
| 31 Road Atlanta (USA) |
Johnny Herbert / JJ Lehto |
| 32 Trois-Rivières (CDN) |
Frank Biela / Marco Werner |
| 33 Mosport (CDN) |
Frank Biela / Marco Werner |
| 34 Road America (USA) |
Johnny Herbert / JJ Lehto |
| 35 Spa (B) |
Seiji Ara / Tom Kristensen |
| 36 Laguna Seca (USA) |
Frank Biela / Marco Werner |
| 37 Miami (USA) |
Johnny Herbert / JJ Lehto |
| 38 Petit Le Mans (USA) |
Johnny Herbert / JJ Lehto |
| 39 Le Mans (F) |
Seiji Ara / Tom Kristensen |
|
| Frank Biela |
1111 |
| Tom Kristensen |
11 |
| Johnny Herbert |
1111 |
|
| Philipp Peter |
1 |
| Marco Werner |
1111 |
| JJ Lehto |
1111 |
| Seiji Ara |
11 |
2004 |
| 40 Sebring (USA) |
Frank Biela / Pierre Kaffer / Allan McNish |
| 41 Monza (I) |
Jamie Davies / Johnny Herbert |
| 42 24h Le Mans (F) |
Seiji Ara / Rinaldo Capello / Tom Kristensen |
| 43 Mid-Ohio (USA) |
JJ Lehto / Marco Werner |
| 44 Nürburgring (D) |
Pierre Kaffer / Allan McNish |
| 45 Lime Rock (USA) |
JJ Lehto / Marco Werner |
| 46 Sonoma (USA) |
JJ Lehto / Marco Werner |
| 47 Portland (USA) |
JJ Lehto / Marco Werner |
| 48 Silverstone (GB) |
Pierre Kaffer / Allan McNish |
| 49 Road America (USA) |
JJ Lehto / Marco Werner |
| 50 Spa (B) |
Jamie Davies / Johnny Herbert |
|
| Frank Biela |
1 |
| Tom Kristensen |
1 |
| Rinaldo Capello |
1 |
| Johnny Herbert |
11 |
|
| Pierre Kaffer |
111 |
| Allan McNish |
111 |
| Marco Werner |
11111 |
| JJ Lehto |
11111 |
| Seiji Ara |
11 |
| Jamie Davies |
11 |
|
Victories by by driver |
| Frank Biela |
11111111111111111 |
| Rinaldo Capello |
1111111111111111 |
| Tom Kristensen |
111111111111111 |
| Emanuele Pirro |
111111111111 |
| Marco Werner |
111111111 |
| JJ Lehto |
111111111 |
| Allan McNish |
11111111 |
| Johnny Herbert |
1111111 |
| Seiji Ara |
1111 |
| Pierre Kaffer |
111 |
| Jamie Davies |
11 |
|
| Michele Alboreto |
11 |
| Laurent Aiello |
1 |
| Stefan Johansson |
1 |
| Patrick Lemarie |
1 |
| Christian Pescatori |
1 |
| Philipp Peter |
1 |
|
|
|
