By Johan Laubscher
With eleven overall wins Audi have been a phenomenal force at Le Mans for well over decade. The presence of the Audi teams at Le Mans has always been extremely impressive. The facilities set up for the race teams, from the pit buildings to the driver sleeping quarters, are vast and brilliantly done. Along with the set ups for the race team itself there is another almost equally impressive set up from Audi, the facilities set up for the corporate guests of Audi at the race. Audi spends a huge amount of money setting up facilities to entertain their guests, allowing them to watch the race in style. A large number of Audi guests attend the race each year.
The guest list is comprised of many of the top-brass at Audi along with many guests invited by the various national Audi importers from around the world. Each one of these guests can then experience a number of brilliant facilities set up by Audi around the track.
Below we will take you on a brief experience of seeing Le Mans as a guest of Audi. We will have a look at the various types of facilities and experiences on offer to the Audi guests at the world’s greatest endurance sports car race.
The photos included are from the 2008 event. Audi had a number of facilities on offer that year, similar to the facilities which are still available each year for the corporate guests. It should be noted as well that the facilities and the number of them fluctuates each year but they are always getting better and enhancing the experience. 2008 was also a very special year, the battle of Audi versus Peugeot was dramatic and in a surprise development Audi launched the Truth in 24 film which allowed the chance to relive the event all over again.
Experiencing Le Mans with Audi The first stage for many guests at Le Mans is arriving at the airport. Le Mans has a small airport just outside the main straight complex. You can actually see your first view of the track from the airport as you look at the main grandstand.
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| Le Mans airport terminal |
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| Viewing the track from the airport |
From the airport you are transported to the Audi Racing Hotel. We will get back to the modes of transport below. At the hotel you see an impressive set up. The building is essentially a very large empty hall which is retrofitted as a temporary hotel with set up rooms and facilities. Here the guests can settle themselves before heading to the various on-track attractions.  |
| Audi Racing Hotel |
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| Audi Racing Hotel |
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| Rooms inside the Hotel |
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| Rooms inside the Hotel |
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| Rooms inside the Hotel |
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| Rooms inside the Hotel |
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| Corridors inside the Audi Racing Hotel |
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| Check-in inside the Audi Racing Hotel |
From the Audi Racing Hotel the guests are free to travel to and from all the various Audi facilities as they wish during the event. A very special transport network is in place to allow the large number of guests to travel around the vastly spaced facilities. A fleet of cars are on offer with drivers chauffeuring the guests. The list of cars is impressive as it included a number of cars, ranging from Volkswagen Transporters and Audi Q7s for larger groups all the way to top line Audi saloons. In 2008 these saloons included Audi A8 and Audi S8 cars.
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| Audi guest transportation |
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| More Audi guest transportation |
To start off the on-track Audi facilities there is the Audi Racing Club, so named in 2008, where the guests can view the race from the enclosed building high on the main grandstand. A short elevator ride takes the guests to the elevated vantage point above the grandstand. Here they have the chance to be seated and watch the race. A twenty-four hour food service is also on offer here to take the guests through the long night and day.
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| Audi Racing Club entrance |
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| Audi Racing Club on top of this grandstand |
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| Audi Racing Club viewed from across the track |
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| Inside the Audi Racing Club |
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| Inside the Audi Racing Club |
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| Inside the Audi Racing Club |
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| Audi Racing Club food area |
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| Audi Racing Club food area |
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| Audi Racing Club view |
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| Audi Racing Club view |
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| Audi Racing Club view |
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| Audi Racing Club food area |
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| Audi Racing Club food area |
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| Audi Racing Club food area |
Moving away from the Audi Racing Club with a short trip through the underground tunnel, which is under the front straight (a general public area with the correct ticket pass) takes you to the pit complex. One does need special tickets to go directly into the team pit areas on ground level where the team trucks are (a ticket which most of the Audi guests do not have as it is a predominately private and focused area for the team members from the various teams taking part in the race). Moving along the walkways you can now head to the Audi Racing Box above the pit areas. The rooms directly above the Audi pits are open to their guests as another viewing facility. Here more food and drink is on offer along with the chance to have a bird’s eye view above the Audi pits as the cars come in to be serviced.  |
| Public underground tunnel |
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| Audi Racing Box |
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| Audi Racing Box pit view |
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| Audi Racing Box pit view |
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| Audi Racing Box |
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| Audi Racing Box pit view |
From just outside the Audi Racing Box you can see the entire pit complex from the second floor. From this view you also get to see the exceptional set up that Audi Sport Team Joest have for their team, including the covered trucks and driver sleeping quarters.
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| View of the Audi pit area |
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| View of the Audi pit area |
As you move away from the track you can head towards the Le Mans Village, which also has many attractions. Along your way you will see the press facilities set up by all the major teams for members of the press. The Audi press building is always one of the most impressive, however it is generally not open to the Audi guests as it is mainly aimed for the press. In the heart of the Le Mans Village you will see the Audi Racing Garden. A small facility enclosed in a green garden where the guests can view the race on television while being treated to yet more food.
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| Audi press center |
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| Audi Racing Garden |
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| Audi Racing Garden |
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| Audi Racing Garden food area |
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| Audi press center |
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| Audi Racing Garden food area |
Venturing away from the main grandstand and the Le Mans Village you can head to the last of the large Audi facilities (well at least the last in 2008). Situated on the right side of the track as the race cars approach the Ford chicane, it is arguably the most impressive Audi facility, the Audi Racing Arena. The building is set up and built specifically for Audi guests at this event. Alongside the building there are similar set ups from all the other major factory teams. The Audi Racing Arena is a two-story building which offers a number of attractions. As you enter the facility there are a number of cars on display. Most notably in 2008 the display included the 2007 Le Mans winning Audi R10 TDI and the Audi R8 V12 TDI Le Mans concept car.
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| Audi Racing Arena |
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| Audi Racing Arena |
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| Audi Racing Arena |
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| Audi R8 V12 TDI Concept on display |
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| Audi Racing Arena |
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| 2007 LM winner on display |
As you move through the Audi Racing Arena there is even more food and drink on offer. A number of entertainment options are available: slot car tracks, racing simulators, live music etc. There are also ample socializing areas and seating available. And let’s not forget there is a spectacular view on the second-floor balcony as the race cars brake hard exiting the Porsche Curves for the Ford Chicane.
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| First floor Audi Racing Arena |
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| First floor Audi Racing Arena - Slot cars |
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| Second floor Audi Racing Arena |
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| Second floor Audi Racing Arena |
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| Second floor Audi Racing Arena |
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| Second floor balcony Audi Racing Arena |
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| Second floor balcony view Audi Racing Arena |
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| First floor Audi Racing Arena - Racing simulators |
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| Second floor Audi Racing Arena |
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| First floor Audi Racing Arena |
Along with the various Audi facilities they also offer guests the chance to take part in draws for helicopter rides over the track. The guests can also be transported to the spectator areas at the Porsche Curves for a firsthand experience of this exciting part of the track.  |
| The entry to the Porsche Curves at night |
You can also venture away from the Audi facilities and experience the race firsthand as a spectator. There are many attractions, most notably the fair ground and the Le Mans Village. The fairground is a famous Le Mans attraction with many different rides and attractions, and most obliviously, the famous Le Mans Ferris Wheel. The Le Mans Village is the center of the spectator area, here many different shops and television viewing points are available. Two Audi related attractions are also seen in the Village. The Audi Tower and the Audi Racing Shop which sells Audi merchandise to the public during the event. You can also go into the camp sites and experience the Le Mans atmosphere in an area with thousands of fellow enthusiasts.
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| Audi Tower |
Visiting Le Mans as one of the Audi guests is an aw-inspiring experience. It is extremely impressive and gives one even more appreciation for the absolute attention to detail that goes into the Audi Le Mans program, both on track with the team and off track with all their guest facilities.
Photos by Johan Laubscher
Truth in 24 I was released in 2009 and covered the 2008 Le Mans 24 Hours, a titanic battle between Audi and Peugeot which was ultimately decided by the weather. The first film was an instant hit followed by the second film being released in 2012. Truth in 24 II featured the 2011 Le Mans which was another close battle with Peugeot and a gap at the finish of under 14 seconds after 24 Hours. 
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