Audi Sport customer racing - global program for 2021!

"After a demanding 2020 season for global motorsport, we are setting an example and committed to a major international program in 2021 at an early stage“, Says Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. "The Intercontinental GT Challenge as the world's top-class GT3 series is just as important as the Nürburgring 24 Hours.“Audi has already won a title in the IGTC five times and has won the 24-hour race in the Eifel.

Audi Sport customer racing is also observing two other competitions with interest. The FIA ​​Motorsport Games are on the program in Le Castellet in October 2021. In this multidisciplinary competition organized by the FIA, a kind of motorsport Olympics, teams from Audi were already successful at the first edition in 2019 with the two models Audi R8 LMS and Audi RS 3 LMS. The traditional road race in Macau in November marks another highlight. The GT sports car race there has existed since 2008 and held the FIA ​​GT World Cup title between 2015 and 2019. Audi has already won the competition four times. Most recently, in November 2020, two private customer teams of the brand achieved two podium places.

This program complements the global commitment of customers. In America, Asia, Australia, Europe and South Africa, private teams as well as importer teams use the different models of the brand year after year with great success. Audi Sport customer racing has provided drivers from its driver squad for the relevant GT3 programs for many years. This applies above all to teams that register in the GT World Challenge Europe, the ADAC GT Masters and, for the first time, the newly organized DTM.

Audi Sport drivers Mattia Drudi, Rahel Frey, Christopher Haase, Pierre Kaffer, Kelvin van der Linde, Christopher Mies, Patric Niederhauser, Frank Stippler, Dries Vanthoor, Frédéric Vervisch and Markus Winkelhock will also be part of this driver squad in 2021. For the 2021 season, two young drivers will have the chance to prove themselves at Audi Sport customer racing for the first time. Dennis Marschall already demonstrated his talent in the Audi Sport TT Cup in 2015 and 2016. In the Rutronik Racing team, the 24-year-old student from Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen has repeatedly shown top performances as a privateer in the ADAC GT Masters over the past two years, including two pole positions in the past season. In 2020, he also made two major international assignments in the IGTC for the first time in Spa and Kyalami. Charles Weerts will also drive for Audi Sport customer racing in the future. At only 19 years of age, the Belgian was the youngest driver to date in the Audi R8 LMS to win the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup and most recently achieved second place at the IGTC finale in Kyalami.

In addition, several of the best DTM drivers will also be part of the Audi Sport driver squad in 2021. Mike Rockenfeller, Champion of the Year 2013, and Nico Müller, the current runner-up, will continue to drive for the four rings in the future. René Rast, 2017, 2019 and 2020 champion, competes for Audi in the FIA ​​Formula E World Championship. In addition, selected assignments in customer sports complement his program. All three have also strengthened the customer racing driver squad at major competitions over the years. Outstanding successes include the victory of René Rast at the Nürburgring 24 Hours in 2014, Nico Müller a year later and Rast at the Spa 24 Hours in 2012 and 2014.