• Winners’ trophies in the Australian GT Championship
  • GT3 successes of the Audi R8 LMS in China
  • Audi Sport R8 LMS Cup at the Nürburgring with prominent appearance
Australian GT Championship 2018
Audi R8 LMS #1 (Valvoline), Geoff Emery

The Audi Sport customer racing teams again scored successes in international GT racing. At the same time, the first appearance of the Audi Sport R8 LMS Cup at the Nürburgring met with great interest.

Audi R8 LMS GT3

Victories in Australian GT racing: Tony Bates and Geoff Emery shared the victories on the third race weekend of the Australian GT Championship at Sandown. Bates won race two in the Audi R8 LMS. Emery decided race three in his favor and took second place in race one. In the Trophy classification, Nick Kelly prevailed in both of the first two races, and Rio Nugara in race three. Both campaigners relied on an Audi R8 LMS ultra.

Two victories in China: In the China GT opener, the Audi customer teams proved unbeatable. Round one at Zhuhai was won by Xu Jia/Alessio Picariello in an Audi R8 LMS, third place went to Cai Huibang/David Chen. In race two, Wang Liang/Will Bamber and Cai Huibang/David Chen celebrated a one-two result for Audi.

Podium in Asia: In the second event of the Blancpain GT Series Asia, Martin Rump/Franky Cheng achieved a podium result. The driver duo in the Audi R8 LMS of Absolute Racing clinched third place in race one on the track at Buriram in Thailand. The Estonian and the Chinese are now sharing fourth place in the drivers’ standings.

New owner: The Audi R8 LMS with which Audi Sport Team Land won the Nürburgring 24 Hours in 2017 has a new owner. The Montaplast company acquired the race winner from Audi Sport customer racing. CEO Christian Stulz took over the GT3 sports car in its original condition at the Nürburgring on May 12 in the presence of Michael-Julius Renz, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH.

Audi Sport R8 LMS Cup

Two race wins at the Nürburgring: Bhurit Bhirombhakdi in the German debut of the Audi Sport R8 LMS Cup won both races in the Eifel. In race two, the race driver from Thailand benefited from an accident in which Yasser Shahin and Andrew Haryanto were involved. Although Haryanto in fourth place saved his lead of the standings Bhirombhakdi has now reduced his deficit to the Indonesian to eight points. In addition, Bhirombhakdi secured a coveted prize. As the best driver in the second event of the Audi Sport R8 LMS Cup he has a sure place in the cockpit of an Audi R8 LMS in the 2019 24 Hours of Spa. Andrew Haryanto and Carsten Tilke completed the podium in race one. In race two, Sun Jingzu from China and Carsten Tilke, once more, mounted the podium. The German Stefan Wieninger won the GT4 classification in both rounds, trailed by Carlos Checa. In his active career in professional motorcycle racing, the Spaniard was Superbike World Champion and thrilled the fans in the Eifel with a successful performance in Audi’s GT4 sports car. Subsequently, he did a formation lap on a Ducati in front of the field of the 24-hour race. 

Main prize unveiled: The winner of the 2018 Audi Sport R8 LMS Cup will receive an individual Audi R8 Coupé V10 RWS (combined fuel consumption: 12.4 l/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 283 g/km). Audi Sport customer racing unveiled the special edition version of the sports car at the German debut of the one-make cup that has its roots in Asia. Michael-Julius Renz, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH, presented the model at the Nürburgring together with Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing, and Martin Kühl, Head of Audi Sport customer racing Asia.

Audi R8 LMS GT4

Three trophies in Australia: The Audi R8 LMS GT4 raced in the Australian GT Championship on the third championship weekend on the circuit at Sandown. Victor Zagame clinched second place in race one and third place in the following two races. 

Coming up next week

18–19/05 Hampton Downs (NZ), round 1, North Island Endurance Championship

19–20/05 Red Bull Ring (A), rounds 3 and 4, GT4 Central European Cup

18–20/05 Mosport (CDN), rounds 4 and 5, Pirelli World Challenge GT

18–20/05 Mosport (CDN), rounds 3 and 4, Pirelli World Challenge GTS

18–20/05 Lausitzring (D), rounds 3 and 4, Audi Sport Seyffarth R8 LMS Cup

18–20/05 Zhuhai (CN), rounds 1 to 3, TCR China

19–20/05 Silverstone (GB), round 2, Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup

19–21/05 Zandvoort (NL), rounds 10 to 12, WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup

20–21/05 Zandvoort (NL), rounds 3 and 4, TCR Europe

20–21/05 Zandvoort (NL), rounds 3 and 4, ASS TCR Swiss Trophy

20–21/05 Zandvoort (NL), rounds 1 and 2, TCR Benelux

19–20/05 Suzuka (J), round 3, Super GT

18–19/05 Red Bull Ring (A), rounds 5 and 6, DMV GTC

19–20/05 Brands Hatch (GB), rounds 4 to 6, GT Cup Championship

19–20/05 Red Bull Ring (A), rounds 3 and 4, FIA CEZ

19–20/05 Alcañiz (E), round 2, Campeonato de España de Resistencia 

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