High Tech meets High Speed: Audi victorious at the 24-Hours of Le Mans with Infineon inside

Jun 18, 2000 | Business & Financial Press

Munich/Le Mans, 18 June 2000 - Infineon Technologies congratulates its technology partner Audi on first, second and third place at the legendary Le Mans 24-hour race. Europe's number one in the field of semiconductor products for automotive electronics is supporting the Audi Sport Team Joest in the 2000 season as part of its commitment to motorsport as both a technology partner and a sponsor. Three cars, each with three drivers, participated in the race on 17 and 18 June taking first, second and third place in the R8 prototypes developed by Audi in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm.

In the 610 bhp V8 bi-turbo charged engines, Infineon microcontrollers and high-performance circuit breakers regulate both engine management as well as transmission control. Four 16-bit C167 microcontrollers process the input signals from different sensors, record engine data or control ignition and fuel injection. A range of “Smart Switch“ heavy-duty circuit breakers such as the BTS 555 control fuel injectors, ignition coils or high current applications such as starters, servo gears or ABS pumps. This heavy-duty circuit breaker is short-circuit-proof and capable of diagnosis with only 2.5 milliohm and up to 1000 A peak current, and thus takes pole position amongst smart switches worldwide.

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, head of Audi motorsport, is satisfied with the technological partnership with Infineon: “Precision, reliability and top quality are essential if we are to succeed and that is exactly what our partner Infineon Technologies provides with its high-tech semiconductor technology used in our R8 racing cars. We are also constantly seeking out innovations together.“

Dr. Sönke Mehrgardt, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Infineon, explains the cooperation with Audi: “Under the slogans “High Tech meets High Speed“ and “Race all day. Think non-stop“ we have developed microcontrollers and circuit-breakers specially for motorsport, which ensure maximum driving power under extreme loads. Without electronics, motorsport would be a non-starter. We are therefore not only the main sponsor of the Audi team, but also provide the engine with the correct power to drive the R8 in Le Mans at a top speed of more than 340 kilometers per hour (depending on weather conditions). These races also give us an opportunity to develop our components for installation in series car production.“

Infineon ranks as the world number two in automotive electronics. The company supplies solutions for vehicle safety systems in the form of braking systems and airbags. As far as car infotainment is concerned, Infineon chips permit satellite-based navigation and equip the vehicle with applications for communication and emergency calls with highly integrated solutions. Convenience functions such as cruise controller regulation or sophisticated engine management result in optimum petrol consumption and exhaust emissions that are less harmful to the environment.


About Infineon



Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, Germany, offers semiconductor solutions for applications in the wireless and wired communications markets, for the automotive and industrial sectors, for security systems and chip cards as well as memory products. With a global presence, Infineon operates in the US from San Jose, CA, and in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore. In the fiscal year 1999 (ending September), the company achieved sales of Euro 4.24 billion (US $ 4.51 billion) with about 26,000 employees worldwide. The company is listed on the main market segment (Amtlicher Handel) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and at the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX).

Further information at www.infineon.com

Information Number

INFXX200006.080e

Press Photos

  • Start 24 Hours of Le Mans 2000
    Start 24 Hours of Le Mans 2000
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  • An Audi R8 in the 24 Hours Race of Le Mans 2000
    An Audi R8 in the 24 Hours Race of Le Mans 2000
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