Audi had been very successful in international rallying and several touring car championships. But the German luxury brand wanted more and set their target on Le Mans. Well, that turned out quite good, especially with Joest as partner.
How it started
1999 Le Mans 24h, Joest Audi R8R. Audi came to Le Mans for the first time in 1999. They wanted to test what the best concept would be, so the German manufacturer entered 2 open top LMP1 cars and 2 closed GTP’s. There were some small differences in the regulations apart from the roof, but both had the same technical platform and engine. Clearly, the Joest managed Audi R8R (R for Roadster) won over the RTN managed Audi R8C (Coupé). So Audi decided for the LMP1 and Joest and this was the start of a whole new era.
- #7 Michele Alboreto (I) / Rinaldo Capello (I) / Laurent Aiello (F) – 4th | IXO Modern Le Mans & GT Cars LMM137
- #8 Frank Biela (D) / Emanuele Pirro (I) / Didier Theys (B) – 3rd | MINICHAMPS MC430 990908
- #9 Stefan Johansson (S) / Stephane Ortelli (MC) / Christian Pescatori (I) – DNF | MINICHAMPS MC430 990909
- #10 Andy Wallace (GB) / James Weaver (GB) / Perry McCarthy (GB) – DNF | MINICHAMPS MC430 430 990910
2000 Sebring 12h, Joest Audi R8. The first race of the new Audi R8 in its new colors. Audi entered two cars in the American Le Mans Series because the FIA Sports Car Championship was a joke. The team was managed by Joest but the official entrant was Audi Sport North America. They had to compete against two BMW V12 LMR’s that won Le Mans in 1999 and drove a last season in the ALMS. Audi’s took the first two places, BMW came home in 3rd just 1 lap down and 4th (2 laps down), the local American competition was 20 laps down. It showed how strong the new Audi’s were.
- #78 Frank Biela (D) / Emanuele Pirro (I) / Tom Kristensen (DK) – 1st | SPARK 00SE78
2000 Le Mans 24h, Joest Audi R8. Many factory teams quit after 1999; Mercedes, BMW, Toyota … Porsche already one year before. So it’s tempting to say that Audi had it easy. The Audi’s had more than 25 laps on their closest rivals, so the competition was weak, but the performance of the Audi R8’s was stunning; all three Audi’s matched or improved the number of laps of the winning BMW in 1999.
- #7 Michele Alboreto (I) / Rinaldo Capello (I) / Christian Abt (D) – 3rd | MINICHAMPS Audi 2.00.000.00970
- #8 Frank Biela (D) / Emanuele Pirro (I) / Tom Kristensen (DK) – 1st | MINICHAMPS Audi 2.00.000.00969
- #9 Allan McNish (GB) / Stephane Ortelli (MC) / Laurent Aiello (F) – 2nd | MINICHAMPS Audi 2.00.000.00971
A real Art Car
2000 Adelaide, Joest Audi R8. The “Race of a Thousand Years” was held on the 31st of December 2000 in Adelaide (Australia) and was part of the Asian and American Le Mans Series in which Audi and BMW competed. The #78 Audi had its usual livery, but the #77 was a real Art Car. It looked just like a crocodile in a Billabong. Allan McNish and Rinaldo Capello took the win and the ALMS title.
- #77 Allan McNish (GB) / Rinaldo Capello (I) – 1st | IXO Modern Le Mans & GT Cars GTM001
2001 Le Mans 24h, Joest Audi R8. In 2000, the red Audi won in front of the yellow one. The black was third. In 2001 Joest Audi entered only two cars, additionally, both Stefan Johansson and Champion Racing had a 2000 spec Audi R8. Again the red Audi won, the yellow was second. The Audi based Bentley was third. The race was run in torrential rain and only 321 laps were completed against 369 in the previous year.
- #1 Frank Biela (D) / Emanuele Pirro (I) / Tom Kristensen (DK) – 1st | IXO Modern Le Mans & GT Cars LM001
- #2 Stephane Ortelli (MC) / Laurent Aiello (F) / Christian Pescatori (I) – 2nd | IXO Modern Le Mans & GT Cars LM002
2002 Sebring 12h, Joest Audi R8. The 2002 season began again in Sebring. Both Joest cars were equipped with the new direct injection FSI engine. The 2002 Sebring race was won by the yellow #2 Audi in front of the 2001-spec Champion Audi. The #1 car only finished 5th this time.
- #1 Frank Biela (D) / Emanuele Pirro (I) / Tom Kristensen (DK) – 5th | MINICHAMPS MC400 021391
- #2 Rinaldo Capello (I) / Johnny Herbert (GB) / Christian Pescatori (I) – 1st | MINICHAMPS MC400 021392
1-2-3 Again
2002 Le Mans 24h, Joest Audi R8. Everything remained the same. he only difference with 2001 was that Audi again entered three works cars. These filled the entire podium and even the following order was unchanged; red – yellow – black.
- #1 Frank Biela (D) / Emanuele Pirro (I) / Tom Kristensen (DK) – 1st | IXO Le Mans 24 Heures LM002
- #2 Rinaldo Capello (I) / Johnny Herbert (GB) / Christian Pescatori (I) – 2nd | IXO Classic Le Mans & GT Cars LMM2002
- #3 Michael Krumm (D) / Phillip Peter (A) / Marco Werner (D) – 3rd | MINICHAMPS MC400 021303
2003 Sebring 12h, Joest Audi R8. The all new Bentley was the car to beat this year. In the first race of the year this is exactly what Audi did, the Joest entered car won the 12 hour race of Sebring. Joest decided to compete only in the American Le Mans Series this year, leaving Le Mans for Bentley to win.
- #1 Frank Biela / Marco Werner / Philipp Peter – 1st | MINICHAMPS MC400 031391
About Le Mans: The privateer Audi’s that raced in Le Mans were not as fast as the previous years, rumour goes that they had different quality tires than the Bentleys … Joest raced the entire American Le Mans Series with just one car in 2003. The privateer teams from Champion Racing, Veloqx, Team Goh and Oreca represented the German Brand in 2003, 2004 and 2005 at Le Mans. The Audi privateers will be subject to another blog soon. Audi and Joest in the mean time were developing a Le Mans racer with a diesel engine. These will have a blog off their own also.
Farewell
2006 Lime Rock, Joest Audi R8. The incredible Joest Audi R8 returned to USA one more time for a last farewell. It had a special livery. The names of all 18 drivers who won a race with the R8 will be visible (not only in the Joest cars), and the names of the 23 race tracks worldwide on which a R8 won, from the winning debut at Sebring in March 2000 to the 62nd victory in Houston a few weeks earlier. And of course it was its final race too.
- #1 Allan McNish (GB) / Rinaldo Capello (I) – 1st | SPARK Audi Collection S0677
Thanks for visiting 🙂