• Audi Sport Team Comtoyou third in China with Frédéric Vervisch and Denis Dupont
  • Four Audi drivers score points in race at Ningbo
  • Denis Dupont best driver of an Audi RS 3 LMS for first time
WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup 2018
Audi RS 3 LMS #20 (Audi Sport Team Comtoyou), Denis Dupont

Audi Sport customer racing continues its run of podium finishes at the seventh round of the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup in China. While the Belgian Frédéric Vervisch from Audi Sport Team Comtoyou climbed the podium for the fifth time this year, his countryman and team mate Denis Dupont held a trophy aloft for the first time. In second qualifying, he was sixth and, for the first time, the best of the six Audi RS 3 LMS drivers.

The seventh of ten events was characterized by many bright spells, but also a few long shadows. In the three races, four different Audi drivers – Frédéric Vervisch, Denis Dupont and the two Frenchmen Nathanaël Berthon and Aurélien Panis – scored points in China for the Belgian squad Comtoyou Racing. In contrast, Jean-Karl Vernay and Gordon Shedden from Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team scored no points for the first time. 

In first qualifying, Vervisch took second place to equal his previous best qualifying performance recorded at the Nürburgring. In race one, the Belgian took third place to scoop his fifth trophy of the year. Denis Dupont finished the turbulent second race as best Audi driver after producing a flawless drive on the way to fourth place. Since his Audi RS 3 LMS remained undamaged, he also had a good chance of success in race three by starting from sixth place. The 25-year old budding talent used his position perfectly, kept himself out of the jostling at the front of the field and crossed the finish line in third place. A race stoppage to repair a damaged curb also failed to knock the Belgian off his stride on his best weekend so far. Frédéric Vervisch drove spiritedly behind to take fourth place. Nathanaël Berthon claimed an eighth place in both the second and third races, Aurélien Panis took ninth in the concluding race.

“Congratulation to Jean-Michel Baert, his Comtoyou team and all the drivers,” said Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. “They had a good weekend with two podiums and an excellent team performance.” By contrast, the event was a setback for the Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team. Jean-Karl Vernay scored no points after qualifying twice outside the top ten, team mate Gordon Shedden also had to settle for finishes outside the top ten. In the final race, the Scotsman produced a good comeback drive to improve from 21st on the grid to finish 13th. 

The next FIA WTCR event follows in just one week. The teams travel from Ningbo to the bustling Chinese metropolis Wuhan about 900 kilometers further west, where the drivers compete on the third of four street circuits this season.

Additional information
Basic information Audi RS 3 LMS 
FIA WTCR booklet 
FIA WTCR photos 
FIA WTCR results

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