Best Audi takes provisional second row slot
- Marco Werner fourth in first qualifying
- Audi teams concentrate on race preparation
- Audi R8 LMS #17 involved in collision
The best Audi currently lies in fourth position after first qualifying for the 24-hour race around the Nürburgring.
In the #16 Audi R8 LMS fielded by Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Marco Werner posted a lap time of 8m 31.536s on Thursday evening shortly before 22:00. As a result, last year’s fastest overall qualifier missed a spot on the front row by only 1.155 seconds.
The two Audi Sport Team Phoenix Audi R8 LMS hold ninth (#15) and twelfth (#14) positions after first qualifying. The second Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline R8 LMS (#17) with Christian Abt at the wheel was touched at the rear on the right while overtaking and subsequently hit on the driver’s side. After successfully repairing the car the team decided not to send the car back out onto the track on Thursday, but in fact to prepare calmly for final qualifying on Friday (16:55 to 18:55). The R8 LMS #17 currently lies in a provisional 19th place.
On Thursday both Audi factory teams concentrated solely on preparation for the race (start on Saturday at 16:00).
The two Audi TT RS entered by Raeder Motorsport claimed the first two places in the SP 4T class on Thursday. The two Audi race experience Audi R8 LMS are in 37th and 41st overall.