Audi 2005 news...

[tblincoe]

good little interview with Dindo Capello on dailysportscar.com today... seems as though there will be no Goh Audi in 2005, not ground-breaking news but suprising that the winner of Le Mans can't get a sponsor to run the next year. Even more interesting was the revelation that the next Audi LMP which is set to debut in 2006 will not have a diesel in it after all. Dindo cited the costs of the new engine program as the reason to not go ahead with that project. it will be interesting to see who runs the Audis next year...

[Naruto]

for sure there going to be 2 Champoin, 2 Audi UK, and most likey some one going to buy 1 or 2 Audi. but what ever happen to the Joest Audi??????

[tblincoe]

the 2 Audi UK cars are far from sure. Veloqx folded due to a lack of involvement by Audi UK for the 2005 season, as it stands right now I'm pretty sure we won't see the purple and silver cars back next year. don't know why you're so sure about em...

[Naruto]

do you thing that the Champoin going to be there??? and if so think that they wil bring 2 cars???

[GT1]

Audi (or perhaps just Audi Japan and Audi UK) must see the bottom line being affected. When the R8 debuted they were swapping rear ends like they were candy on Halloween.

Now perhaps Champion as the only represenative of the Audi R8? Certainly the only stable one...

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

Going on posts in other threads I think it will be the 2 Champion Audi's and 1 single entry from another team - Audi France?

[GT1]

This is what bugs me about their "customer program". There is none. The car is too expensive and too insanely regulated by the factory to allow people, real people, not huge Audi dealers, to get and keep them.

I have had arguements over the years about this and there are a lot of people who will defend Audi's "customer" program or "privateers" as Len Hunt always called them, and that is their right, but the buck stops with two, perhaps three Audis racing world wide next year as of now.

[Naruto]

what are cheap car that run good and maybe beat the Audi???
Dallara, Zyteks, Courage????

[Fab]

Originally posted by Naruto
what are cheap car that run good and maybe beat the Audi??? Dallara, Zyteks, Courage????

I didn't see such thing as a cheap car last years, but the only one to match is the Zyteck, and the MG-Lola on short races (the only one to make Audi eat the dust in 2004).

[tblincoe]

although there are no cheap cars out there, the car to have in 2005 is the Zytek

[mikmx]

What about no Audi at all, probably not going to happen but it would be quite intresting.

[archibold]

Interesting to reflect that the R8 was kept relatively simple compared to the Bentley which had far more sophisticated electronics...as it was only ever intended to be run by the factory.

[Garrett]

For sure there will be 2 Champion Audis at Le Mans. When I was at Petit Le Mans this year, the annoucer for Petit said over the radio that Champion were running the entire 2005 ALMS season as well as Le Mans 2005.

[TerryC]

Would you guys call this the beginning of the fall of the all conquering Audi R8? It'll be good news for other P1 cars if there would be no R8 racing next year - which maybe interesting somehow.

[jhansen]

I don't see how anyone can say that the Zytek is the car to have in 2005. It is very unclear how the restriction rules will affect this car next year. The Audi R8 will be restricted aslo, BUT it will remain pretty darn bullet proof. The Zytek is FAR from bullet proof, which does not win Le Mans.

The R8s will most likely only run the ALMS and Le Mans next year. The ALMS are still running the 2003 specs, which keeps the cars closer to their potential. I might speculate that Audi would not support any European efforts. Especially without Veloqx and Goh.

[eddsc]

Well, John McNeil said it - and Mike Jankowski said it, although perhaps neither was specifically talking about Le Mans.
MC

[Audi R8R]

Originally posted by tblincoe
the 2 Audi UK cars are far from sure. Veloqx folded due to a lack of involvement by Audi UK for the 2005 season, as it stands right now I'm pretty sure we won't see the purple and silver cars back next year. don't know why you're so sure about em...

I don't think Veloqx have actually 'folded' I think its more a case of Audi UK haven't told them what's going on so lay off the staff (therefore not paying people to sit around doing nothing over christmas) and wait ans see what happens.

Apparently they did this last year hen running the Ferrari's too. And they came back straight away with the Audi project at the start of 2004.

[jhansen]

Veloqx Aston Martins in 2005/06?

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by Audi R8R

Apparently they did this last year hen running the Ferrari's too. And they came back straight away with the Audi project at the start of 2004.

Yes, but the Audi venture was something of a surprise package for them, they certainly didn't expect it. Do they (I wonder) expect something on the horizon for 05?


(Yes, I'd love to see them run the Astons too.... )

[tblincoe]

Originally posted by jhansen
I don't see how anyone can say that the Zytek is the car to have in 2005. It is very unclear how the restriction rules will affect this car next year. The Audi R8 will be restricted aslo, BUT it will remain pretty darn bullet proof. The Zytek is FAR from bullet proof, which does not win Le Mans.

The R8s will most likely only run the ALMS and Le Mans next year. The ALMS are still running the 2003 specs, which keeps the cars closer to their potential. I might speculate that Audi would not support any European efforts. Especially without Veloqx and Goh.

it has already been stated that the Zyteks can drop their weight down to next year's limit of 720, and in doing so the car will have the same power to weight ratio of last year... sounds like the car to have to me. sure the Audis are bulletproof, but they will be much slower next year, and with a strong winter program such as the one Creation is doing, the Zytek can be made reliable.

[nsxr]

well with spare audi's sitting around and the unreliability of his mg-lolas. Maybe dyson should buy a a pair of r8's. think of it 2 champion audi's Vs 2 dyson Audi's . oh the fun of the off season.

[jhansen]

What weights were the Zyteks running this year? I thought the only one running heavier was the Creation DBA, which is somewhat different. I seem to recall that Jota and the factory Zytek were running around 720K with the Creation car above that. Does anyone have the numbers?

As for Audi, could they not do some changes with the engine to make up for the restriction rules? Seems like I read that somewhere. They were already well up on torque this year.

Note to nsxr: It's not like you can run to your neighborhood racecar dealer and buy an Audi R8. The task is a bit more difficult than that. And not so cheap.

[tblincoe]

Dyson will not get Audis, there's absolutely no way and it wouldn't make sense. He will campaign his B01/60s next year and try and work on the reliability. Both cars are obsolete in 2006, so no reason to change machinery now.

as for the Zyteks I remember seeing 740-750 for the factory/Jota cars and 770 for the Creation car...

i'm sure Audi will find some new things to make the R8s competitive next year, but there's really only so much you can do, and with the team situations up in the air as far as who's gonna run the cars, I don't see Audi having a big presence in the LMES next year. However, the R8 will dominate in the ALMS with at least a two car effort from Champion, unless Creation can get some funds and run the DBA/Zytek over here...

[jhansen]

770 for the Creation car sounds about correct from what I recall. But I thought the Jota and factory car were closer to 720. But like I said, I could be wrong. I'll still go with the Audi's reliability over the Zytek at Le Mans though. And I'm guessing with the Michelins the Audi's overall race pace will still be strong. And I agree, outside of Le Mans, I'm not sure Europe will see any R8s.

[Naruto]

I hate the way the Zyteks look, ther soo ugly. at least there fast but still so so ugly?? will least to me there are