Australia hosts the debut of Audi in Formula 1 and to celebrate it has rolled out one of its Le Mans greats.
Audi’s long-awaited debut in Formula 1 follows its purchase of the Sauber team in 2022 and an even more stories history during the 1930s in Grand Prix racing.
DKW, Audi, Horch and Wanderer formed Auto Union in 1932, then found an arch-rival in Mercedes-Benz approaching World War II.
Auto Union won seven Grandes Épreuves, 14 non-championship Grands Prix and two European Drivers’ Championships during this period.
Fast forward 90-years and Audi is regarded as one of the leading premium brands globally, but its recent motorsport history has been at Le Mans, GT3 and touring car competition.
It’s Audi’s Le Mans history highlighted around Victoria’s landmarks to build up its Formula 1 debut, but it does have an Australian link.
The famous Crocodile livery adorning the Audi R8 was used to win the Race of Thousands Years held on the Adelaide Parklands Street Circuit during New Year’s Eve in 2000.
Running as part of the Don Panoz-owned American Le Mans Series, Audi was dominant in this sphere as sports car racing began to expand into territories it hadn’t previously ventured to.
Audi added a victory in Adelaide when Rinaldo ‘Dindo’ Capello and Allan McNish. Australian Brad Jones was multiple Super Touring champion for Audi locally and was down as a reserve driver in case McNish, who injured his back during a promotional event, was unable to compete. This failed to occur after spending two days hospital, McNish powered through to take share the win.
Now this Crocodile liveried Audi R8 is on display at AFLOAT on the Yarra as part of the manufacturers major city activation during the Grand Prix.