Blancpain Endurance Series: Magnificent podium for Vanthoor at Silverstone

Laurens Vanthoor Press Release

In the second race of the Blancpain Endurance Series in Silverstone Laurens Vanthoor finished in a strong third place. Cesar Ramos, Marc Basseng and Vanthoor drove an impressive race in the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi R8 LMS Ultra, rewarded with important championship points, despite a drive-through in the early stages of the race.

Silverstone offered us a typical British racing weekend, with very mixed conditions. It all started on Saturday with heavy rain and two free practice sessions provided little action and even less information for the teams.
Laurens Vanthoor: “In all I did 5 laps, due to the wet weather. As we will have dry conditions tomorrow, with even some sunshine, today was a wasted day. I prefer full action with a lot of driving.”

On Sunday morning, qualifying started under damp conditions, but the track dried up by the end. During the final stages every driver tried to put down a fast lap as late as possible. The team gave Vanthoor a fine opportunity to go for pole-position, but due to an incident a red flag ruined any chances of Vanthoor grabbing the pole.

Laurens Vanthoor: “I received a new set of slicks in order to put down an even better lap time during the session’s last moments. But in those closing stages, just as I was lapping quickly, a car went off and the session was ended 3 minutes too early. I missed the opportunity of doing any better than 9th spot, which is a big disadvantage in this highly competitive competition. Even before the start of the race we knew that we would need to fight hard to have any chance of finishing on the podium.”

It was a difficult start for the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT boys, with an early drive-through. But they never gave up! And in the last metres of the race, Vanthoor took third!

Laurens Vanthoor: “What a fantastic last lap… I found myself in the same position as in Monza where I closed in on the leaders, but this time around I managed to score third instead of fourth! It was very important for all of us and I would like to thank the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT for their marvellous pitstop work! My teammates also did a good job and this result will motivate us to do even better in the near future.”

Photo credit: Belgian Audi Club

BES: I.S.R. Racing looking at an Audi R8 LMS ultra for the Spa 24 Hours

By Johan Laubscher

The Czech I.S.R Racing team has been reported to be looking at possibly running an Audi R8 LMS ultra at the 2014 Spa 24 Hours.

The news was posted by Endurance-Info on Tuesday. I.S.R Racing would join a number of Audi Sport customer racing on the grid at the Spa 24 Hours, round seven of the Blancpain GT Series, round four of the Blancpain Endurance Series. More can be read at Endurance-Info.com HERE. 

1998 - Josef Venc Audi A4 - I.S.R Racing

I.S.R Racing may be known for competing in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, but this would not be I.S.R. Racing’s first venture with Audi race cars.

During the mid-90s the team competed with Audi in the Czech and FIA Central European Super Touring Car Championships. They won the 1996 Czech title with an Audi 80 Competition and followed that up by winning the 1997 and 1998 Central European titles with an Audi A4 quattro STW, all driven by Josef Venc.

Photo credit: 
Audi Communications - Motorsport
auto periskop

Blancpain GT: Phoenix Racing fields strong line-up of two Audi R8 LMS ultra in new Blancpain Sprint Series

Phoenix Racing Press Release

Phoenix Racing will be fielding two Audi R8 LMS ultra cars in the Blancpain Sprint Series (BSS) driven by the two GT1 World Champions Marc Basseng (DE) and Markus Winkelhock (DE), plus the seasoned GT driver Niki Mayr-Melnhof (AT) and the promising talent Alessandro Latif (GB). The driver pairing in the #5 Phoenix Audi sporting new, aggressive graphics in white, red and grey will be formed by Basseng and Latif while the cockpit of car #6 will be shared by Mayr-Melnhof and Winkelhock. The Blancpain Sprint Series will open on 20/21 April with the first of seven rounds at Nogaro, France, featuring a qualification race on Easter Sunday and a main race on Easter Monday, each lasting for sixty minutes.

“We’re delighted about two strong new signings. Niki Mayr-Melnhof has a lot of experience and showed his class on finishing last year’s GT series in third place. Alessandro Latif is a young, up-and-coming driver with excellent prospects who provided a sampling of his talent right on his first two runs in the R8,” says Phoenix Team Director Ernst Moser. “Together with Marc Basseng and Markus Winkelhock we’re perfectly positioned to be in contention for victories and the championship title in the Blancpain Sprint Series.”
Marc Basseng and Markus Winkelhock in 2012 belonged to the victorious Phoenix team that won the Nürburgring 24 Hours with the Audi R8 LMS ultra. In the same year the 35-year-old Basseng (Rosenbach) and Markus Winkelhock (Berglen-Steinach), who is 2 years younger, jointly became FIA GT1 World Champions. Both are long-standing members of Phoenix Racing’s regular driver squad.

Niki Mayr-Melnhof and Alessandro Latif, as well, have previously gathered experiences in the Audi sports car. The 35-year-old Austrian has been competing in various GT Championships since 2010 and last year clinched third place in the FIA GT Series standings in the Audi R8 LMS ultra. In the Audi R8 GTD Alessandro Latif contested the Daytona 24 Hours in Florida at the beginning of the year and – among others, with Markus Winkelhock – the Sebring 12 Hours. The student from London, who will only be 18 on 11 April, entered kart racing at the age of eleven and subsequently moved up into Formula Renault.

Phoenix Racing based in the Nürburgring industrial park in Meuspath has numbered among the most successful German motorsport teams ever since it was formed in 1999. As Audi Sport Team Phoenix, Ernst Moser’s outfit won the DTM drivers’ title with Martin Tomczyk in 2011 and with Mike Rockenfeller in 2013 when the squad clinched the team title as well. Phoenix has won the Nürburgring 24 Hours three times, the Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours twice and the Bathurst 12 Hour in Australia once

Photo credit: Phoenix Racing

Blancpain GT: Audi teams showed good pace at the Paul Ricard test days

By Johan Laubscher

The Blancpain GT Series official test days at Paul Ricard concluded on Wednesday. The Audi teams showed good pace during the two-day test.

A total of nine Audi R8 LMS ultra cars were on site, fielded by four different teams. Four cars were being fielded by WRT, three under the team name of W Racing Team and one as Audi Sport customer racing by WRT. Phoenix Racing and Sainteloc Racing both had two cars each. Team Parker Racing are also debuted their new Audi R8 LMS ultra at the official test days, following their first initial tests with the car last week.

The second day of testing saw eight Audis on track. The #1 WRT Audi was the only R8 LMS ultra within the top ten, placing eighth. Four more Audis were within the top twenty, the #6 Phoenix Racing car in sixteenth, ahead of the two Sainteloc Racing R8 LMS ultra cars in eighteenth and nineteenth (#25 and #27). The #2 WRT machine rounded out the top twenty. The #5 Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS ultra was twenty-ninth, the Team Parker Racing #22 Audi was fortieth and the #3 Audi Sport customer racing by WRT car was forty-fifth.

The combined results from both days of testing concluded with four Audi R8 LMS ultra cars appearing in the top ten. The #7 Bentley and #23 Camaro took the top spots, followed by a trio of Audis, WRT #1 in third, ahead of the two Phoenix Racing cars (#6 and #5) in fourth and fifth. Team Parker Racing placed eighth with their #22 Audi R8 LMS ultra.

The entry / driver list can be seen HERE.

The second day results can be seen HERE.

The combined testing results can be seen HERE.

The 2014 Blancpain GT Series gets under way with the first round of the Blancpain Endurance Series at Monza, 12-13 April.

Photo credit: Blancpain GT Series

Blancpain GT: Strong opening day for the Audi teams at the Paul Ricard test days

By Johan Laubscher

The Blancpain GT Series is hosting its official test days at Paul Ricard this week, from Tuesday to Wednesday. Many of the Blancpain Endurance Series and Blancpain Sprint Series teams are taking part.

A total of nine Audi R8 LMS ultra cars were on site, fielded by four different teams. Four cars are being fielded by WRT, three under the team name of W Racing Team and one as Audi Sport customer racing by WRT. Phoenix Racing and Sainteloc Racing both have two cars each. Team Parker Racing are also debuting their new Audi R8 LMS ultra at the official test days, following their first initial tests with the car last week.

A total of six Audi R8 LMS ultra cars took to the track during the first day of testing, with four of them making it into the top four by the end of the day. The M-Sport Bentley lead the way, followed by three Audis in second through fourth, the #1 WRT Audi and the two Phoenix Racing Audis, #6 ahead of #5. Team Parker Racing rounded out the top sixth with their #22 Audi R8 LMS ultra in sixth. The #3 Audi Sport customer racing by WRT car set the sixteenth fastest time and Sainteloc Racing placed thirty-seventh.

The entry / driver list can be seen HERE.

The first day results can be seen HERE.

The second day of testing will be getting underway on Wednesday.

Photo credit: Laurens Vanthoor

Blancpain GT Sprint: Belgian Audi Club Team WRT winter testing at Navarra this week

By Johan Laubscher

Belgian Audi Club Team WRT was very busy this week, taking part in two sets of two-day tests at Paul Ricard in France and at Navarra in Spain.

The team had one Audi R8 LMS ultra at Paul Ricard for the official 2014 Pirelli tyre test sessions this week. They were also at Navarra for winter testing ahead of the 2014 Blancpain GT Sprint Series.

A number of drivers were present with WRT at Navarra. It has been mentioned that Laurens Vanthoor, Roman Rusinov and Polish driver, Mateusz Lisowski, were among the drivers at the test. Vanthoor set the fastest time for WRT and he was followed by Rusinov and Lisowski, all three were only separated by 0.3 of a second.

The 2013 season may be over, but it is certainly very exciting to see the 2014 season already picking up speed with winter testing and news.

More about the story can be read HERE. (Polish article)

Post by Lisowski Racing.

Photo credit: 
Lisowski Racing
Patrick Hecq Photography
eXsports.INFO

Blancpain GT Sprint: WRT Audi R8 LMS ultra at the 2014 Pirelli tyre test days at Paul Ricard

By Johan Laubscher

Official test days were held at Paul Ricard in France this week. WRT were present with their Audi R8 LMS ultra and took part in the testing.

Many of the brands were represented at the tests, which focused on the performance and reliability of the new 2014 Pirelli tyres set for the GT series. Stephane Ortelli was on hand to support WRT, driving the plain black WRT Audi R8 LMS ultra. 

Photo credit: Stephane Ortelli 

BES: Double duty for Belgian Audi Club Team WRT in 2014

By Tarek Ramchani

The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT had a very busy 2013 season. The team managed by Vincent Vosse took part in both the Blancpain Endurance Series and the FIA GT Series.

No official announcements yet from the Belgian Audi customer team about their 2014 plans, but according to our friends at Endurance-Info, the team is about to have a similar program as in 2013. WRT may return to the Blancpain Endurance Series, where the team had a season of ups and downs, in part due to a penalizing Balance of Performance. WRT plans also to take part in the new Blancpain GT Sprint, which is in fact a new name for the current FIA GT Series. The drivers and the number of Audi R8 LMS ultra cars will be announced later.

Belgian Audi Club Team WRT is at Baku with no less than four Audi R8 LMS ultra cars for the FIA GT Series season finale this weekend. WRT drivers will fight amongst each other for the drivers' title. The Belgian squad will also be fighting for the teams' trophy against the Sebastien Loeb Racing McLaren team.

Photo credit: FIA GT Series