Audi's LMDh vehicle, which was discontinued in F1 participation, was "prepared for testing"[F1-Gate.com]

Audi said the car was “ready to be tested” when the decision was made to abandon the LMDh project due to its entry into F1, according to key people involved in the project.

Audi signed up for the new cost-effective LMDh formula at the end of 2020 and was expected to compete in both the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA Sportscar Championship in 2023.

DTM stars Rene Rast and Nico Muller have been hired to lead the development of the project and, although it has not been announced, will sign a contract with longtime GT partner WRT, making it an official factory team.

Audi’s LMDh vehicle was developed in parallel with Porsche around Multimatic’s next-generation LMP2 chassis, and both Volkswagen Group brands were to use the same twin-turbo V8 engine along with a specific hybrid system.

But as Porsche became the first manufacturer to launch an LMDh car in mid-January, Audi quickly scrapped a program that allowed it to attempt to add to its 13 Le Mans 24 Hours wins.

Initially, Audi only announced that the project had been “paused” to allow it to deploy its capabilities elsewhere, with the program suspended until August, when it announced its intention to enter F1 in 2026. It was not done. any official announcement that will be deleted.

Audi is now well advanced compared to its R18 heir, and when it was informed of its decision to abandon the project, it became clear that the car was due to complete its first tests a few weeks later.

“Eventually the car was ready,” Nico Muller told Autosport.

“We worked a lot on the simulator and everything was ready to start serious tests on the track.”

“It was developed together with Porsche. It’s no secret that they shared the same platform as the Multimatic.”

“Did you want to drive it? It was very close, but the decision was made a few weeks in advance.”

Audi’s head of customer racing Chris Reinke said the progress of the cars of the two Gorkswagen manufacturers at the beginning of the year was nearly equal, suggesting how close the Audi LMDh was to its first track test.

Chris Reinke, who led Audi’s LMP1 program, said: “We have a partnership with Porsche, so we know where Porsche has been. The state of the car is public.”

“Inside Audi, the decision was made to focus on Formula 1, making it less likely for anyone with an emotional connection or commitment to LMDh.”

Audi last entered the WEC in 2016, at the height of the LMP1 era of the series, with a diesel-powered R18.

The company’s decision to cancel the LMDh program saw Nico Muller join Peugeot’s hypercar team, while both Rene Rast and WRT switched to German brand BMW rival.