- GT3 success for the Audi R8 LMS in GT World Challenge Australia
- International podium places for Audi RS 3 LMS and Audi R8 LMS GT4
- Numerous Audi customer teams ready for season starts in Asia and Europe
The international programs of Audi’s customer teams began with a series of successes in Australia and Europe. In addition, many of the brand’s teams have announced their plans for Asian motorsport and European touring car racing in the 2024 season.
Audi R8 LMS GT3
Successes in three countries: Audi Sport’s customer teams got off to a perfect start in the GT World Challenge Australia. Will Brown and Brad Schumacher drove the Audi R8 LMS fielded by the Melbourne Performance Centre (MPC) to third place in the first race at Phillip Island. Marcel Zalloua/Sergio Pires won the Am class for Valmont Racing in the same competition. The two New Zealanders Tim Miles/Brendon Leitch achieved overall victory for MPC in the second race with a lead of eleven seconds.
This puts them level on points with two Ferrari drivers at the top of the Pro-Am standings. Brad Schumacher also had a chance of winning the second one-hour race in an Audi. However, he and fellow driver Will Brown dropped back to third position after a spin. Ash Samadi secured the amateur victory in another Audi from MPC.
At the Nürburgring, Team Scherer Sport PHX finished on the podium for the second time within a week. After third place in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie opener, an Audi R8 LMS from the team was again third in the ADAC Nürburgring 24h Qualifiers. Ricardo Feller/Christopher Mies/Frank Stippler achieved the result in the first of two four-hour races.
In British club racing, Peter Erceg/Marcus Clutton secured an overall victory. They won the second race of the British Endurance Championship at Snetterton in an Audi R8 LMS.
Audi R8 LMS GT4
Class podiums in South Africa: Jimmy Giannoccaro took two second places on the third race weekend of the Extreme Supercars Driven by Dunlop in South Africa. He contested the two 20-minute races in Kyalami at the wheel of an Audi R8 LMS GT4.
Audi RS 3 LMS (TCR)
Worldwide podium success for the Audi RS 3 LMS: Team Møller Bil celebrated a class podium success at the ADAC Nürburgring 24h Qualifiers. Anders Lindstad/Kenneth Østvold/Håkon Schjærin drove their Audi RS 3 LMS to second place in the TCR classification in the first of two four-hour races.
An Audi team also returned from the TCR UK season opener with a trophy. Joseph Marshall finished third for Rob Boston Racing in the second race at Brands Hatch.
In TCR Australia, Zac Soutar and the Tufflift Racing team finished second in the first race on the third race weekend at Phillip Island.
Audi Sport customer racing
Ambitious programs in Asia: In the Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS, Audi Sport customer racing Asia is relying on two driver line-ups this year. Thailand’s Akash Nandy, 2022 Thailand Super Series champion with Audi, will share a cockpit in Audi Sport Asia Team Absolute with James Yu Kuai. The young Chinese driver celebrated two victories in the GT World Challenge Asia in his debut season in 2023. A second Audi R8 LMS is driven by the experienced professional Markus Winkelhock with alternating team-mates, starting with the Chinese amateur driver Huang Ruohan. Audi Japan is also supporting a customer team in this racing series. The Spirit of FFF Racing, last year’s winner of the Am class, is preparing an R8 LMS for Hiroshi Hamaguchi/Mineki Okura.
The Thailand Super Series is another important stage for Audi customers in Asia. B-Quik Absolute Racing, last year’s champion team, is preparing one Audi R8 LMS each for Akash Nandy/Eshan Pieris, Vincent Lin/Markus Winkelhock and Huang Ruohan/Adisak Tangphuncharoen.
In Japanese racing, an Audi R8 LMS GT4 from the Techno First team and an Audi RS 3 LMS from Audi Team Show Apex will also compete in the Super Taikyu Series endurance races.
Touring car season opener with a big appearance by the Audi customer teams: The TCR World Tour and the Coppa Italia Turismo welcome the Italian public with a joint event from April 19 to 21. The Audi RS 3 LMS is the most popular race car with eight cars in a field of 20 starters in Vallelunga next weekend. The Spanish Volcano Motorsport team enters two Audi cars for Frenchman John Filippi and Moroccan Sami Taoufik in the TCR World Tour. In addition, six more Audi privateers will start the new season in the national Coppa Italia Turismo with Sandro Pelatti (PMA Motorsport), Giulio Valentini (GRT Motorsport), Demir Eröge and Filippo Barberi (both Aikoa Racing), Ramazan Kaya (BF Motorsport) and Victor Fernández (Auto Club RC2 Valles).
Coming up next week
19–21/04 Vallelunga (I), round 1, Kumho FIA TCR World Tour
19–21/04 Vallelunga (I), round 1, TCR Europe
19–21/04 Spa (B), round 2, 24H Series powered by Hankook
19–21/04 Long Beach (USA), round 2, GT America
20–21/04 Vallelunga (I), round 1, Coppa Italia Turismo
20–21/04 Sepang (MAL), round 1, GT World Challenge Asia
20–21/04 Sugo (J), round 1, Super Taikyu Series
