Alessio Picariello is Audi R8 LMS Cup Champion

Audi R8 LMS (GT3)

Success in Shanghai: Alessio Picariello from Team MGT by Absolute has been determined as the new Audi R8 LMS Cup Champion. On clinching his fourth victory this season at Shanghai, the 24-year-old budding talent celebrated one of the greatest successes in his career on Sunday. A 59-point advantage before the finale on October 7 and 8 at Zhejiang, China, mean that no-one can catch up with the Belgian. Picariello is the fourth Audi R8 LMS Cup Champion after Marchy Lee (2012), Adderly Fong (2013) and Alex Yoong (2014, 2015 and 2016). His team, MGT by Absolute, won the teams’ classification early as well. The day before, the Belgian Dries Vanthoor had won his debut race in the Audi R8 LMS Cup. In addition, as part of the Audi Sport Festival at Shanghai, the brand for the first time presented the Audi R8 LMS GT4 in China. Customers can start to buy the latest product from Audi Sport customer racing at the end of the year. 

First victory of the season in Italy: Benoît Tréluyer and Vittorio Ghirelli with Audi Sport Italia celebrated their first victory this year at Imola in difficult conditions. From grid position seven, Ghirelli improved by two positions on a wet track before the driver change. Three-time Le Mans winner Tréluyer took over the car and went on to overtake all the rivals in front of him on a drying track, claiming victory with a 3.8-second advantage. Audi Sport Italia celebrated another success: Luca Magnoni and Luca Rangoni in the proven Audi R8 LMS ultra achieved a class victory at the same round in the GT3 category for older vehicle generations. 

Two victories in Australia: Two Audi drivers shared the victories at round four of the Australian GT Trophy. Rod Salmon won the first race on the Phillip Island circuit. His Australian compatriot Steven McLaughlan decided race two in his favor, trailed by Salmon in second position. Both drivers competed in an Audi R8 LMS ultra. Before the finale in November, McLaughlan is leading the standings with 678 points, trailed by Salmon with 629 points in second place. 

Trophies in China: Cheng Congfu and Anthony Liu drove a strong debut race in the China GT Championship. At Shanghai, the driver duo from Team BBT in an Audi R8 LMS took second place in the first GT3 round and won the second one. However, as guest entrants, they were not eligible for points. Xu Jia/Alex Yoong in the Audi R8 LMS of Kings Racing achieved third place in round two. Wang Liang is now third in the standings. In the GTC races, Audi drivers clinched trophies as well. Liang Kaifeng/Pu Shu scored third place twice for the Tianshi Racing team. 

Three victories at Zolder: The seventh race weekend of the DMV GTC was a resounding success for the Audi campaigners. Fabian Plentz won race one at Zolder in an Audi R8 LMS ultra with a 15.7-second advantage. Tommy Tulpe in an Audi R8 LMS dominated race two. In the Dunlop 60 race, Fabian Plentz/Egon Allgäuer in an Audi R8 LMS ultra crossed the finish line with an advantage of 58 seconds. 

Jamie Green debuts in ADAC GT Masters: Audi factory driver Jamie Green will be racing with an Audi customer team in the ADAC GT Masters for the first time. The Briton from the DTM is going to compete for Team BWT Mücke Motorsport at the Sachsenring from September 15 to 17 at the wheel of an Audi R8 LMS. On the sixth race weekend of the series, he is standing in for Markus Winkelhock who at that time will be contesting the finale of the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup at the Nürburgring. In sixth place of the standings there, Winkelhock together with Will Stevens, is separated from the front runner in the fiercely competitive series by merely six points and, as a result, still has every chance of clinching the title – just like Dries Vanthoor/Marcel Fässler and Stuart Leonard/Robin Frijns, two other driver squads from Audi customer racing teams.

Audi Sport TT Cup

Finale for the Audi Sport TT Cup: From October 13 to 15, the Audi Sport TT Cup will be staging its last event. Audi is going to conclude the one-make cup that was designed to be held for three years with a special weekend on a grand stage at the DTM’s season finale at Hockenheim. While this year’s entrants are battling for final successes in the two regular rounds, fans can look forward to another sporting attraction. On Sunday, Audi is going to hold an additional race in conclusion of the one-make cup, with big names from Audi Sport’s history to be seen at the wheel of the 340-hp Audi TT cup race cars. Le Mans winners such as Frank Biela, Marcel Fässler, Marco Werner, Tom Kristensen and Dindo Capello will be among them just like FIA Formula E champion Lucas di Grassi, DTM Champion Hans-Joachim Stuck and Super Touring Car Champion Christian Abt. American Le Mans Series winner Lucas Luhr and other drivers from Audi’s history like Filipe Albuquerque, Stéphane Ortelli and Jean-Marc Gounon will contest this race as well. 

Dates for next week

15–16/09 Mantorp (S), rounds 19 to 21, TCR Scandinavia

15–16/09 Mantorp (S), rounds 9 and 10, GT Schweden

15–16/09 Barcelona (E), rounds 7 and 8, TCR Spain-Ibérico

15–17/09 Sachsenring (D), rounds 11 and 12, Spezial Tourenwagen-Trophy

15–17/09 Sonoma (USA), rounds 8 and 9, Pirelli World Challenge GT/GTA

16–18/09 Sachsenring (D), rounds 11 and 12, ADAC GT Masters

15–17/09 Sachsenring (D), rounds 11 and 12, ADAC TCR Germany

15–17/09 Nürburgring (D), round 5, Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup

15–17/09 Sandown (AUS), round 5, Australian GT Championship

15–17/09 Zolder (B), rounds 9 and 10, FIA European Touring Car Cup