Audi lifts the veil on its new R18

This evening in Munich, Audi invited the press to unveil the 18 R1 LM P2016, which will defend its interests in the World Championship.Endurance next year. A car which will be entrusted, just like this year, to the trios Marcel Fässler-André Lotterer-Benoît Tréluyer and Lucas di Grassi-Loïc duval-Oliver Jarvis. As we previously announced to you, this new LMP1 will have a hybrid system increased to 6 megajoules.

The less good news comes from the fact that there will only be two LM P1s hit by the four rings at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (and therefore at the 6 Hours of Spa). A direct consequence of the polluting emissions cheating affair which recently exposed Volkswagen Group. This is the first time since 2006 that there will be only two Audis at the start in Sarthe. Porsche will suffer the same sanction by only being able to field two LMP1s next year on the double clock at Sarthe.

If the German René Rast was named a reserve, he was forced, like the Portuguese Filipe Albuquerque and the Italian Marco Bonanomi, to return full time to GT.

Photos of the 18 Audi R2016