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2009 Audi R15 TDI: First Official Testing Session Completed

In the lead up to Saturday’s ’12 hours of Sebring’ endurance event, Audi has completed the first official testing session of its new R15 TDI race car. Initial results are impressive.
Better get used to seeing this third generation R15 TDI at the front of


In the lead up to Saturday's '12 hours of Sebring' endurance event, Audi has completed the first official testing session of its new R15 TDI race car. Initial results are impressive.

Better get used to seeing this third generation R15 TDI at the front of the field.

Both the R15's were lapping the 3.7 mile (5.92 km) track faster than the rival Peugeot 908 HDi FAPs could manage.

The number 2 Audi R15 of Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Dindo Capello, put down a best time of 1:43.596. This was a second clear of the number 1 car driven by Marco Werner, Lucas Luhr and Mike Rockenfeller and a full 1.4 seconds faster than the nearest Peugeot.

Allan McNish was more than pleased with the car's performance:

"The car feels more agile, it feels more reactive, especially at high speed and through Turn 1, which is a very bumpy corner, it’s more stable than the R10 was. We're actually going through there a gear higher."

"We’ve got a better response from the engine as well. I think the V10 being a bit shorter and lighter is allowing the chassis to be more agile in the other parts of the circuit."

Endurance racing fans will be counting down the hours, with Sebring getting underway in Florida on March 21 at 10:30am.

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