VW I.D. R turns first Nurburgring practice laps

Romain Dumas, who took the I.D. R to a new outright Pikes Peak hillclimb record last year, was at the wheel for what VW described as an "extensive testing programme" at the 20.8km (12.9mi) German track, alternating between two different chassis.

It came after VW revealed the refreshed I.D. R on Wednesday, featuring revised aerodynamics, a new Formula 1-style Drag Reduction System and Bridgestone tyres.

Four-time Nurburgring 24 Hours winner Dumas said: “It was a great moment to drive the I.D. R on my favourite track for the first time. The cornering speeds in the I.D. R are much higher than I am used to in GT race cars. But I feel good in the cockpit and that is really important here.

"The Nurburgring Nordschleife has larger and more numerous bumps than the race tracks on which we have tested so far. So, we have concentrated on adapting the shock absorbers and the ride height to suit the unique characteristics of this track.”

VW motorsport boss Sven Smeets added: “The Nurburgring Nordschleife has presented difficult challenges as expected. Based on the extensive computer simulations in advance, in this test we have worked on ensuring the I.D. R is optimally adapted to this unique race track, particularly with regard to the chassis.

"The energy management is already functioning very well. As a result, we were able to work through the planned focal points of the test programme as scheduled, while also comparing various racing tyres from our partner Bridgestone.”

Further testing is expected to be conducted before Dumas attempts to break the Nordschleife's lap record for EVs of 6m45.90s, currently held by Peter Dumbreck and the NIO EP9.