The convergence between LMH and LMDh prototypes has had a leading actor in the figure of the VAG Group. The automobile giant has supported the development of the LMDh regulations from the very beginning, to the point of designing two projects in parallel under its umbrella in the hands of Porsche and Audi. It has even been on the table that a third brand of the group could develop its own LMDh from the resources offered by the VAG Group globally and that pass by a common V8 twin-turbo engine and the Multimatic chassis.
However, Porsche and Audi projects have not followed parallel paths, as could be expected. While Porsche’s LMDh has already completed its shakedown in Weissach and a multi-day first test in Barcelona with Penske, delays around Audi’s LMDh project have been a constant, without additionally confirming partners of weight for the program. Delays that do not seem to be accidental and that from Germany it is pointed out that they respond to a stoppage of the Audi LMDh program.
Supply problems and the efforts of Audi Sport in its current project with the Audi RS Q e-tron in the Dakar seem to have caused a sea of doubts within the Ingolstadt manufacturer, to the point of paralyzing the project. The budget to attend to three fronts as different as the Dakar, with a much lower return on investment, Formula 1 and this LMDh program is not big enough. At Audi they do not rule out leaving the LMDh project behind to focus on the other two points.
At the moment this stoppage is not clear if it is due to a cancellation of the project or a scheduled delay which would lead Audi to look to debut its LMDh in mid-2023 or early 2024, rather than early next year like Porsche. What is clear is that the option to cancel the LMDh project is on the table, even if that translates into a transfer of the program to another VAG Group brand such as Lamborghini or Bentley. Today, the successor of Audi’s LMP1 prototype under LMDh regulations seems to be further away than ever.
For now, Silence reigns at Audi, although a project source assures that the development of the LMDh prototype has been stopped. For the time being there will be a break of two or three months while resources are redistributed in a different and more sensible way. Within this scenario, Audi Sport has at least been able to celebrate the first weight victory of the Audi RS Q e-tron in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge by the hand of Stéphane Peterhansel.
Photos: Audi Sport