Ten cylinders. Four wheels. One purpose. Audi Sport fuels a wide range of on-track successes.
Motorsports globally is currently in the midst of a major renaissance, with Formula One, NASCAR, Indycar and sports car racing seeing new events, new entrants and new cars entering the fray. For teams that compete in this arena, aligning your effort with a major manufacturer is a key component to success, and Audi has long been an active supporter of such programs, particularly in the realm of road racing with their sonorous V-10 powered R8 LMS variant.
We specifically asked Audi Sport, the performance arm of Audi vehicles worldwide, “Why would you offer to sell Audi Sport Customer Racing production vehicles?” We were privileged to receive a detailed response from Ms. Eva-maria Becker, the spokesperson for Audi Sport Customer Racing Worldwide.
“A global market for GT sports cars in various categories has emerged over the past 30-years”, Ms. Becker stated. “Audi recognized the market potential 15-years ago and has responded with a broadly diversified model range. Today, customers can buy four different race cars from Audi, including three GT sports cars (the Audi R8 Le Mans Series GT4, Audi R8 LMS GT3, and the Audi R8 LMS GT2). All models are tailored to individual buyer groups. The numbers prove us right: Customers on five continents now contest around 800-races a year with products from Audi Sport Customer Racing.
“Customer racing has always been a complement to Audi AG’S factory motorsports program, but has never competed with them”, Becker said. “Customer team programs give Audi a presence in markets not touched by factory motorsport programs. At the same time, the cost structure of the products makes them suitable for importers or even local dealers to enter racing operations.”
Are these actual Audi production vehicles? “These programs underline the suitability of Audi’s high-performance products for racing”, Ms. Becker revealed. “All three R8 LMS models are based on the standard Audi R8, their basic chassis structures are even created in the same production facilities, and the engines are largely standard. The Audi RS3 LMS is for Touring Car Racing (TCR) and it is also closely based on the road car.”
What else does Audi Sport offer with these Customer Racing programs? Ms. Becker continued: “Audi makes its group of their own 14 professional drivers available to customer teams in their various programs. In addition, Audi relies on these race drivers for strategic events (like the 24-hour races at the Nurburgring and Spa).” Having an Audi Sport factory pilot in the cockpit never hurts.
By working in concert with key customers to ensure their best technology is an integral part of the program, Audi Sports brings its expertise to bear at some of the biggest races in the world. All the while, the engineers at Audi Sport continue to refine their products, and these improvements ultimately make their way to the cars you find in the showroom. Win-win.
Audi does have a long and storied history of participation in prototype racing, as their string of overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans shows, and it is this same commitment to racing that will see them enter Formula One in 2026. Any way you slice it, Audi Sport is the catalyst for success on a number of levels. As the saying goes, “Racing improves the breed”.