Audi announced its intentions to return to sports car racing and enter the Dakar rally in 2022 at the expense of its Formula E programme. The shock move will see the company return to sports car racing after leaving the World Endurance Championship in 2016, while it’s Dakar entry will be the first time the firm will take part in the gruelling rally.
Unlike Peugeot and Toyota, which have committed to the road-based Le Mans hypercar class that comes into effect next year, Audi will return to the WEC under the LMDh regulations. These cars are essentially LMP2-spec prototypes, with an increase in power to match the performance of the hypercar class. That means the company will be able to compete for outright victory at Le Mans without having to develop a costly road-going hypercar.
Then there’s the Dakar entry. Audi says it’s developing a new electric prototype for the event, utilising an electric motor and a “high velocity battery”. What’s interesting about the concept, though, is that it’ll use a petrol engine as an energy converter, presumably so that the drivers don’t have to stop every 200 miles or so to charge up.
Unfortunately, it means the German car giant will withdraw from Formula E at the end of the 2021 season. It’s a peculiar move, given that manufacturers have flocked to Formula E in recent years as it serves as a marketing platform for green vehicles. Audi joined the series in 2014, before claiming the team’s championship in the 2017-2018 season.
The company hasn’t revealed why it’s turned its back on Formula E, but there’s a good chance that the category’s prescriptive rules were a contributing factor. The company will be relatively free with the development of its Dakar prototype, while its entry into the WEC should be a cost-effective way of challenging for victory in a major category with, arguably, a greater audience than Formula E.
Keyword: Audi ditches Formula E, eyes Le Mans return and Dakar debut