Audi, Porsche: Sebring test won't reveal speed of LMP1 machines

One Porsche 919 Hybrid and one Audi R18 e-tron quattro are taking part in the four-day open test at the Sebring International Raceway, which marks the first time two 2014 LMP1s have run together at the same track.

But making a comparison will be difficult because the energy allocation for the respective petrol and diesel-powered machines from Porsche and Audi has yet to be set ahead of the first World Endurance Championship race at Silverstone on April 20.

Porsche LMP1 technical director Alex Hitzinger said: "It will be interesting, but it won't tell us too much.

"We will both get an idea of where we are, but not exactly because we don't know what energy levels they are running and vice versa."

The amount of fuel that can be used per lap under the radical 2014 P1 rulebook will be defined on the basis of data supplied by the P1 manufacturers Porsche, Audi and Toyota.

The first of two deadlines for the supply of that data has already passed and the second one is due ahead of the official WEC test at Paul Ricard on March 28/29.

Porsche and Audi also have different priorities at Sebring this week: Porsche is undertaking a mixture of performance and durability testing with the latest version of the 919; and Audi is focusing on endurance testing with a target of completing 6000km (3725 miles) over the four days.

Audi driver Marcel Fassler said: "We will be keeping an eye on what they are doing, but it will be difficult to make a comparison because we will both being going through our own programmes."

Porsche is running a major aero update for the first time at the Sebring test, which started on Tuesday March 4.

Hitzinger described it as "an evolution but quite different" to the specification run up to now (pictured).

"Apart from the monocoque [surfaces], I don't think there is one part that is the same," he explained.

"A lot of the changes are in the detail, so you won't look at the the latest version and say there are two different cars."