Audi play down Sebring chances

The new diesel-power R10 set a blistering pace at the official American Le Mans Series test last month, leading many to believe that they will coast to victory in the prestigious Florida event.

In testing, Dindo Capello lapped the Florida track in 1:47.308, beating the 2002 qualifying track record. He was only a second slower than the fastest ever laptime of the car's all-conquering predecessor, the R8, set during tyre testing last winter.

However, head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ulrich warned that the Sebring race should only be considered a dress rehearsal for June's Le Mans race, and that they had yet to find out how reliable the new car is.

"It goes without saying that we want to get a good result for Audi on the R10 debut and ring in a new motorsport era with the diesel sportscar," Ulrich said. "However, I would like to stress that Sebring is first and foremost a dress rehearsal for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"Our tests in Sebring went well but we know exactly how risky the first race is for a completely new car."

Audi Sport North America technical director Ralf Juttner said that some reliability problems had been solved during the car's testing, but there are other strong competitors within striking distance should they run into problems.

"At the first test in Sebring we had to tackle a few problems, which have since been solved," Juttner said. "Nevertheless we don't know whether the R10 is as reliable as the R8 was - and also whether the lap times we set at the test are worth anything.

"The Porsche was very fast at the tests, the new Dyson-Lola made people sit up and take note.

"I'm convinced that it will be a close battle. We've done our homework but are expecting a long, hard race."

Two R10s will run in the seven of the ten American Le Mans Series this season, with the exact driving line-ups to be confirmed for the final six race of the season.