After a debut season outstanding for the victory they scored at the Nürburgring, Team ISR go into the 2019 ADAC GT Masters with renewed determination. The driver line-up is the same as before: last year’s duo of Filip Salaquarda (35, CZ) and Frank Stippler (43, GER) will be driving an upgraded Audi R8 LMS. The season opener of the Super Sports Car League will take place on the weekend of 26th – 28th April at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. All races will be broadcast live and in full length by SPORT1.
The Czech outfit will stick with a tried and tested formula in 2019. The driver pairing of Filip Salaquarda and Frank Stippler first shared the cockpit of a car entered by the team in another race series in 2016. The racing team led by Igor Salaquarda has also had a close working relationship with Audi since 2015. “The ADAC GT Masters is one of the best GT racing series,” says Igor Salaquarda. “The organisation is highly professional and the teams and drivers are first class. We are therefore looking forward to our second year in the series. We now know the tracks much better, and we want to make good use of that. The objective is to make as many podium appearances as possible.”
Audi Sports driver Frank Stippler, who also took pole position in the Sunday race at the Nürburgring in 2018: “We will be doing our best and aiming to build on the foundations we laid last year. It’s good that we are continuing with the same personnel. Continuity is an advantage, because the general processes and preferences are already known and well-rehearsed.”
Team ISR have already had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the new Evo version of the Audi R8 LMS in Barcelona. “Filip drove there, and I think the team continued to make good progress during the test,” adds Stippler. “Of course, we have to adjust the setup to some extent, because the new Audi R8 has been upgraded in more than just its aerodynamics. The team took the first steps in this direction in Barcelona.”
