No. 2 Audi R15 TDI. Photo credit: Rick Dole for Michelin North America

Audi Sport Team Joest, Audi R15 TDI

No. 1: Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Mike Rockenfeller
No. 2: Dindo Capello, Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen

Audi skipped last year’s 12 Hours of Sebring to concentrate on development of a highly revised R15 TDI prototype, its second generation diesel after the successful R10 TDI. While it left the two Peugeots to fight among themselves for the overall triumph last year, Audi is back with its eye on recapturing the crown in the 2011 edition.

The manufacturer won eight consecutive Sebrings overall from 2000-’07 and again in 2009 on the R15’s debut. In what will be the car’s sendoff, the updated “Plus Plus” model has two shots at taking down Peugeot this time around. The defending 24 Hours of Le Mans winners Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Mike Rockenfeller anchor car No. 1, with the veterans and popular triumvirate of Dindo Capello, Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen seeking their third win as a trio at Sebring (2005, 2009) in car No. 2.

This is part of a series of previews on Michelin technical partner teams in this year’s 12 Hours of Sebring.