Allan McNish and the “factory” Audi team begin their preparations for recapturing the Le Mans 24 Hour endurance race “crown” this summer by contesting an eight-hour race at Paul Ricard on Sunday (11 Apr).
Dumfries-born McNish, 40, débuts a revised diesel-engined Audi R15 TDI in the eight-hour race at the 3.6-mile track in Southern France – a venue the Scotsman has tested at frequently but only raced at on one previous occasion – over 20 years ago.
“Racing at Paul Ricard will be strange because the one and only time I actually raced there was in 1988 - my first ever season of racing [Opel Lotus Championship] in mainland Europe,” reflected McNish who won the Le Mans for a second time in 2008 and finished third last year.
“I’ve been back pretty much every year since but only for testing which included Formula One commitments. So somewhat bizarrely, despite knowing the track inside out, my racing mileage there is very minimal which will be the same for Audi as although we’ve done a tremendous amount of endurance testing there, Audi has never contested a sportscar race at Ricard.”
The Audi R15 TDI that raced for the first time last year has been further development in numerous details and internally bears the project name "R15 plus.” It is the first second-generation diesel racing sports car to be powered by an Audi V10 TDI engine with a power output of over 590 600 bhp and features numerous technological innovations.
McNish only competed in three races last year, his last race being in September, and so is eagerly looking forward to the Paul Ricard race, the opening round of the Le Mans Series. It is currently planned Allan will share the latest R15 TDI along with co-drivers Dindo Capello (Italy) and Tom Kristensen (Denmark).
Allan added: “I’m eager to get back to racing after almost seven months. It’ll be a tough race – especially with just one Audi competing. Dindo, Tom and I can’t afford to make any mistakes on the track while the Joest team will really need to be focused on our pit-stops and strategy over the eight hour period.
“I like the Ricard track which has a fast, flowing sections, a tight and twisty part as well as the legendary long, long Mistral straight. It’s a long drag up to Signes [corner] and when you get there, you take a sharp intake of breath as you approach at 320kph (200mph), attempting to go through the corner without a ‘lift’ [on the accelerator], it’s quite a sensation.
“Because we [Audi] missed Sebring, the Paul Ricard race is very important. It’s the opening round of the Le Mans Series and runs to the same ACO regulations as the 24 Hour race in terms of car specifications, the number of crew working on our pit-stops so it’ll get us prepared in that respect.”
Efficiency has been the focal point during the R15 TDI evolution project – particularly in the complex area of aerodynamics. "This year, the Le Mans regulations prescribe air restrictors with a smaller diameter and reduced supercharging pressure for diesel-powered vehicles,” says Dr. Martin Mühlmeier, Head of Technology at Audi Sport.
"Due to the reduction of engine power as a result of the regulations we have tried to make the car’s aerodynamics even more efficient than before and to improve the Cd value and downforce parameters.”
A late change in regulations that was announced only in November made the work of the engineers more difficult and forced Audi to completely modify the front section of the R15 TDI. Consequently, the diesel race sportscar that is internally designated as "R15 plus” now has a new, distinctive “face” featuring a split nose.
The entire shape of the R15 TDI’s body has been revised for maximum efficiency. The same is true for the modified cooling and fuel tank system. The V10 TDI engine has been optimized for the smaller air restrictors and reduced supercharging pressure. "Our objective was to keep power loss to a minimum despite the limitations imposed by the regulations,” explains Ulrich Baretzky, Head of Engine Technology at Audi Sport. "We managed to do that through a lot of detailed work.” The 5.5-litre power plant continues to deliver more than 440 kW.
"After Le Mans 2009, our specifications for the R15 plus listed about 20 key items,” says Dr. Martin Mühlmeier. "Efficiency and reliability were at the top of the list but we also looked at details like improved night time lighting of the track. We were able to meet this wish of the drivers with a new headlight concept.”
The evolution version of the Audi R15 TDI completed its roll out on the Audi test track at Neustadt (Germany) on March 3. The vehicle was subsequently flown to the United States for two weeks of in-depth testing.
The 8hr Paul Ricard race is scheduled to start at 10.00 (BST) on Sunday, with qualifying for the estimated 44-car entry the previous day (13.10 BST) at the Paul Ricard venue situated 25-miles North-East of Marseille.
