Never before has Audi Sport customer racing been as successful with its customers around the globe as in 2017. The title successes and victories of the first- and second-generation Audi R8 LMS and, for the first time, the new Audi RS 3 LMS as well make Audi Sport one of the leading brands in international customer racing. In total, with all customer sport race car models, the teams in 527 races from January to December clinched 428 podium successes including the celebration of 157 victories.
“Congratulations to our customer teams and all campaigners on an exceptional 2017 season,” says Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. “They’ve clinched victories and titles in Asia, Australia, North America and Europe. The competitive situation in GT3 racing and in the TCR category is fierce at the moment – which makes these successes all the more valuable and remarkable.” The outstanding championship wins include the drivers’ titles with the Audi R8 LMS in Australia, in the European Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup, in China, Germany, in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, in New Zealand and in Saudi Arabia. Two titles in hill-climb racing complete the GT3 tally. For the first time, two drivers won titles in the new Audi RS 3 LMS in Russia and America as well. In addition to the overall drivers’ classifications, Audi customers scored ten further class titles – from teams’ classifications through to manufacturers’ and rookies’ trophies.
Impressive as well is Audi Sport’s tally in individual endurance races in which, naturally, particular demands are made on the quality of the crews and cars. Three teams, supported by Audi Sport for the first time, won three major endurance events: Audi Sport Team Land decided the Nürburgring 24 Hours in its favor, Audi Sport Team Saintéloc won the iconic race at Spa after the same distance and Audi Sport Team Magnus prevailed in the inaugural event of the California 8 Hours. Team Car Collection Motorsport mounted the very top of the podium in the Imola 12 Hours and Flying Lizard Motorsports triumphed in the Thunderhill 25 Hours. For Audi, these results marked the fourth overall victory at the Nürburgring, at Spa and at Thunderhill. Additionally, in the Petit Le Mans race in the United States, Team Montaplast by Land-Motorsport achieved a class victory. Besides these successes of the Audi R8 LMS, the Audi RS 3 LMS demonstrated its qualities on the endurance track as well: Team Cadspeed Racing with Atech won its class in the Dubai 24 Hours; Bonk Motorsport was unbeatable in the Mugello 12 Hours. And, finally, the Audi one-make cups delivered varied racing also: Alessio Picariello is the champion in the Audi R8 LMS Cup in Asia and Philip Ellis in the Audi Sport TT Cup in Germany.
The new Audi R8 LMS GT4 celebrated its premiere this year. It will be available to customers starting in the 2018 season. In its first test races, the production-based sports car with a victory and a third place has already contributed initial successes to the track record of Audi Sport customer racing.
Overall driver successes in championships
Australia
Geoff Emery (AUS), Audi R8 LMS GT3
Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup
Robin Frijns/Stuart Leonard (NL/GB), Audi R8 LMS GT3
Canarian Hill Climb Championship
Luis Monzón (E), Audi R8 LMS GT3
China GT Championship
Xu Jia (CN), Audi R8 LMS GT3
DMV GTC
Fabian Plentz/Egon Allgäuer (D/A), Audi R8 LMS GT3
DMV GTC Dunlop 60
Fabian Plentz/Tommy Tulpe (D/D), Audi R8 LMS GT3
FIA European Hillclimb Championship
“Tessitore” (A), Audi R8 LMS GT3
Intercontinental GT Challenge
Markus Winkelhock (D), Audi R8 LMS GT3
North Island Endurance Series Three Hour
Simon Evans/Gene Rollinson (NZ/NZ), Audi R8 LMS GT3
Pirelli World Challenge TC
Paul Holton (USA), Audi RS 3 LMS
Saudi GT
Mohammed Bin Saud (KSA), Audi R8 LMS GT3
TCR Russia
Dmitry Bragin (RUS), Audi RS 3 LMS/Seat Leon
Three Hour Endurance Championship
Simon Evans/Gene Rollinson (NZ/NZ), Audi R8 LMS GT3
Victorian State Circuit Racing Championships Sports Cars
Matthew Stoupas (AUS), Audi R8 LMS GT3
Additional titles
24H Series Drivers Rookies
Max Edelhoff (D), Audi R8 LMS GT3
24H Series Continents Championship Driver Rookies
Max Edelhoff (D), Audi R8 LMS GT3
Australian GT Trophy Series
Steven McLaughlan (AUS), Audi R8 LMS GT3
Blancpain GT Series Asia Silver Cup
Marchy Lee/Shaun Thong (HK/HK), Audi R8 LMS GT3
Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup Teams Overall
Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, Audi R8 LMS GT3
Canarian Hill Climb Championship Clubs
Auto-Laca Competición, Audi R8 LMS GT3
China GT Championship Teams
Kings Linky Racing, Audi R8 LMS GT3
Intercontinental GT Challenge GT3 Manufacturers
Audi, Audi R8 LMS GT3
Pirelli World Challenge TC Teams
C360R, Audi RS 3 LMS
Thailand Super Series Super Car GTM Plus
B-Quik Racing Team, Audi R8 LMS GT3
Audi R8 LMS Cup
Alessio Picariello (B), Audi R8 LMS GT3
Audi Sport TT Cup
Philip Ellis (GB), Audi TT cup
Overall victories in endurance races
24h Nürburgring
Kelvin van der Linde/Christopher Mies/Connor De Phillippi/Markus Winkelhock (ZA/D/USA/D), Audi R8 LMS GT3
24h Spa
Jules Gounon/Christopher Haase/Markus Winkelhock (F/D/D), Audi R8 LMS GT3
12h Imola
Max Edelhoff/Horst Felbermayr Jr./Toni Forné/Dimitri Parhofer (D/A/E/D), Audi R8 LMS GT3
California 8 Hours
Pierre Kaffer/Kelvin van der Linde/Markus Winkelhock (D/ZA/D), Audi R8 LMS GT3
25h Thunderhill
Tom Haacker/Charly Hayes/Darren Law/Nate Stacy (USA/USA/USA/USA), Audi R8 LMS GT3
Class victories in endurance races
24h Dubai (TCR)
Julian Griffin/Erik Holstein/Finlay Hutchison/James Kaye (GB/IRL/GB/GB), Audi RS 3 LMS
12h Mugello (TCR)
Hermann Bock/Max Partl (D/D), Audi RS 3 LMS
Petit Le Mans (GTD)
Sheldon van der Linde/Christopher Mies/Connor De Phillippi (ZA/D/USA), Audi R8 LMS GT3
