Audi R18 LMP1 World Endurance Championship Racer Revealed

The 2016 R18’s full specifications will most likely be unveiled before next year’s prologue pre-season tests. This R18 (Audi apparently dropped the “e-tron quattro” label previously used) appears much blockier and less streamlined than the previous version, although Audi claims the new shape features “innovative aerodynamics”.

“We are very proud of these six top drivers, and very pleased all of them are on board for the 2016 world championship and the Le Mans 24 Hours”.

The R18 is set to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours and FIA World Endurance Championship and is not created to cheat, but to beat other LMP1 race cars. The tests will take place on April 17 at the Silverstone Circuit in Towcester, Northamptonshire.

With Porsche winning all but two races this year, Audi will be hoping for a strong turn around in 2016.

With our new Audi R18, we’re setting a clear signal: Audi continues to put the pedal to the metal in motorsport.

Audi have also done away with their flywheel energy storage battery system, which it’s been using since 2012, and instead, implement a lithium-ion battery method.

While the latter trio won Le Mans in Porsche’s third auto that only competed twice this year, the joint decision by Audi and Porsche to scale back to two cars each for the French classic means only their full-time drivers will contest the race in 2016.

Audi has still not revealed any of the technical details attached to the project.

That said, many people will still sniff when they catch wind of a new Audi TDI, but this turbo-diesel-hybrid R18 comes with a big exemption clause.

Driven by team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, the No 19 Porsche 919 Hybrid of Earl Bamber crosses the finish line to claim the 2015 Le Mans title.

The changes under the bodywork should help level out the playing field under the energy-based LMP1 rules introduced in 2014, with 8MJ petrol cars – the category Porsche and Toyota run in – being the equivalent of 6MJ turbodiesels.

This was Audi’s worst endurance-racing season in some time.