Audi motor racing chief Wolfgang Ullrich has reinforced the Volkswagen Group marque’s decision to stay away from formula one.
As a debate rages about F1’s 2013 rules, it had been hoped that the turbo 4-cylinder formula would entice new manufacturers - like VW - onto the grid.
But Ullrich told Car Magazine that Le Mans-style endurance racing is the better bet for Audi.
"There’s a very good reason why we are not in F1," he said. "There’s no relevance to the road.
"At Le Mans, one of our cars will cover 325 miles more than an F1 car will cover in an entire season, our average speed including pitstops will be 20mph higher than an F1 car and we will use 42 per cent less fuel.
"You cannot argue with those figures," he said.