Audi Motorsport Newsletter 45/2015

2016 Audi R8 LMS Cup with three service partners

In the 2016 season, for the first time, the participants of the Audi R8 LMS Cup will have the choice between three service partners fielding the race cars. Starting next year, Phoenix Racing and KC Motorgroup (KCMG) will be offering their services, while Absolute Racing as the series’ partner from day one continues to be on board. The two new service partners bring a wealth of racing experience to the series. Ernst Moser’s Team Phoenix Racing has won the DTM twice and the Nürburgring 24 Hours four times. The former Cup winner Marchy Lee will be integrated into the organization of Phoenix Racing Asia. Paul Ip’s KCMG company based in Hong Kong decided the LMP2 class in the Le Mans 24 Hours in its favor this year, as well as the Formula Masters China Series. Ingo Matter is the team boss of Absolute Racing – the squad that has been fielding Audi’s GT3 race cars for the cup entrants since 2012.

Endurance test for the new Audi R18

The Audi R18 passed its next proving stage in the United States. On the road course at Sebring, the new LMP1 sports car had the chance to prove its prowess during the second week of December. The track in Florida runs on the concrete sections of a former airfield and produces high mechanical loads. Initially taking turns at the wheel of the test vehicle were Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer (CH/D/F), who had traveled from the FIA awards ceremony directly to Florida, before their teammates Lucas di Grassi/Loïc Duval/Oliver Jarvis (BR/F/GB) took over. “We have been able to gather a lot of findings,” said Chris Reinke, Head of LMP at Audi Sport. “The suspension, the chassis structure, and particularly the powertrain components, were subjected to an endurance test at Sebring. We checked off a large number of tasks on our list and are now going to tackle our next goals.” The 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season will kick off at Silverstone (GB) in 127 days from now.

Fifth edition of Audi customer sport yearbook published

The ‘Audi Sport customer racing’ yearbook has now been published for the fifth time. The volume, featuring a size of 23.5 x 33 centimeters, covers the commitments of the Audi R8 LMS in Australia, Asia, Europe and North America in the 2015 season. In addition, it presents the Audi Sport TT Cup and the new generation of the Audi R8 LMS. All the texts are in German and English. Selling for 29.90 euros, the yearbook can be ordered on the internet at www.adrenalin-verlag.com.

First podium with Audi for Adrien Tambay 

Adrien Tambay with the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT took a podium place in the leading Elite Pro class of the Trophée Andros for the first time in an Audi. In Andorra, the 24-year-old Frenchman in his A1 quattro clinched third place in the finale of race one.

A word from ... Romolo Liebchen

The Head of Audi Sport customer racing following the end-of-season event in international GT racing at Sepang.

Sincere congratulations on the one-two-three result in the Sepang 12 Hours. You could hardly have wished for more than this.

This was indeed an end-of-season event that was made to measure. We met with five other marques in Malaysia, our squads from the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT and from Phoenix Racing fought a thrilling battle for victory and in the end Stéphane Ortelli, in his last race for us, clinched a well-deserved win with Stuart Leonard and Laurens Vanthoor. This meant a perfect ending of the first season for the new Audi R8 LMS.

Audi Sport customer racing experienced a challenging season. How would you sum it up?

It’s true that this year has been as intensive as hardly any others before it. We took the new Audi R8 LMS from its world premiere to its first endurance race victory within the space of eleven weeks and launched production in September as scheduled in order to serve our customers. In the first half of the year, we also mastered our move from Ingolstadt to Neuburg, while simultaneously taking care of all our customers who continued to compete with the Audi R8 LMS ultra. In winter, our workload will be continuing. By Christmas, we’re going to deliver 20 new Audi R8 LMS cars and another 30 by March.

The track record for the season is a positive one on the whole – this year, you had not just one but two good vehicles in your line-up that were in contention for victory.

Both, our well-known GT3 sports car and the new model, claimed victories and many other trophies. The new R8 LMS won the Nürburgring 24 Hours, the Sepang 12 Hours and a VLN race, plus podium positions in events such as the Spa 24 Hours, in Macau and in VLN races. In addition, our customers clinched numerous successes around the world with the well-known model for Audi. The drivers’ titles won by Robin Frijns in the Blancpain GT Series and by Christopher Mies in Australia were outstanding results. Added to these are eleven further titles in other categories – from successes in Gentlemen categories, to team titles, to other classification categories. And not to forget the ‘Coupe du Roi’ manufacturers’ title, which reflects the result of the good performances delivered by the old and the new car in the 24-hour race at Spa.

What challenges are you facing in 2016?

The season will be very demanding because we’re supporting our customers with their new cars around the globe. The endurance racing series will kick off in Dubai and the United States as early as in January and in Australia in February. At the same time, many new cars of our competitors will be making their debut. That makes the high demand for our model all the more gratifying. GT racing fans are witnessing an exciting era that, beyond the established series, is now featuring a global title as well – the Intercontinental GT Challenge. Audi has registered for participation and is set on battling for the title in four prestigious events in Australia, America, Belgium and Malaysia.