Audi ALMS pullout threat?!
02-07-2007, 01:21 PM
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Audi ALMS pullout threat?!
http://www.mariantic.co.uk/lmp/ reports that there's a rumor that Audi may be pulling out of the ALMS after Sebring and only doing the endurance races. It has something to do with IMSA appearently not keeping their promise to talk with the ACO about giving back the LMP2's '06 air restictor-makes me wish that the FIA would step in, but they'll only make things worse.
02-07-2007, 08:52 PM
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I guess we should've know that there'd be trouble when IMSA changed their slogan...
from "For the Fans" to "World Class". Sounds kinda NASCAR/F1-ish to me-implies arrogance.
02-08-2007, 03:37 PM
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Article for those who don't want to do that user/password thing on DSC....
Dr. Ullrich Makes His Point
Did you listen to Wednesday's GlobeCast broadcast (February 7)? John Hindhaugh interviewed Audi's Head of Motorsport, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, and it made for fascinating listening.
The conversation began with some probing questions regarding Audi's role in the Swiss Spirit Lola-Audi project, but then developed in a rather unexpected way...
John Hindhaugh started by asking Dr. Ullrich if Audi was trying to prove that the ACO's equivalency between diesel and petrol-powered cars was right or wrong.
"I am sure that the equivalency is quite right," responded Wolfgang Ullrich, "and I am still sure that if someone is doing a proper job, the performance should be at least similar to the one that we can achieve (with the R10)."
However, he did point out that the development time for the Lola Audi, to be ready for the start of the season, is "not optimum" but that if the Lola chassis and Audi FSI engine are "united well" then the car should run "quite nicely and show that the rules are well done".
There was more than a suggestion that the R10 TDI engine could race using bio-diesel in 2008, with the synthetic components of the current fuel replaced "with a bio-synthetic part".
Then John Hindhaugh got round to probing the current situation in the ALMS. Was Dr. Ullrich disappointed by the lack of competition in LMP1?
Yes, Herr Ullrich was disappointed by the number of P1 competitors, having expected rather more (specifically four to five cars) than the numbers currently expected for 2007. But he was particularly outspoken regarding last week's rule change (effectively giving back the P2s the larger restrictors that were used in 2006 - rather than the 5% smaller ones mandated by the ACO for 2007).
"We do not agree that the season should start with the rules that are not ACO rules," he stated. "We should start where the ACO set the rule book."
More probing from Hindhaugh - regarding the likelihood that the P2 cars in the ALMS would be racing the Audis for the overall win.
"This is for me the part that has to be discussed," responded Dr. Ullrich. "If it is like IMSA wants, the cars (the LMP1s and the LMP2s) are too close together.
"The LMP2 Class is dedicated to privateer teams," he continued - a slightly odd choice of words, but he was speaking in something other than his native tongue, and the meaning is clear ie. that LMP2 was created with the intention that privateers occupied the class, not factory teams.
"We have a competitor with an obvious works effort. IMSA wants to give them 5% more restrictor." That's 5% larger than the ACO's 2007 LMP2 restrictors - or, as above, the same size as that used by the P2 cars in 2006.
"After all the discussion in the last two weeks, we are re-thinking whether we compete in the ALMS," stated Dr. Ullrich, very firmly. "We are negotiating with IMSA and we will push for a clear line on rules for IMSA. We tried to work out something acceptable. Because there is a lot of pressure from some companies, IMSA moves in a direction which is not fair to us."
Dr. Ullrich clearly would like to continue to use the ALMS platform to demonstrate the attributes of the diesel-powered Audi R10 to its target audience in North America - but on his, or the ACO's terms.
He admitted that "we have not yet discussed" a race programme in the Le Mans Series and that "we are optimistic that we can make America happen - but the surroundings must be correct".
So the message from the Head of Audi Motorsport is a clear one - but what is the solution? IMSA has specified that rules may only be changed after four and eight races this season.
We'll follow up with the IMSA point of view as soon as we can.
Some editorial points.
1. It was stated during the Globecast programme that when LMP 675 was introduced, it was designed as a direct rival to the LMP 900 class. That isn't our understanding of the situation in 2000 / 2001. We're sure that the MG Lola EX257 exploited a loophole in the ACO rules and, thanks to such a clever, lightweight, expensive design from Frank Dernie, it was able to compete with the heavier cars - much as the Porsche RS Spyder LMP2 car did during the 2006 ALMS season. Porsche, in an even more `factory way' than MG (Lola), opted to race in the lighter class, and was often able, even on its debut in 2005, to race at LMP1 pace.
2. The ACO made it clear late last year that it would be slowing down the LMP2s for 2007 (with the 5% smaller restrictor), to create a clear distinction between the lap times of the two classes (the aim was 1.5%, based on lap times). There's an irony here, because despite the qualifying speeds of the likes of the RML MG Lola and the Rollcentre Radical in 2006, in Europe the P2s typically didn't threaten the P1s: that was taking place in the ALMS, with the `factory' Penske Porsches. Currently there isn't a prospect of seeing an RS Spyder racing in Europe.
3. The situation has been distorted in the ALMS by the Dyson Racing team switching to the P2 class this year: historically, the top class has featured Dyson versus the might of Audi, but Audi's only genuine rivals chose to leave the P1 class, for reasons that are well understood.
4. We've heard the Audi position. The ALMS position was effectively made clear last week, with the bulletin stating that 2006 P2 restrictors would be used at the start of 2007. Bluntly, was the ALMS expected to endorse a season's racing in which the two Audi R10s had no rivals on the track, when the solution was staring it in the face - a solution that had obvious appeal to P2 manufacturers / teams and to the watching fans? And with smaller restrictors for the P2s, would / will their drivers be back to the situation faced by the restricted LMP1s in 2005 - struggling to pass GT cars on the straights, and having to 'muscle past' into the corners?
MC
The Wednesday GlobeCast show is repeated at 10.00 GMT today (Thursday) and the whole programme will be available in the "listen on demand" archive at www.0157.org from Friday.
Did you listen to Wednesday's GlobeCast broadcast (February 7)? John Hindhaugh interviewed Audi's Head of Motorsport, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, and it made for fascinating listening.
The conversation began with some probing questions regarding Audi's role in the Swiss Spirit Lola-Audi project, but then developed in a rather unexpected way...
John Hindhaugh started by asking Dr. Ullrich if Audi was trying to prove that the ACO's equivalency between diesel and petrol-powered cars was right or wrong.
"I am sure that the equivalency is quite right," responded Wolfgang Ullrich, "and I am still sure that if someone is doing a proper job, the performance should be at least similar to the one that we can achieve (with the R10)."
However, he did point out that the development time for the Lola Audi, to be ready for the start of the season, is "not optimum" but that if the Lola chassis and Audi FSI engine are "united well" then the car should run "quite nicely and show that the rules are well done".
There was more than a suggestion that the R10 TDI engine could race using bio-diesel in 2008, with the synthetic components of the current fuel replaced "with a bio-synthetic part".
Then John Hindhaugh got round to probing the current situation in the ALMS. Was Dr. Ullrich disappointed by the lack of competition in LMP1?
Yes, Herr Ullrich was disappointed by the number of P1 competitors, having expected rather more (specifically four to five cars) than the numbers currently expected for 2007. But he was particularly outspoken regarding last week's rule change (effectively giving back the P2s the larger restrictors that were used in 2006 - rather than the 5% smaller ones mandated by the ACO for 2007).
"We do not agree that the season should start with the rules that are not ACO rules," he stated. "We should start where the ACO set the rule book."
More probing from Hindhaugh - regarding the likelihood that the P2 cars in the ALMS would be racing the Audis for the overall win.
"This is for me the part that has to be discussed," responded Dr. Ullrich. "If it is like IMSA wants, the cars (the LMP1s and the LMP2s) are too close together.
"The LMP2 Class is dedicated to privateer teams," he continued - a slightly odd choice of words, but he was speaking in something other than his native tongue, and the meaning is clear ie. that LMP2 was created with the intention that privateers occupied the class, not factory teams.
"We have a competitor with an obvious works effort. IMSA wants to give them 5% more restrictor." That's 5% larger than the ACO's 2007 LMP2 restrictors - or, as above, the same size as that used by the P2 cars in 2006.
"After all the discussion in the last two weeks, we are re-thinking whether we compete in the ALMS," stated Dr. Ullrich, very firmly. "We are negotiating with IMSA and we will push for a clear line on rules for IMSA. We tried to work out something acceptable. Because there is a lot of pressure from some companies, IMSA moves in a direction which is not fair to us."
Dr. Ullrich clearly would like to continue to use the ALMS platform to demonstrate the attributes of the diesel-powered Audi R10 to its target audience in North America - but on his, or the ACO's terms.
He admitted that "we have not yet discussed" a race programme in the Le Mans Series and that "we are optimistic that we can make America happen - but the surroundings must be correct".
So the message from the Head of Audi Motorsport is a clear one - but what is the solution? IMSA has specified that rules may only be changed after four and eight races this season.
We'll follow up with the IMSA point of view as soon as we can.
Some editorial points.
1. It was stated during the Globecast programme that when LMP 675 was introduced, it was designed as a direct rival to the LMP 900 class. That isn't our understanding of the situation in 2000 / 2001. We're sure that the MG Lola EX257 exploited a loophole in the ACO rules and, thanks to such a clever, lightweight, expensive design from Frank Dernie, it was able to compete with the heavier cars - much as the Porsche RS Spyder LMP2 car did during the 2006 ALMS season. Porsche, in an even more `factory way' than MG (Lola), opted to race in the lighter class, and was often able, even on its debut in 2005, to race at LMP1 pace.
2. The ACO made it clear late last year that it would be slowing down the LMP2s for 2007 (with the 5% smaller restrictor), to create a clear distinction between the lap times of the two classes (the aim was 1.5%, based on lap times). There's an irony here, because despite the qualifying speeds of the likes of the RML MG Lola and the Rollcentre Radical in 2006, in Europe the P2s typically didn't threaten the P1s: that was taking place in the ALMS, with the `factory' Penske Porsches. Currently there isn't a prospect of seeing an RS Spyder racing in Europe.
3. The situation has been distorted in the ALMS by the Dyson Racing team switching to the P2 class this year: historically, the top class has featured Dyson versus the might of Audi, but Audi's only genuine rivals chose to leave the P1 class, for reasons that are well understood.
4. We've heard the Audi position. The ALMS position was effectively made clear last week, with the bulletin stating that 2006 P2 restrictors would be used at the start of 2007. Bluntly, was the ALMS expected to endorse a season's racing in which the two Audi R10s had no rivals on the track, when the solution was staring it in the face - a solution that had obvious appeal to P2 manufacturers / teams and to the watching fans? And with smaller restrictors for the P2s, would / will their drivers be back to the situation faced by the restricted LMP1s in 2005 - struggling to pass GT cars on the straights, and having to 'muscle past' into the corners?
MC
The Wednesday GlobeCast show is repeated at 10.00 GMT today (Thursday) and the whole programme will be available in the "listen on demand" archive at www.0157.org from Friday.
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