The Head of Audi Sport customer racing on the Audi RS 3 LMS for the 2020 season.

How do you assess the worldwide success of the Audi RS 3 LMS in the TCR class?

Three years ago, we were newcomers and for quite a while since then we’ve been able to proudly state that our car is in high demand around the globe. Our customer racing program with the Audi RS 3 LMS has become firmly anchored worldwide. Be it in North or South America, throughout Europe, in Asia, in Australia and now also in New Zealand, the model is on the grid of diverse regional racing series. Even though in sales we can see a saturation of the market, the fielding statistics underscore the continuing growth trend. Our customers are contesting more and more races and just last year claimed more than 600 podium finishes in nearly 1,000 entries.

Is the current generation of the Audi RS 3 LMS ready for a fourth season?

The model has proven its viability, is internationally successful, the teams are pleased, know the car and rely on our worldwide service. That’s why we only made moderate modifications for the 2020 season to implement mandatory regulatory changes and meet detailed wishes of our customers in an even better way. The result is a low-cost update kit.

What are the benefits of the new components?

Let me start by saying that we did not pursue the aim of making any changes in terms of competitiveness, which is governed by a balance of performance and compensatory weights anyway. Instead, for low four-digit sums, we provide the teams with improvements that facilitate the fielding of the cars once more while enhancing mileages, for instance in the area of the drive train. Plus, improved cockpit ventilation helps the driver, but does not affect lap times. Due to the fact that we’re offering the kits as a so-called variant option, the homologation remains intact, so nobody is forced to retrofit the kit. Going forward, TCR race cars will continue to stand for spectacle galore, an unrivaled price-performance ratio and a worldwide concept. Where else, like in the case of the Audi RS 3 LMS with S tronic starting from 109,000 euros (excluding VAT), will you get a ready-to-race car that can compete around the globe, serves sprint and endurance events, combines production-based technology with a fascinating driving experience and, as a result, provides teams and drivers with a good and cost-efficient opportunity for touring car racing? It’s important for this spirit to be preserved in the TCR category – even in the face of increasingly tough competition and progressive technical development.