Le Mans Team Profile

Audi Sport Team Joest.

Eight overall wins at Le Mans in fifteen years — and the team that made a diesel win the race.

Reinhold Joest’s operation ran Audi’s factory sports cars from 2000. The R8, the R10 TDI and the R18 between them made Audi the dominant force at Le Mans for a decade and a half.

Base
Wald-Michelbach, Germany
Team principal
Reinhold Joest
Founded
1978, as Joest Racing
Cars
Audi R8, R10 TDI, R18
Le Mans wins
8, from 2000 to 2014
Read the full history
8
Le Mans Wins
As Audi Sport Team Joest
13
Audi's Total
Five more by other Audi entrants
1978
Joest Racing Founded
Wald-Michelbach, Germany
2006
The Diesel Win
Audi R10 TDI
Le Mans wins
2000 2001 2002 2006 2011 2012 2013 2014
Overview

What Was Audi Sport Team Joest?

Audi Sport Team Joest was the entrant name under which Reinhold Joest’s team, based at Wald-Michelbach in Germany, ran Audi’s factory sports-car programme. Joest Racing had been founded in 1978 and had already won Le Mans four times in its own right before Audi arrived.

Under the Audi name it won the 24 Hours of Le Mans eight times: three in a row with the R8 from 2000, again with the R10 TDI in 2006, and four more with the R18 between 2011 and 2014. The 2006 win was the first at Le Mans for a diesel-engined car.

Audi’s own tally is thirteen. The five that are not on this page were entered by Audi Sport Japan Team Goh in 2004, by Champion Racing in 2005 and by Audi Sport North America in 2007, 2008 and 2010 — Audi cars, different entrants. Audi withdrew from the top class after 2016.

Era 01 · 2000—2002

The R8, Three in a Row

Audi's first sports-car programme with Joest produced the R8, and it won the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the first attempt in 2000. Frank Biela, Tom Kristensen and Emanuele Pirro won all three years running, an identical crew each time.

The team took the American Le Mans Series title in each of those seasons too.

Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R8 LMP Le Mans prototype racing car on display, showcasing the 2000 winning era. Audi R8 · a win at the first attempt
Era 02 · 2006

The Diesel

The R10 TDI was the first diesel-engined car to win Le Mans, in 2006. It changed what a top-class endurance engine was expected to be, and every serious rival followed within a few years.

Audi kept winning through this period, but several of those victories were entered by other Audi teams rather than by Joest.

Audi Sport Team Joest 2006 Audi R10 TDI diesel Le Mans prototype racing car participating in a dynamic demonstration run. Audi R10 TDI · the first diesel win
Era 03 · 2011—2016

The R18, and the End

The R18 in its TDI and e-tron quattro forms won four times between 2011 and 2014, and the team took the World Endurance Championship teams' title in 2012 and 2013.

Audi withdrew from the top class of endurance racing after 2016, ending a sixteen-year partnership.

Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 e-tron quattro hybrid Le Mans prototype racing car on display in the final endurance era. Audi R18 e-tron quattro · the last win
Team Timeline

Audi and Joest at Le Mans

1978

Joest Racing Founded

Reinhold Joest establishes the team at Wald-Michelbach.

2000

First Win with Audi

The Audi R8 wins Le Mans at the first attempt, entered as Audi Sport Team Joest.

2001

Second Win

The same crew of Biela, Kristensen and Pirro wins again.

2002

Third in a Row

A third consecutive victory for the R8 and the same three drivers.

2006

The Diesel Win

The Audi R10 TDI becomes the first diesel-engined car to win Le Mans.

2011

The R18

The R18 TDI wins, the team's first victory with the new car.

2012

R18 e-tron quattro

A hybrid diesel wins, and the team takes the WEC teams' championship.

2013

Fifth Straight Podium Year

Another Le Mans win and a second WEC teams' title.

2014

Eighth and Last Win

The R18 e-tron quattro wins for the final time.

2016

Audi Withdraws

Audi ends its top-class endurance programme.

By the Numbers

Le Mans Wins

Every overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans entered as Audi Sport Team Joest, the car, the winning crew, and whether the team also took a teams' championship that season.
Year,Car,Winning Drivers,Also Teams' Champions Car Drivers' champion Double
2000 Audi R8 Frank Biela · Tom Kristensen · Emanuele Pirro Double
2001 Audi R8 Frank Biela · Tom Kristensen · Emanuele Pirro Double
2002 Audi R8 Frank Biela · Tom Kristensen · Emanuele Pirro Double
2006 Audi R10 TDI Frank Biela · Emanuele Pirro · Marco Werner Le Mans only
2011 Audi R18 TDI Marcel Fässler · André Lotterer · Benoît Tréluyer Le Mans only
2012 Audi R18 e-tron quattro Marcel Fässler · André Lotterer · Benoît Tréluyer Double
2013 Audi R18 e-tron quattro Loïc Duval · Tom Kristensen · Allan McNish Double
2014 Audi R18 e-tron quattro Marcel Fässler · André Lotterer · Benoît Tréluyer Le Mans only

These are the wins entered as Audi Sport Team Joest. Audi has thirteen overall Le Mans wins; the other five were entered by Audi Sport Japan Team Goh in 2004, Champion Racing in 2005 and Audi Sport North America in 2007, 2008 and 2010. Joest Racing also won four times before the Audi partnership, in 1984, 1985, 1996 and 1997, with Porsche-powered cars under its own name — those are not counted here either. Entrant names read from the winners table. Figures verified 14 August 2026.

Sources

  1. List of 24 Hours of Le Mans winners · Wikipedia — winning entrants, crews and cars read from the entrant column
  2. Joest Racing · Wikipedia — founding, base, team principal and championship record
  3. Photo — Audi R8 LMP · Lothar Spurzem via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 de · cropped and resized
  4. Photo — Audi R10 TDI at Goodwood · Bahnfrend via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped and resized
  5. Photo — Audi R18 e-tron quattro · Calreyn88 via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped and resized
  6. Photo — Audi R8 LMP, Le Mans 2000 · Lothar Spurzem via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 de · cropped and resized
  7. Photo — Audi R10 TDI · Bahnfrend via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped and resized
  8. Photo — Audi R18 e-tron quattro · Mclarensenna via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · cropped and resized
Machinery

Three Cars That Made Audi Sport Team Joest

2000—02 Audi R8 LMP Le Mans prototype, side view on museum display

Audi R8

A winner at Le Mans at the first attempt, then twice more — three victories with the same crew of Biela, Kristensen and Pirro.

2006 2006 Audi R10 TDI diesel Le Mans prototype running at Goodwood

Audi R10 TDI

The first diesel-engined car to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the reason every serious rival went diesel within a few years.

2011—14 Audi R18 e-tron quattro Le Mans prototype in grey and red

Audi R18 e-tron quattro

Four wins in the R18's TDI and hybrid forms, and the car that closed out Audi's run at the top of endurance racing.

Le Mans Winners
TK
Tom Kristensen
2000, 2001, 2002, 2013
FB
Frank Biela
2000, 2001, 2002, 2006
EP
Emanuele Pirro
2000, 2001, 2002, 2006
MF
Marcel Fässler
2011, 2012, 2014
AL
André Lotterer
2011, 2012, 2014
AM
Allan McNish
2013
Frequently Asked

Frequently Asked Questions

How many times did Audi Sport Team Joest win Le Mans?
Eight — in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Why does Audi have thirteen wins but this page lists eight?
The other five were entered by different teams running Audi cars: Audi Sport Japan Team Goh in 2004, Champion Racing in 2005 and Audi Sport North America in 2007, 2008 and 2010.
What was the first diesel car to win Le Mans?
The Audi R10 TDI, in 2006, entered as Audi Sport Team Joest.
Who is Reinhold Joest?
The founder of Joest Racing, established at Wald-Michelbach in 1978, which ran Audi's factory sports-car programme from 2000.
Did Joest win Le Mans before Audi?
Yes, four times under its own name — 1984, 1985, 1996 and 1997 — with Porsche-powered cars.
When did the programme end?
Audi withdrew from the top class of endurance racing after 2016.
Is this the same as the Audi Formula 1 team?
No. Audi entered Formula 1 as a separate programme in 2026; this page is the endurance team that raced from 2000 to 2016.
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