WEC 2016: Audi to withdraw from LMP1 at end of the season to focus on Formula E

Amid troubled times for the Volkswagen Group in the wake of 'Dieselgate' and stiff competition in the LMP1-Hybrid class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), German car manufacturer Audi announced that it would be leaving the highest level of prototype sportscar racing in order to focus solely on the all-electric Formula E at the end of the WEC season.

The news comes despite reports of the contrary in the media where Audi representatives were quoted by Motor Sport magazine as stating that they would field cars in LMP1 along with competing in Formula E.

Audi already has a presence in Formula E on account of the Abt Sportsline team being their representative in the series.

The decision means that Audi, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans 13 times since its LMP1 debut in 1999, will no longer be present at the most famous event in sportscar racing from next year, despite even claiming to have started work on an LMP1 concept for the 2018 WEC season.

Spending upwards of 250 million dollars a year to try and unsuccessfully beat VW Group sister brand Porsche and Toyota for WEC silverware, is believed to be seen as an unacceptable state of affairs in light of being ordered by US courts to pay 14.7 billion dollars to customers affected by the emissions scandal.

Audi have also failed to win any of the three major prizes available over the course of a WEC season since last year; overall victory at Le Mans, driver's and manufacturer's title.

2014 was the last time they won at Le Mans and were beaten to the driver's and manufacturer's crown by Japanese rivals Toyota.

Participation in Formula E is, in comparison, far cheaper despite the series still being in very much a nascent stage. With a budget cap of around 5 million Euros and the automotive industry as a whole applying a lot of their resources on electric vehicle development, Audi called time on competing with a diesel-hybrid approach in the WEC.

It is unclear as to what will become of highly rated drivers like Andre Lotterer who has been competing in the Japan-based Super Formula series (the fastest single seat series outside of F1) and the WEC.

Having competed in one Formula 1 race weekend with Caterham in 2014, there is some speculation if the German could attempt a return given that F1 cars will be by far the fastest they have ever been next year on account of impending regulation changes. Although given his ties to Audi, the 35-year-old is likely to continue in a motorsport discipline where the German company has a presence.