WEC season prologue

For motorsport fans it is a tantalising look at the cars and teams of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) ahead of the season opener, while for the teams themselves, it is a chance to look over the opposition and put their own cars to the test before the season begins in earnest.

This year’s WEC Prologue held over two days at the famed Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet, France saw the new Audi R18 e-tron quattro – officially released only days before – take to the track with the opposition racers. With the season opener at Britain’s Silverstone just three weeks away, the excitement and the tension is mounting for this the fifth FIA World Endurance Championship and one that Audi is very keen to win.

It was the first time the all-new Audi R18 e-tron quattro – the most powerful race car the brand with the four  rings has ever produced – had encountered its new rivals in the top LMP1 ranks, and the season ahead promises to be hard fought and exciting at each of the nine rounds as both Porshe and Toyota also bring new race cars to the series this year.

“This was however no show of strength in respect of the season opener at Silverstone in three weeks time,” said Dieter Gass, Deputy Head of Audi Sport. “We have made many excellent findings during this test, which we must now implement technically.” 

Driver Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer were behind the wheel of the new car on the Friday and Saturday of the prologue, while Lucas di Grassi, Loïc Duval and Oliver Jarvis  took over the testing duties on Sunday and Monday to gain more precious time on the track.

Commenting on the raft of new technologies employed in the R18, Audi driver Marcel Fässler was excited by the season ahead and the potential of the car saying:

“Our current racecar shares barely a single bolt with its predecessor. The aerodynamics are new and the hybrid system now processes 50 percent more energy, namely six Megajoule. As a result, an entirely different strategic approach is possible and necessary with the energy recuperated. Since the start of testing we have put a lot of time into fully understanding these processes and to fathom out the possibilities. The prologue at Le Castellet was another step in the right direction,” he said. 

Of course this was not the first time the new Audi race car has spent time on the Paul Ricard circuit, a heavily disguised version of the car undergoing extensive testing during the off season, but now resplendent in its new race livery.

This year Audi will battle sister brand Porsche and Toyota for top honours in the LMP1 class, last year providing race goers with spectacular action from the start of the season to the climactic finish. Audi will be looking to go one better than last year, missing out on the championship to Porsche in a cliff-hanger final round at Bahrain. The brand will also be looking to take back the jewel in the crown, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, fielding two R18 e-tron quattros at la Sarthe for the great race in June.