[2] The car was tested for the first time in December 2008 and made its competition debut at the 2009 12 Hours of Sebring race, 21 March 2009.

Peugeot, its rival, with its 908 HDi FAP, took the top two spots in the 24-hour race,[4] ending Audi's five-win streak that lasted back to 2004 with the gasoline-powered R8.

This loss was Audi's first since competing in Petit Le Mans since their initial attempt at Road Atlanta back in 2000.

The front fenders were also lowered in an effort to reduce drag, while the concept of air running through the car was abandoned for a more conventional design.

The air channel that exited to the side of the car was redesigned, resulting in a more conventional configuration, and a new headlight concept was introduced.

The new vehicle was a success at the 2010 8 Hours of Le Castellet, winning five laps ahead of the next competitor, Aston Martin.

Audi had now been able to achieve both the speed and reliability combination that they considered sufficient to match the Peugeot challenge for Le Mans.

Audi treated the race as a setup exercise for car configuration at Spa that would then be used for the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans.

By pushing the French manufacturer to the limit, three of the Peugeot cars experienced engine problems due to connecting rod failure towards the latter part of the race.

7 took third), with all cars exceeding the previous distance record of 5,335.313 km (3,315.210 mi) set in the 1971 race by Dr. Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep: the winning No.

9 car, led by Mike Rockenfeller and two Porsche factory drivers Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas, set not only a record-tying number of laps around Le Mans of 397 laps, but eclipsed the distance record outright at a distance of 5,410.7 km (3,362.1 mi).

Post-Le Mans Audi did not collect any more victories and lost all three remaining races to the Peugeot 908, which happened to be part of the ILMC championship.

1 Audi finished fifth overall after two consecutive tyre punctures and rear bodywork damage at the hands of Mike Rockenfeller.

Throughout its career, the R15 won three of the ten races it entered; Sebring in 2009, Paul Ricard and Le Mans in 2010.

With a change in Le Mans prototype engine regulations planned for 2011, Audi developed the closed-top R18 to succeed the R15.

[11] Wolfgang Ullrich cited favourable changes to pitstop regulations and aerodynamic efficiency as the reasons for adopting a closed-cockpit design.