Audi LMS drivers

[Hugewally]

Is it even possible that Allan can drive below 100%?

[johntt]

Originally Posted by Hugewally

Is it even possible that Allan can drive below 100%?

Its reckoned to be impossible.

[gwyllion]

According to the latest blog entry of Murphy, Audi will enter 1 R10 for the full season and 2 for Sebring and Petit Le Mans. So expect only Luhr/Werner in ALMS.

I guess it is a signal to IMSA for not recognizing LMP1 as dominant class.

[The Badger]

It wouldnt surprise me to see 4 R10's at Le Mans ..... god forbid !!!

[gwyllion]

I think they only have drivers for 3 cars. So we will see the lineup of last year.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

I think they only have drivers for 3 cars. So we will see the lineup of last year.

They could always put some more DTM-drivers in their fourth car.
Scheider/Ekström/Tomczyk would be a nice team.

[JAG]

I'd prefare to see the R10 run in Champion livery in the ALMS and for Audi to make a concerted effort to place a second R10 with a top customer team.

[cmk]

I'd take 2 R10s for the full year no matter what name they are entered under, and what they are painted up as. The fact remains that only 1 US team has run an Audi previously - and they are running the only one there will be. To fund another team is a big ask for Audi - they would just have Champion run 2 if they felt so inclined. Similarly, where would the funding for a 2nd Audi come from if not from the factory?

[JAG]

Where does the funding come for 4-5 RS Syders and 4 Acuras?

Wouldn't a semi works Audi deal attract the best teams, and major sponsors to fund it?

[cmk]

Originally Posted by JAG

Where does the funding come for 4-5 RS Syders and 4 Acuras?

Wouldn't a semi works Audi deal attract the best teams, and major sponsors to fund it?

Well, semi-works says Audi funds it, no? I propose Audi would rather fund a works Champion operation if they're funding anything.

Porsches: Dyson is practically a gentleman operation, not in terms of performance, but it's basically internally funded as far as I know. Penske certainly draws its operating budget from DHL, but it has Roger Penske to front the search for funding. Nobody in American racing has his clout.

Acuras: Semi-works would be a good analogy here. If Audi wanted to run a car by this model they probably could (and did with Champion). Honda's plumbed its open-wheel connections for that though, Audi lacks similar connections. Audi certainly splashed out in their first couple of years too - 2 full works cars each year. I guess they are cutting back?

You're not wrong - it would not be inconceivable for Audi to do the semi-works thing. But their track record of partners suggests that there aren't many candidates. Veloqx is the odd one out in some ways, and even they were up and comers in the sportscar arena at the time. That said, any team who saw what happened to Veloqx after its year with Audi might reconsider a proposal without a solid business grounding and financial plan!

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by cmk

Similarly, where would the funding for a 2nd Audi come from if not from the factory?

Goh , Johansson , Champion , Oreca , Veloqx ..... they were all privatly funded . I see no reason why others cant do the same with respect to the R10 .

[cmk]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Goh , Johansson , Champion , Oreca , Veloqx ..... they were all privatly funded . I see no reason why others cant do the same with respect to the R10 .

Fully privately funded? Maybe a single one of those (Johansson/Arena) was really that way. But more to the point, only one of those was publicly funded by and for North America. I've covered that one already - it now is the factory team in NA. Sponsorship outside of the US is very different than sponsorship within it, sportscar-wise. The world of NASCAR sees to that.