To demonstrate the success of the Audi Sport programme at Le Mans, The Telegraph selected two teams who would have the necessary competitive spirit, resolve and capacity to take on the Audi ‘Road to Le Mans Challenge’. Three British Olympic stars – Amy Williams, Lizzy Yarnold and Kelly Sotherton, pitched against three England rugby heroes – Phil Vickery, Kyran Bracken and Martin Corry.
The story of the challenge and who won was captured by award-winning director Alex Verner and will sit in a dedicated hub, telegraph.co.uk/roadtolemans, on The Telegraph website.
Audi has dominated the iconic Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race in recent times, celebrating an incredible 12 victories in the past 14 years with continued evolutions of their LMP1 car, the most recent iteration being the Audi R18 e-tron quattro ultra. Audi’s huge success has been driven by an unrelenting pursuit of innovation focusing primarily on efficiency and reliability, says the company. The technology developed for Le Mans rapidly finds its way into Audi road cars and it is this technology that is being challenged by the two teams in the ‘Road to le Mans’.
The two teams of sporting stars drove two Audi A6 2.0 TDI ultra models to Le Mans in a unique challenge-laden road trip that emulated the demands of the 24-hour race itself. Starting in Bolton (which is twinned with Le Mans), both teams were given just one tank of diesel with which to cover the 720 miles. Additional challenges included travelling via Champagne in order to collect the winners’ magnum of Moet and being set several ‘rules’ to add to the difficulty of the Challenge, such as testing their general knowledge during a high-speed lap of the test circuit at Millbrook.
Kristian Dean, National Communications Manager, Audi UK, said: “The Le Mans 24 Hours is undoubtedly the most prestigious endurance race in the world. We are incredibly proud of our success rate in the last 14 years with major technological innovations – all of which are essential for the development of our growing portfolio of road cars”.
Matt Cory, Director, Telegraph Create, TMG, said: “The initiative has been a great partnership between two appropriate brands. Taking two teams of sports stars from Bolton to Le Mans with one tank of fuel in one weekend was a huge challenge and an enjoyable experience. We look forward to sharing the results with The Telegraph’s audience.”
Paul Reid, Head of Creative Services, MediaCom Beyond Advertising, said: “The key objective of the Telegraph campaign was to bring the spectacle of Le Mans to a wider audience. You need the complete package to win this iconic race - the best car, the best drivers and the best strategy. We had the car covered, the rest was up to the participating teams of sporting greats. I’m thrilled with the outcome and a little surprised by the result.”
