Audi Motorsport Digest – May 24
Victory and podium finishes for Audi R8 LMS
- Audi customer teams successful on two continents
- Mattias Ekström takes first World Rallycross Championship podium of 2015
- PR appearances for Timo Scheider and Dindo Capello
Ingolstadt – Christopher Mies’s winning form continues: only one week after taking victory in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring, he won the ‘Phillip Island 101’ in Australia. Audi customer teams celebrated more podium positions in England.
Two podiums for Belgian Audi Club Team WRT
The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT enjoyed a successful weekend in the Blancpain Endurance Series: in the second event of the season at Silverstone, the drivers of two R8 LMS ultra fielded by the Belgian racing team mounted the podium. Jean-Karl Vernay, Robin Frijns and Laurens Vanthoor started the 3-hour race from third place and finished in second. The WRT Audi of Frank Stippler, Stéphane Richelmi and Stéphane Ortelli made up five places and took third on the podium. Another Audi R8 LMS ultra in the hands of Filip Salaquarda, Marco Bonanomi and Frederic Vervisch (I.S.R. Racing) came home in fourth place.
Audi driver Phil Burgan scores podium hat trick
Podiums all-round for Phil Burgan in the GT Cup Championship: the Briton finished third in class in all three races at Rockingham. The third race weekend of the season could not have got off to a worse start for Burgan. Due to electronic problems on his Audi R8 LMS ultra from United Autosports, he missed first qualifying and had to start from the back of the grid. Thanks to an impressive comeback driver, he managed to battle through the field to take third place in class and, in doing so, laid the foundation for two further top three results.
Ekström storms onto podium in England
Mattias Ekström celebrated his first podium finish of the season in the FIA World Rallycross Championship. In the fourth round of the World Championship at Lydden Hill (England), the Swede took second place in an Audi S1 EKS RX quattro fielded by his private team EKS. Ekström was only beaten by World Champion Petter Solberg in a nail-biting finale. The Swede was only 0.341 seconds behind the Norwegian at the checkered flag.
Timo Scheider visits Audi Shop in Berlin
Timo Scheider advertised for the DTM race at the Lausitzring this coming weekend by appearing at the Audi Shop in the ‘Bikini Berlin’ shopping center. The Audi Sport Team Phoenix driver busily signed autographs and revealed background information to visitors about the DTM and his AUTO TEST Audi RS 5 DTM during a round of interviews. Tickets for the DTM race at the Lausitzring are available at www.audi-motorsport.com
Dindo Capello is coveted guest in Italy
The triple Le Mans winner and current Audi dealer Dindo Capello was a popular guest in May. Only last week he participated in two events. On Thursday, he was in Asti to visit a tribute for the motorsport physician Dr. Claudio Costa. The physician has redefined treatment standards in motorbike racing with his ‘Clinica mobile’. Former Motorbike World Champion Loris Capirossi and Motorbike Grand Prix winner Virginio Ferrari also enjoyed the evening with Dr. Costa. In Bologna, Capello displayed an Audi R18 TDI at an insurer’s event where he met former Joest driver Mario Casoni. As former professional racing driver for Audi, Capello won the Sebring 12 Hour race with this Audi R18 TDI LMP racecar in 2012.