Autocar's electric car podcast: how Audi electrified motorsport

For 50 years, Audi has been driven by the philosophy of Vorsprung Durch Technik or ‘progress through technology’: often using the intense pressure and white-hot heat of motorsport as the forging ground for its engineering and technology.

After making history with the first hybrid win at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2012 and leading the way in the all-electric Formula E series, Audi is now using hybrid power in the rough and rugged Dakar Rally and planning its entry into Formula 1 for the new hybrid engine era in 2026.

A key figure in Audi’s electric motorsport journey has been three-times Le Mans winner Allan McNish. One of Britain’s best-known and most-respected racing drivers, Allan spent much of his career guiding Audi’s victory charge from behind the wheel before going on to run Audi’s all-electric Formula E team. So we asked him to explain some of the secrets behind the success of Audi’s electric racing heritage.

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