Audi has just dropped a bunch of photos of the new livery that its R15+ TDI race cars will wear for 2010 beginning with their competition debut this weekend in France. The heavily revised R15+ features a completely new aerodynamic treatment up front and along the sides, a change which Audi hopes will allow the car to have both better grip and lower drag than than last year's model. In fact, it looks like almost nothing but the cockpit area has been carried over, with the racer's side-pods and even the rear wing being heavily re-worked.

The 2009 car was something of a disappointment and for the first time in a decade (aside from 2003 when Audi stepped aside in favor of sister brand Bentley) was handily beaten at Le Mans. Audi opted to skip last month's American Le Mans Series opener at Sebring to spend the time testing. Only one R15+ will run at Le Castellet this weekend for the opener of the Le Mans Series, and we don't expect to see the R15+ racing in North America until the Petit Le Mans in September

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