Top 5 Audi-Sponsored Race Circuits

1. Le Mans Racing Series

The Le Mans racing series is a high prestige body in the racing community, arguably second only to the esteemed Formula One circuit. Named after the town of the same name, it is the longest-running endurance race in the world, spanning over 5000km and taking 384 laps across a 24-hour stretch. Audi had a particularly strong time dominating this track in the early 2000s. However, they significantly toned down their involvement with Le Mans in 2016 to focus on the electrical vehicle Formula E circuit. This move was only down to coincident with Audi's recent realignment with electrical and hybrid technologies; however, their association with Le Mans is easily the most iconic they've had with a racing body in their history.

2. Deutches Tourenwagen Masters

After Le Mans, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) series is Audi's other big go-to when it comes to professional racing sponsorships. The series employs a common format of two 100km races, offering a short break between the two to breathe. Audi has received multiple honors through numerous sponsored teams in the DTM. The two main sponsors for DTM are Audi and Mercedes-Benz. These two brands have been fiercely competitive for years, so it goes to show that a racing circuit offers room for both than just the drivers to run neck-and-neck.

3. Audi Sport TT Cup

The Audi Sport TT Cup acts as a sort of supporting circuit for Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters and 24 Hours Nurburgring. It's generally seen as a hot opportunity for up-and-coming younger drivers to make their mark on the professional racing scene. It is notable for being a one-make race, meaning that every driver is using the same car. This takes out the corporate competitive element compared to Audi's struggles with other brands instead of being a showcase for their sponsored drivers and what the vehicle design itself can accomplish. Most recently, the 2016 Season Championship went to the talented Finnish driver Joonas Lappalainen.

4. Formula E Circuit

The Formula E circuit is geared towards electrical race cars. This is a smaller scale race circuit than some of the others Audi has been associated with, and for good reason; electric cars still haven't caught on with people, particularly amongst fans of motorsports. Audi has been prioritizing green technologies like electrical cars and hybrid vehicles in recent years, so it made some sense for them to reprioritize to the Formula E from their previous association with Le Mans. These races are much shorter than the long haul offered at Le Mans, generally taking the form of inner city street circuits. The Audi-sponsored team ABT Schaeffler as of 2017 has racked the second highest amount of circuit wins at a current of 4.

5. Formula One?

There's been a lot of talk about it, especially over the last couple of years. Audi has been a big name in other racing circuits and isn't lacking in their reputation as a first-class automaker, so it's almost surprising this hasn't happened already. While Audi has long resisted the lure of Formula One, saying the F1 technology doesn't benefit their street lines sufficiently, recent developments in the industry seem to have veered Audi towards at least considering the Formula One as a future contract. Hybrid and sustainable energy technologies may have been just the trick needed to open Audi to the Formula One family.

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