Audi Pulls Out of ALMS; Honda Quits F1 Immediately
12-05-2008, 04:51 AM
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Audi Pulls Out of ALMS; Honda Quits F1 Immediately
Hard times for motorsports.
Audi motorsport boss Wolfgang Ullrich praised the ALMS - which the marque had competed in for nine seasons - and the Champion team that ran the R8 and R10 in America.
"The decision to withdraw was a very difficult one," he said. "The extraordinary dedication and precision of Team Champion was the key to Audi's victories over the last few years in America.
"We achieved an unprecedented winning series together - since the 2000 season Audi has won the LMP1 title nine times in succession."
The recent announcements mean that Audi's motorsport involvement next season is, at the moment, restricted to the DTM, Sebring and Le Mans, and the customer programme with the new R8 GT3 car.
Guess it's time for DTM (that's only Audi and Mercedes).
I'll really miss all the great folks involved with Audi Sport North America.
Audi motorsport boss Wolfgang Ullrich praised the ALMS - which the marque had competed in for nine seasons - and the Champion team that ran the R8 and R10 in America.
"The decision to withdraw was a very difficult one," he said. "The extraordinary dedication and precision of Team Champion was the key to Audi's victories over the last few years in America.
"We achieved an unprecedented winning series together - since the 2000 season Audi has won the LMP1 title nine times in succession."
The recent announcements mean that Audi's motorsport involvement next season is, at the moment, restricted to the DTM, Sebring and Le Mans, and the customer programme with the new R8 GT3 car.
Guess it's time for DTM (that's only Audi and Mercedes).
I'll really miss all the great folks involved with Audi Sport North America.
12-05-2008, 05:00 AM
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Beat me to it but here's the article...
<ul><li><a href="http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72333">http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72333</a</li></ul>
12-05-2008, 07:36 AM
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I don't think economy had anything to do with Audi's ALMS departure.
Having IMSA continually gimp their class so P2 can compete with (and beat) them. Having nobody else in P1 to compete with outside of Sebring and Petit LeMans buys them nothing in marketing over here.
When the majority of TV coverage of ALMS races centers around P2 and GT2 coverage because there's fights going on there, why bother?
The amount of money they're spending on ALMS is still a pittance to what they're spending in DTM, so it would be akin to them stopping the towel service in the company gym.
When the majority of TV coverage of ALMS races centers around P2 and GT2 coverage because there's fights going on there, why bother?
The amount of money they're spending on ALMS is still a pittance to what they're spending in DTM, so it would be akin to them stopping the towel service in the company gym.
12-05-2008, 08:59 AM
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I'm not so sure....
You are right, DTM is waaay more $$$ than probably LMS and ALMS season combined.
But, they ran in ALMS for 9 years, without any competition. Did it take 9 years for them to realize that? Doubt it.
Acura is coming to P1 in '09. Maybe Peugeot would jump in too? I think it would have been a good season for them but who knows what the reasons are.
But, they ran in ALMS for 9 years, without any competition. Did it take 9 years for them to realize that? Doubt it.
Acura is coming to P1 in '09. Maybe Peugeot would jump in too? I think it would have been a good season for them but who knows what the reasons are.
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12-05-2008, 09:44 AM
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Had to do with the economy, for sure, or they are liars. But yes, it was easy to walk away from
ALMS with the treatment they received.
If the world economy wasn't an issue, they wouldn't have dropped ELMS, which ran under different (more appropriate) ACO rules.
Mike S
If the world economy wasn't an issue, they wouldn't have dropped ELMS, which ran under different (more appropriate) ACO rules.
Mike S
12-05-2008, 10:01 AM
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I really thought that Audi would tell ALMS to kiss off last year. Wonder what
having Audi not be in ALMS will do to the attendance numbers....think Audi did draw a lot of folks.
