• Six Le Mans winners steer both Audi R10 racers
  • Debut for diesel sportscar on 18 March at Sebring
  • 12 Hours of Sebring as dress rehearsal for Le Mans
Test Paul Ricard
Audi factory drivers Emanuele Pirro, Frank Biela and Marco Werner (from left)

Audi competes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 17/18 June with a brace of high-calibre driving squads. Six seasoned campaigners, who have all won the French endurance classic at least once and collectively lay claim to 17 Le Mans victories, sit at the wheel of the two Audi R10 sportscars.

Frank Biela (D), Emanuele Pirro (I) and Marco Werner (D) form one team. Dindo Capello (I), Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen (DK) and Allan McNish (GB) share the cockpit of the sister Audi R10.

“Our goal was to put together two equally competitive teams for each R10,” explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. “We were able to choose from six Le Mans winners who have been successful for Audi in every conceivable permutation. We opted for a combination which we consider to be perfect for both cars.”

Audi Sport North America’s team also fields exactly the same driver line-up on 18 March at the 12-hour race at Sebring (Florida), which acts as dress rehearsal for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The most important race on the calendar in the USA is, at the same time, also the opening race of the 2006 American Le Mans Series (ALMS).