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For Consani/Lariche, this is their first title with an Audi R8 LMS GT4. This customer racing car was also among the best performers in its class in the fifth round of the GT Cup Series at the Slovakiaring. The Slovenian team Lema Racing fielded the production-based sports car for Grega Simunovic. In the first sprint, the Croatian won his class with a 3.5-second lead, and in the second race, he crossed the finish line with a 16.4-second lead. In the endurance race, Grega and Zak Simunovic together took third place in the GT4 classification. An Audi R8 LMS GT4 took overall victory in the fourth round of the German amateur racing series DMV NES GP. Bernd Schaible/Tobias Erdmann won the two-hour race in Oschersleben for Seyffarth Motorsport with a one-lap lead. The DMV Super Touring und GT Cup also held its fourth race at the same event. Tobias Erdmann finished third overall and was a class winner in the first sprint in his Audi R8 LMS GT4, while his teammate Bernd Schaible repeated exactly the same results in the second sprint. Audi R8 LMS GT3 Class successes and good positions in the title race: The Audi customer teams celebrated four podium finishes, including a class victory, in the fifth round of the GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS. At the Okayama circuit in Japan, the Uno Racing Team secured its second Silver Cup victory of the season in the second race with the Audi R8 LMS. The driver pairing of Rio/Shaun Thong secured the class victory with a four-tenths of a second lead. Second place went to Congfu Cheng/Yu Kuai, who started from pole position in the Silver class in the Audi of the FAW Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom. However, Yu Kuai had to avoid an accident early on and fell behind on the outside lane. Nevertheless, the number 45 Audi caught up again and Cheng Congfu was at the top of the Silver class until he was overtaken by Rio ten minutes before the end. The day before, Cheng/Kuai had finished second in the Silver Cup ahead of Rio/Thong.

That’s why the Audi R8 must now, in the intervening period, manage with less power (approximately 550 instead of the original 610 hp) and a narrower rear wing. Nonetheless, the Audi R8 is still in a class of its own particularly over the race distance. The importance of the model designation “R8” was puzzled over for a long time. The explanation is simple: Since the legendary original quattro, Audi has numbered all internal vehicle projects consecutively. With the R8, the project name also became the official vehicle name and is now synonymous for the world’s most successful Le Mans prototype.

Gilles Magnus and Paul Evrard drove the Saintéloc Racing Audi R8 LMS to third place in the Gold Cup in the second race. This meant that they finished the Gold Cup season in third place in the drivers standings, while Saintéloc Racing finished third in the team standings. In the Silver Cup, Alex Aka and Tresor Attempto Racing secured third place in the annual classification. In the ninth round of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, three class podium places went to the Audi R8 LMS. The best result was achieved by Team Max Kruse Racing. For the debut of an Audi R8 LMS in the AT1 class for alternative powertrains, it relied on a cooperation with the Fugel Group and Land-Motorsport. Dominik Fugel, Marcel Fugel, and Benjamin Leuchter drove the GT3 sports car to first place in this classification and, finishing fourth overall, missed the podium by just 0.517 seconds. The race car runs on E20 fuel with a biogenic component. In the Pro-Am category, the Audi R8 LMS took second place. Juta Racing achieved this result with the driver pairing Selv/Alexey Veremenko. In the SP9 Am class, the équipe vitesse team with Michael Heimrich/Arno Klasen/Sascha Steinhardt finished third in an Audi R8 LMS. In the fifth round of the British GT Cup Championship, customer team PB Racing with JMH achieved three podium finishes. Marcus Clutton and Peter Erceg finished third in the first race at Donington. In the second and third races, the British driver combination took second place in the Audi R8 LMS. Audi RS 3 LMS (TCR) Close decision: Audi privateer Teddy Clairet had contributed to the most exciting finale since the start of TCR Europe in the 2018 season and narrowly missed out on the title after two unpredictable races. For the first time in eight years, the championship ended with a tie on points.

DTM Champion adds to his car pool Sportscar in colours of DTM championship winning car Car handed over at Audi Forum Neckarsulm After Tom Kristensen, Mattias Ekström now drives the most sporting Audi day-to-day: For winning the DTM title the Swede treated himself to a blue-silver Audi R8, which adds to his personal car pool. “It’s not just the colour scheme that reminds me of my Red Bull Audi A4 from the DTM,” explains the 29-year old. “The Audi R8 is a fascinating sportscar which is great fun to drive. After I was allowed to drive an R8 from Lake Constance to Sweden in the summer it was clear to me: Such a thing must be in my garage!” The Audi factory driver collected his personal R8 the day after the DTM Championship party in the Audi Forum Neckarsulm. Jörg Felske, Head of Sales Germany at AUDI AG, insisted on handing over the powerful 420-hp sportscar personally to his well-known customer. Mattias Ekström, who, like his DTM team mates, drives an Audi RS 4 as company car has one concern: “I hope that I don’t collect too many points for the championship in Flensburg with the R8…”

The chassis of the Audi R8 LMS is produced at the “Böllinger Höfe” site on the same manufacturing lines as the Audi R8 production model. There is a close kinship between the two sports cars as the race car uses 50 percent of the components and component assemblies of the production model, including the near-unchanged V10 FSI engine.

Dindo Capello and Allan McNish have vivid memories of their event with the Audi R8 in Texas: In 2000, temperatures in excess of 40 degrees ruled during the race in Dallas – and during the night. In general, however, it is not quite as hot in Houston in May. Quotes before the races in Houston and Mid-Ohio Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): “Dindo and Allan won’t have things all their own way with the additional 35 kilograms of ballast. However, the pair should nevertheless collect as many points as possible with the R8 in the next three races. The R8’s reliability and low fuel consumption should help along the way. The race in Houston certainly adds a little spice to the American Le Mans Series, and let’s not forget that many things can happen on a street circuit.” Dindo Capello (Audi R8 #2): “I’m looking forward to competing in the American Le Mans Series after a three year break, and to be able to drive the fantastic R8. Because of the restrictions it certainly won’t be a stroll for us, but we will bank on the R8’s legendary reliability. We want to score big points at the next races, and fight for the title after Le Mans with the R10 TDI.” Allan McNish (Audi R8 #2): “We don’t know exactly how strong the competition will be because they had several reliability based problems in Sebring. Our R8 has been reined in by the regulations, which means we might have to set our sights a little lower and just collect points. However, this isn’t actually my goal – I always go out to win.” Dave Maraj (Team Director, Team Audi Sport North America): “Houston is our first event with the R8 as an Audi ‘factory’ team. We are looking forward to it and don’t want to disappoint Audi. In Allan (McNish) and Dindo (Capello) we have a very potent driver line-up, who already demonstrated in 2000 just how strong they can be. Obviously it would be fantastic to give the R8 another win before it officially retires. It deserves it.”

Mid-engine sports car serves as safety car Début for Audi R8 racing taxi Double début at the Norisring in Nuremberg: This weekend, the Audi R8 will be used as the official DTM safety car for the first time – and as a racing taxi as well. quattro GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of AUDI AG handed over two of the 420-hp mid-engine sports cars to the German Motorsport Association (DMSB) on the occasion of the “Norisring Speed Weekend”. The two Audi R8 cars were prepared specifically for use as safety cars by quattro GmbH at the Neckarsulm plant. “There were not many modifications required, though, because the R8 possesses the genes of a perfect sports car,” says Werner Frowein, managing director of quattro GmbH. Another Audi R8 was carefully prepared by quattro GmbH for use as a racing taxi.

The race winning Audi R8 at Lime Rock spotted a sticker saying “My other car is a diesel”. Quotes after the race at Lime Rock Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): “This is a big achievement to stop a great career with a victory and especially with the 50th victory in the American Le Mans Series which for sure is again something that comes into the history books. It’s great to finish a big story of a great car. Thanks to the drivers, thanks to the team – this was an excellent performance.” Dindo Capello (Audi R8 #2): “I was surprised just how good and fast we were after the opening three laps, just like at Houston. Our pit strategy was absolutely perfect and the team did a great job. Allan was very fast throughout and despite the misunderstanding by the pit lane marshal on our final stop, nothing was going to stop us with the R8 this good today. Apart from this race, other highlights with the R8 for me include claiming pole-position at the Nurburgring in 2000 – the first time the Audi R8 had raced in Germany – and of course my 2004 Le Mans victory.” Allan McNish (Audi R8 #2): “It’s a very proud day for the team, Dindo and I – to personally give the R8 a final win here is unbelievable. We all had to pull out 110% to score this victory – the car, drivers and team – but the R8 stood up to it as she always does. I’ve had so many other highs with the R8. My first R8 win – with Dindo – at Sears Point in 2000, Adelaide that year where we clinched Audi’s first ALMS title, my victory for Audi UK at Sebring in 2004 and last year’s Silverstone 1,000km victory in atrocious weather conditions. If I enjoy the same kind of success with the R10 TDI that I have enjoyed with this car, I’ll personally be highly delighted.” Dave Maraj (Team Director, Team Audi Sport North America): “It was an amazing race. Great driving and great team work.