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marzo 21, 2016 - Audi

Audi Motorsport Newsletter 09/2016

Comunicato Stampa disponibile solo in lingua originale. 

  • Success for #audi customer teams in America and Australia
  • Great honors for Tom Kristensen
  • Nico Müller attends #audi quattro Ski Cup

At the second round of the Australian GT Championship and in the Sebring 12 Hours, #audi customer teams won trophies in GT3 events.

Success for #audi in Australia

Audi customer team Jamec Pem #racing scored the most points at the second Australian GT Championship race weekend. During the Grand Prix weekend in Melbourne, the series staged four separate races. Christopher Mies and his Australian team mate Geoff Emery scored 135 points in Albert Park. Second best drivers in the field were James Koundouris and Marcus Marshall who collected 124 points. Koundouris won the final race in his #audi R8 LMS from Emery, after Mies had finished second in race one.

Podium result for #audi at Sebring

An #audi customer team took its next podium finish in IMSA GTD class in the USA. After Magnus #racing won the 24 Hours of Daytona in January, the American privateer team also collected a trophy at the Sebring 12 Hours. The two Americans John Potter and Andy Lally finished third in an #audi R8 LMS with the German Marco Seefried in a race dominated by heavy rain and a lengthy red flag period.

Many honors for Tom Kristensen

Tom Kristensen made a star appearance at the 12 Hours of Sebring. The Dane – with six victories in the endurance classic the record holder – was inducted into the Sebring Hall of Fame. Fellow endurance #racing legend Derek Bell presented Kristensen with the award. The officials also had another big surprise in store for the Dane and renamed the third corner on the track ‘Kristensen Corner’. Much to the delight of the fans in Florida, the endurance king also drove some laps of honor in an #audi R8 sporting the design of the racecar from Champion #racing, with which he celebrated his third victory at the race track. In addition to autograph sessions, hot laps and interviews, the long-serving #audi driver’s agenda also included visits to the #audi Turn 1 Club and meetings with guests from #audi of America

 

Nico Müller visits #audi quattro Ski Cup finale

Audi driver Nico Müller visited the #audi quattro Ski Cup finale in St. Moritz. The Swiss DTM driver qualified for the finale after winning a Swiss qualifications tournament in Verbier in January. He finished in the top ten in an amateur race this weekend. He subsequently enjoyed as spectator the #audi FIS Ski World Cup professional race. “That was stunning final weekend,” said Müller. “Professionals, amateurs and the spectators were treated to first class winter sport.”

Ekström visits talents in #audi Sport TT Cup

DTM driver Mattias Ekström paid a surprise visit to the young talents from the 2016 #audi Sport TT Cup during their fitness camp. At the team’s hotel in Oberstdorf, the Swede talked about his early days in motorsport. After sharing a few anecdotes from his career, Ekström stressed the importance of keeping one’s feet on the ground, as well as team spirit and personal discipline on the road toward becoming a professional racer. Every driver, he said, had to think about his or her next steps and always stay focused on clear aims. At the #audi Sport TT Cup fitness camp, the young participants are preparing for the new season in Audi’s one-make cup.

New career opportunities for talents in Asia

In 2016, a valuable opportunity will be opening up to talented race drivers from the Formula Masters China Series (FMCS). The best drivers from the #racing series that is organized by Volkswagen Group China will be able to prove their prowess in the #audi R8 LMS Cup. Three drivers will have the opportunity to participate in an exclusive one-day test in the #audi R8 LMS Cup. The selected drivers can look forward to the chance of earning a guest drive in the one-make cup in Asia. In addition, there will be a chance of visiting the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring as a guest.

Markus Pommer in ‘Formula 1 at School’

School pupils were delighted about the visit by a real #racing driver as highlight in the competition ‘Formula 1 at School’. Markus Pommer, who goes hunting down points this year at the wheel of a Phoenix #racing #audi R8 LMS, was impressed by the creativity of the young people. At the #audi Forum Neckarsulm, the up-and-coming teams competed against one another with their self-designed and built model cars. Pommer watched as the teams ‘flawless’ in the juniors up to 14 years of age and ‘ThunderStormRacing’ in the seniors up to 19 years of age prevailed. Markus Winkelhock, who followed the competition with great interest in the past, unfortunately had to cancel at short notice due to illness.

Lucas di Grassi and Loïc Duval in Mexico

Members of the media in Mexico showed great interest in meeting the two #audi drivers Lucas di Grassi and Loïc Duval. The Brazilian and the Frenchman answered the questions of a large number of journalists at the press conference hosted by the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Mexico City and gave extensive interviews. From September 1 to 3, 2016, the endurance #racing series will be held at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for the first time.

A word from ... Tom Kristensen

The Dane was an inductee into the Hall of Fame at the Sebring 12 Hours

With six wins to your name, you are still the record holder at the Sebring 12 Hour. You have now been inducted into the Hall of Fame. How important are the race and the honor to you?

I’m proud of the honor because the Sebring 12 Hours is one of the world’s best endurance races. The circuit is an absolute classic with its rough surface and challenging layout. Many great race cars have been developed into winners here. It was fantastic to win the 12-hour race with the #audi R8, R10 TDI, R15 TDI and the R18 TDI when they made their race debuts at Sebring. I hope that the circuit retains its classic character with the bumps and blind corners for many years to come. This is why we drivers love the track so much. 

The officials had another surprise in store for you...

Correct! While the inclusion of new members into the Hall of Fame was announced some time ago, renaming Turn 3 into ‘Kristensen Corner’ was a real surprise. I really didn’t expect it. Many thanks to the official at the Sebring International Raceway.

During this weekend you delved deep into the history and were allowed to drive one of your former race winning cars. What did you think? 

I returned again in an #audi R8. It was a fantastic feeling to drive Audi’s most successful LMP sportscar again in front of such a huge crowd – ‘Kristensen Corner’ in particular was great fun. I have fond memories of the race eleven years ago when at that time JJ Lehto, Marco Werner and I together with Frank Biela, Allan McNish, Emanuele Pirro and the Champion #racing squad clinched a one-two. That was the last victory for the R8 at Sebring. 

After spending so many years as #racing driver at Sebring, you could enjoy the #event as visitor. Your impressions? 

You could feel the enthusiasm of the fans throughout the entire weekend. It goes without saying that I didn’t waste the opportunity to visit the traditional spectating points around the track and to meet the public. I also visited the #audi Turn 1 Club, gave a lot of interviews, signed autographs and gave my guests on the passenger seat a feel for the circuit while lapping at speed in an #audi. One of my co-drivers was the well-known American motor #racing team boss Chip Ganassi who won the ride at a charity #event. It really was a wonderful weekend. 

Coming up next week 

25–26.03 Le Castellet (F), FIA WEC Prologue

26–27.03 Nogaro (F), French GT Championship, rounds 1 and 2 

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