Audi testing at Sebring and more.....

The day after the 58th 12 Hours of Sebring, some teams are hard at work on the Florida route. Absent for the race, Audi Sport has started on Monday five days of testing after first placing in the mouth at Homestead last weekend. As you can see from the pictures, Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas took the wheel of the R15 "more". Their teammate 1000km of Spa and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Mike Rockenfeller, has also driven the latest weapon of Ingolstadt. However, the tests were stopped prematurely because "Rocky" was an accident in Turn 17, the last corner in the early afternoon. So that Audi would begin on Tuesday a long simulation, the damage is relatively high at the back right.

Peugeot, who won Saturday the 12 Hours of Sebring, is also the game with a 908 HDi FAP, including assigned to Simon Pagenaud. The Tricolor has swapped a bucket to another since evolved ago 48 hours flying the Highcroft Racing Acura. An Acura that was also on track with a certain ... Marco Werner! The German could he join the team of Duncan Dayton? Mystery.

Finally, Corvette was also driving on the tarmac at Sebring, again with the intention to conduct a test of endurance ...

http://endurance-info.com/version2/actualite-endurance-3918.html (photos)

 

Another of the R-15 Plus
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It's a radical change from the R15 of last year - the "gills" are gone, new rear wing, crazy (ugly) new nose, new fenders...I think there's a new sheriff in town.

My $$$ is on Audi at Le Mans.

Here are some pics & explanations of the R15 Plus
http://www.mulsannescorner.com/newsmarch10.html

 

front looks like a manta ray - having seen the Peugeots run this weekend, they definitely have it all together unlike prior years and with four 908's running it will definitely not make life easy for Audi

Carol

 

And Audi starts with a bang!

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.autohebdo.fr%2Fendurance%2Fle-mans%2Farticle-27-5-3458%2F230310-debuts-difficiles-pour-audi-a-sebring&sl=fr&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8

 

Man, the French press are gloating again, aren't they!

 

With the limited prospects of the French, they have to gloat about something!

On Saturday, I was disappointed that I was missing the race for some killer snowboarding, but after learning of the results and catching up when I got home, I realized that I didn't miss much. If Audi had shown up to play, we would have had a race this weekend and Peugeot could suck it.

 

Interesting side-by-side of R10 and R15

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/gallery/view/1039907/344019

 

Great shot.

I think the tub is the only part of the R15 that carried over to the Plus! - completely different car.

Le Mans should interesting this year in all classes.

 

If Paul doesn't have an alternator problem again and with Emanuelle driving the 24h for them too - they certainly have a change to give everyone "fits". Unfortunately, that alternator issue (it was interesting listening to their radio transmissions) slowed them down. It's really good to see Mr. Pirro back in a race car where he really wants to be....he told John and I that he was glad to be back in a driving suit instead of shorts! I've got to find one of the F1 car models from his time there...he's one of the nicest guys in sportscars. The P2 class at the 24h will be interesting too with Highcroft and Strakka ! ! ! Strakka being the ex-Fernandes ALMS P2 car. I think that Nick and Danny are every bit as good as the Highcroft drivers.

Carol

 

Pirro certainly showed that the car has pace but I question the reliability of the Judd motor. Over the last few years, Creation, Intersport, Autocon, etc have had issues with it & since moved on. Moreover, its mated to a Ricardo gearbox which is also prone to puking on itself. The larger problem is when the Lord of English Global Warming err...Climate Change or whatever its called this week gets behind the wheel! At any rate, the Drayson Lola is one sexy machine.

P2 should be good as well. We should note that the Acura's have never run 24 hours so who knows what to expect. I hear that Marco Werner might be in the Highcroft car. If true, that's an impressive lineup.

 

why didnt Audi enter the race?

 

They wanted to, but their new car does not strictly conform to the 2010 ACO rules right now and it would have taken a dispensation by Peugeot to allow the car to run at Sebring.

Of course, Peugeot wouldn't give it to them... Hence the testing this week.

See: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20091221/ALMS/912219996