Audi target success in every round

The R10 TDI won on its race debut at the Sebring 12 hours, but missed the next three rounds of the series while the manufacturer was preparing for the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Ullrich is hoping that the R10 will be adaptable to the shorter American circuits in the same way the all-conquering R8 was.

Next week's round of the ALMS takes place at the new Miller Motorsports Park at Salt Lake City, with reigning champions Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro returning to the series for the first time since Sebring.

"We will start on a completely new race circuit, on which everybody starts afresh," Ullrich said.

"We are well prepared and are intrigued to see just how the R10 TDI, which was built specifically for Le Mans, performs on other types of race track.

"Our target is that the R10 TDI is competitive on every type of circuit, exactly like the R8 was. The entire team is working towards this."

Biela says he is looking forward to driving for the rest of the season without the pressure of fighting for the championship.

He said: "It's always something special to drive a new car. Since we sat out three races Emanuele and I are able to drive completely without pressure: We are not title contenders, so we are looking to score some good individual results. I'm really looking forward to the new circuit at Salt Lake City.

"Everything that I've seen and heard about it up till now has been very promising."