Audi’s Le Mans team have done a spot of crystal ball gazing to guess what endurance racers of the future could look like.
They predict that racing will continue to be a mainstream sport, but only if the cars, rules and spectating experience adapt to keep up with the zeitgeist.
So what’s coming to Le Mans in 2020?
‘I think the cars racing at Le Mans in 2020 will be far more aero-efficient,’ Ulrich Baretzky, Audi Sport’s engine boss, told CAR Racing. ‘There will be no big wings but the way the cars cut through the air will be very different.
‘There will be many more different powertrains but I don’t think conventional hybrid powertrains will be one of them – they won’t work on the track. They will be quieter too. Noise is energy and it’s wasted energy. Turbochargers already reduce the noise of engines.’
And how will the crowd experience change? Will we have to charge up halfway through Le Mans?
‘The audience will change completely too – they will be using handheld devices to communicate and interact with their friends, the car, the driver and the team in the pits,’ predicted Baretzky.
‘If we want the next generation out on the track a lot of cars making a lot of noise going round and round is not enough. Motorsport has a social responsibility – there’s more to life than a V8 screaming at 18,000rpm with no relevance to road cars.
‘Motorsport has to be relevant to cars that we drive on the road. These changes will ensure the future of motorsport – it’s role will change from entertainment to developing new technology for road cars.’