Motorsport history
The rich history of Audi in motorsport includes more than a century of success. From the early beginnings, roaring through the 30s with the silver arrows, to decades of race wins and titles on four and two wheels, revolutionizing rallying with quattro and taking that technology onto racetracks worldwide, endurance racing triumphs at Le Mans, DTM titles, electric racing in Formula E and winning the grueling Dakar Rally, the four rings represent success in competition.
World Rally Championship
4
world titles
Le Mans 24 Hours
13
overall victories
DTM
12
drivers’ titles
Formula E
2
world titles
Dakar Rally
1
overall victory
Audi Sport customer racing
>600
titles since 2009
Nürburgring 24 Hours
7
overall victories
Spa 24 Hours
4
overall victories
Motorsport history of the four rings
Find out more about the over 100 years of history in the different eras of the four rings in motorsport.
The beginnings
Origins of racing
The motorsport origins of the companies symbolized by the “Four Ring”, as well as NSU, go back to before the First World War.
The age of the Silver Arrows
Following the 1932 merger of the automotive companies Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer it was important to promote the new Auto Union name. Motorsport was the ideal platform.
The success of NSU
NSU was already making a name for itself in motorsport in the early twentieth century. By 1967, the brand scored notable race victories and automobile races.
DKW in racing
DKW, founded by Jörgen Skafte Rasmussen in Zschopau, contested races successfully with two-stroke motorcycles from 1921. DKW touring cars began their motorsport career in 1929.
Motorsport in transition
After the individual brands of the four rings ended their factory involvement in motorsport, a transition phase followed before the beginning of the quattro era.
quattro in the world of motorsport
quattro in rallying
The Audi quattro revolutionised rallying with its four-wheel drive. In combination with the five-cylinder turbocharged engine, the new technology helped Audi to win four world championship titles.
quattro on the racetrack
Following its successes in rallying, circuit racing was the perfect next challenge for Audi and quattro four-wheel drive.
Racing into the new millennium
Le Mans
Audi has characterised an entire era of the Le Mans 24 Hours. From 1999, the brand achieved 13 overall victories during 18 starts in the world’s most famous endurance race.
DTM
With its return to the DTM, which was revived for the 2000 season, Audi built on its previous successes. The Abt-Audi TT-R, the Audi A4 DTM and the RS 5 DTM won a total of ten titles.
Audi Sport customer racing
When Audi’s customer racing programme began in 2009, it was hardly foreseeable that the brand’s cars would one day win more than 500 titles on every continent in the world.
World RX
After Mattias Ekström became World Rallycross champion with his private team EKS in 2016, Audi Sport supported the programme with the Audi S1 EKS RX quattro for two years.
Formula E
Audi continued its path of electrification in Formula E that it began at Le Mans. For the 2017/2018 season, the brand started a factory programme in the first electric racing series.
Dakar Rally
The Audi RS Q e-tron in 2024 became the first car to win the Dakar Rally with an electric drivetrain, high-voltage battery and an energy converter.
Audi Tradition
The history of Audi continues to live on thanks to Audi Tradition. Find out more about the history of the brand and current events.
Audi Tradition
Audi Tradition brings the history of the company and the Audi brand to life to this day. Over 100 years characterized by the courage to innovation and change.
