[LM24] Audi plans for 2010 revealed

[cmk]

I can't possibly see why anyone in their right mind would expect Audi not to ask. The worst they could hear is no, leaving them no worse off than they were already. Plain and simple.

[chernaudi]

Brabs is back with Highcroft in a Honda badged Acura ARX-01 LMP2 car in the ALMS for 2010. Dayton has also said that Highcroft would like to do Le Mans, but unless they want to run an LMP1 car, they'll need at least one Gentleman driver on the team(David, Simon and Marino are all full time professsional drivers).

[WMUCarGuy]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Brabs is back with Highcroft in a Honda badged Acura ARX-01 LMP2 car in the ALMS for 2010. Dayton has also said that Highcroft would like to do Le Mans, but unless they want to run an LMP1 car, they'll need at least one Gentleman driver on the team(David, Simon and Marino are all full time professsional drivers).

Duncan could hop in for Le Mans.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by WMUCarGuy

Duncan could hop in for Le Mans.

.. or they could use the P1 car with the rumoured low downforce body kit

[R4z3rw33n]

Treluyer, Fassler, and Lotterer to join Joest squad.

Both EI/Auto-Hebdo have the story now. So there must be some substance behind it.

[Acid09]

Originally Posted by R4z3rw33n

Treluyer, Fassler, and Lotterer to join Joest squad.

Both EI/Auto-Hebdo have the story now. So there must be some substance behind it.

Lotterer too... what a coincidence they snatch up two Super GT drivers at once.

Article only mentions Le Mans though, so this might just be a one-off affair. Unless they´re doing DTM too, Audi doesen't really have enough going on to keep these guys busy anyways... I doubt they would trade in a full Super GT and Formula Nippon season for three or four races a year.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Acid09

Lotterer too... what a coincidence they snatch up two Super GT drivers at once.

Article only mentions Le Mans though, so this might just be a one-off affair. Unless they´re doing DTM too, Audi doesen't really have enough going on to keep these guys busy anyways... I doubt they would trade in a full Super GT and Formula Nippon season for three or four races a year.

Also Audi has enough full time Endurance drivers, so it would be too expensive for them to have 2 others, compared to a multi driver (Sports and DTM).

[Mal]

Originally Posted by CTD

Also Audi has enough full time Endurance drivers, so it would be too expensive for them to have 2 others, compared to a multi driver (Sports and DTM).

Autosport are saying that Premat, Werner and possibly Luhr have been dropped

[The Badger]

Werner ..... I thought he was brilliant .

[CTD]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Werner ..... I thought he was brilliant .

Luhr too.
Ill always remember him for the Gt2 Porsche years!

[Acid09]

Originally Posted by Mal

Autosport are saying that Premat, Werner and possibly Luhr have been dropped

A real shame about Marco Werner, I always felt he was kind of underrated at Audi. McNish and Kristensen had always been in the spotlight but Marco has been blazing quick, especially in the rain and in the dark.

Too bad, I hope he finds another drive somewhere. And Lucas, well, his stay with Audi wasn't too good either. He didn't fit into DTM (as most sports car drivers) and Audi didn't offer him a lot of drives in 2009.

Shame...

[R4z3rw33n]

Originally Posted by CTD

Also Audi has enough full time Endurance drivers, so it would be too expensive for them to have 2 others, compared to a multi driver (Sports and DTM).

Probably the sole reason Rockenfeller is still on board (given his checkered record).
He's made some rookie errors, but definitely has the outright pace.

Originally Posted by Mal

Autosport are saying that Premat, Werner and possibly Luhr have been dropped

Providing that's true (and depending how lineups are managed), I guess it's now a lot more likely that we could see a Rockenfeller/Dumas/Bernhard combination.

[Japanese Samurai]

Originally Posted by Acid09

Lotterer too... what a coincidence they snatch up two Super GT drivers at once.

Article only mentions Le Mans though, so this might just be a one-off affair. Unless they´re doing DTM too, Audi doesen't really have enough going on to keep these guys busy anyways... I doubt they would trade in a full Super GT and Formula Nippon season for three or four races a year.

They were participating in the Super GT test in January 19-21.
They will participate in S-GT this year, too.
It is preferable for S-GT that they take an active part in the sportscar race of Europe.

[Jonerz]

What does this mean for Corvette losing Fassler? Who is going to run in the number 3 in endurance events?

Chris

[The Badger]

If I was Audi , I would send some top staff to help out with Kolles effort and crew it with some of the new drivers ..... that gets around that ACO rules , now dont it . I expect that is was might happen .

[joeb]

Originally Posted by R4z3rw33n

Providing that's true (and depending how lineups are managed), I guess it's now a lot more likely that we could see a Rockenfeller/Dumas/Bernhard combination.

I was thinking maybe this means that Dumas and Bernhard won't be with Audi this year, since they weren't officially Audi drivers anyways. It would seem strange to drop Luhr and Werner.

Does anybody know about the severity of T.K.'s ankle injury?

[pdxracefan]

Originally Posted by joeb

I was thinking maybe this means that Dumas and Bernhard won't be with Audi this year, since they weren't officially Audi drivers anyways. It would seem strange to drop Luhr and Werner.

Does anybody know about the severity of T.K.'s ankle injury?

TK? I guessed I missed that one. What is known?

[CTD]

Originally Posted by joeb

Does anybody know about the severity of T.K.'s ankle injury?

He sprung his Achillestendon while playing a fun match with his son Oliver.
His operation went well, but is going to keep the leg up for 8 weeks (7 weeks now).

[joeb]

Originally Posted by CTD

He sprung his Achillestendon while playing a fun match with his son Oliver.
His operation went well, but is going to keep the leg up for 8 weeks (7 weeks now).

Ouch, sounds painful. Well he should be ready by June then.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by joeb

Ouch, sounds painful. Well he should be ready by June then.

Hopefully .
But this only less'ns the chance of Audi at Sebring.

[courageous]

Autosport print is saying Tom is unlikely to be fit for the post Sebring test, but should be fine for the 1st LMIC commitment (Paul Ricard?).

[CTD]

Originally Posted by courageous

Autosport print is saying Tom is unlikely to be fit for the post Sebring test, but should be fine for the 1st LMIC commitment (Paul Ricard?).

Isn't that a given when he has to rest his food in 7 weeks

[Tom908V12]

I wish a speedy recovery to TK

[cmk]

Werner is basically the same age as Biela and Pirro, so I would not be surprised if he was looking at (semi?) retirement. Maybe like Frank he will run R8s at the Nurburgring but it would not surprise me if, like those gentlemen, James Weaver and so many others he has decided to go out while he's still fast.

I think that Audi made some good moves with their sportscar pilot additions; Fassler is a known quantity, Treluyer has had massive pace and adapted very quickly to the 908, and Lotterer got to grips with the R10 better in a single meeting than most of the other Kolles drivers did in a season while showing a real cool head under serious endurance pressure. An excellent series of additions.

Why Luhr, rather than Rockenfeller, is likely to be dropped is beyond me. The latter has never seemed that good in DTM or in prototypes while Luhr proved to be very strong and rapid at the wheel of the R10 in the ALMS. Rocky should go back to GT cars IMO, and Luhr should stay at Audi!

[fiend540]

Sneak peak of the r15plus.... sorta

http://forums.fourtitude.com/zerothread?id=4740348