Things had gone quiet around Audi’s planned LMDh project, which would have brought the brand back into the top categories of prototype sport. There will be no entry into the IMSA series and the Endurance World Championship (WEC), as the brand officially confirmed today. The planned LMDh program falls victim to the company’s entry into Formula 1 in 2026.
The development of the prototype was already paused at the beginning of the year, since then there has been no new information as to whether the program would pick up speed again or not. With the entry of Audi into the premier class, a project had to give way, it hit the LMDh division. However, Audi will continue to follow the program at the Dakar Rally.
This means that only one brand in the Volkswagen Group will step into the new spearhead of endurance racing: Porsche! The company has already developed, tested and presented its vehicle. The new prototype is scheduled to make its debut in the US IMSA series as early as the 2023 season. The 24 Hours of Le Mans are coming up there in January 2023.
In addition to Porsche, Cadillac, Acura and BMW have already presented their racers for the 2023 season. Lamborghini and Alpine also have plans to develop LMDh cars for the long haul. The hypercars from Toyota, Peugeot and Glickenhaus are also used in the WEC. Ferrari is also in the middle of developing a hypercar.
With the convergence of the LMH and LMDh cars in the WEC and IMSA, all brands should have the opportunity to take part in major races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Audi will certainly not get involved in this field, since Formula 1 has priority for the Ingolstadt company.