Audi quits WEC and Le Mans

So it’s a page turning, with Audi’s departure from the World Endurance Championship. It’s not a surprise since the brand with the rings is no longer as dominant as it once was.

But above all, for the past two seasons, it has had to face new competition from Porsche, which is part of the same Volkswagen group. Yet in these times of severe crisis for the German group due to the Dieselgate scandal, savings are being made at all levels. That is why both brands entered only two cars in the last 24 Hours of Le Mans, instead of the three traditionally fielded.

But that doesn’t mean Audi is going to abandon motorsports. While the prospect of entering F1 can be dismissed, the brand has decided to strengthen its involvement in Formula E through the Abt team. For the 2016/2017 season, it has already increased its investment in the discipline with the aim of eventually becoming a fully-fledged team.

Rupert Stadler, the chairman of the board of management of Audi, stated: “We are going to race for the future of electric power. As our cars become more and more electric, our motorsports cars, as Audi’s technological trailblazers, must also be electric.”

We can therefore observe that the electric car championship is succeeding in attracting numerous manufacturers. It now includes four (Renault, Audi, DS, Jaguar), just like F1 (Renault, Ferrari, Honda, and Mercedes), knowing that BMW has begun its initial approach by forging a partnership with Amlin Andretti, before committing to a 100% presence.

Moreover, Audi will also maintain its presence in DTM, which is essential for its visibility in the German market since its two other premium rivals, BMW and Mercedes, are also there.

With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr