Audi in GT

[NaBUru38]

Audi Sport has named its 15 factory drivers for 2021.

https://www.gt-world-challenge-europ...driver-line-up

[gert]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Audi Sport has named its 15 factory drivers for 2021.

https://www.gt-world-challenge-europ...driver-line-up

No more Rast ?

[krzysiek_aleks]

Originally Posted by gert

No more Rast ?

He's Audi Sport driver in Formula E, but I bet they will find some race in GT3 from time to time.

[gert]

Originally Posted by krzysiek_aleks

He's Audi Sport driver in Formula E, but I bet they will find some race in GT3 from time to time.

I know. But Nico Müller is also in Formula E, but still listed as an Audi work GT driver.
Hence, I find it odd that Rast is not mentioned.

[NaBUru38]

2021 Nürburgring 24 Hours entries:

* #2 Car Collection: Christopher Haase, Nico Müller, Markus Winkelhock, Patric Niederhauser.
* #11 Phoenix: Frank Stippler, Nicki Thiim, Michele Beretta, Kim Luis Schramm.
* #15 Phoenix: Frank Stippler, Robin Frijns, Dries Vanthoor, Mattia Drudi.
* #29 Land: René Rast, Christopher Mies, Kelvin van der Linde, Frédéric Vervisch.

[NaBUru38]

2021 DTM entries:


* Abt: Mike Rockenfeller, Kelvin van der Linde, Sophia Flörsch.
* Rosberg: Nico Müller, Dev Gore.

[NaBUru38]

24H Spa pro cup entries:


* #25 Sainteloc: Markus Winkelhock, Christopher Haase, Patrick Niederhauser.
* #26 Sainteloc: James Green, Adrien Tambay, Finlay Hutchison.
* #32 WRT: Kelvin van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor, Charles Weerts.
* #37 WRT: Nico Müller, Robin Frijns, Dennis Lind.
* #66 Attempto: Christopher Mies, Mattia Drudi, Dennis Marschall.

[Pandamasque]

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2021/0...8-lms-gt3.html

Good to know Audi works liveries are in good hands.

If I saw this one in a racing sim/game I'd restart the game and then, if that didn't help, rebooting the computer. It's like the car livery failed to load and the model defaulted to a random pixelated texture of a curb and that got stretched all over the car.

[TF110]

Theres an R8 LMS GT3 Evo 2 version being offered by Audi https://www.carscoops.com/2021/07/au...llion-dollars/

[Pandamasque]

B Sport video on the car: https://youtu.be/d21wTYYP6gA

[NaBUru38]

Audi will have art cars at the 24h Spa.


https://sportscar365.com/sro/gtwc/wo...s-for-24h-spa/

[tux]

Originally Posted by TF110

Theres an R8 LMS GT3 Evo 2 version being offered by Audi https://www.carscoops.com/2021/07/au...llion-dollars/

Car makes its race debut this weekend at the 24 hours of Barcelona.

[NaBUru38]

Audi Sports announced its 2022 factory drivers.

https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/...for-2022-14473

* Renewed: Nathanaël Berthon, Mattia Drudi, Christopher Haase, Pierre Kaffer, Kelvin van der Linde, Dennis Marschall, Christopher Mies, Patric Niederhauser, Frank Stippler, Dries Vanthoor, Frédéric Vervisch,Charles Weerts, Markus Winkelhock.
* Newly signed: Luca Engstler, Ricardo Feller and Gilles Magnus.
* LMDh test drivers: Nico Müller and René Rast.
* Dismissed: Mike Rockenfeller and Rahel Frey.

[Speed-King]

https://en.endurance-info.com/auto/a...ustomer-racing

All good things must come to an end, and after Volkswagen Motorsport was dismantled, Audi could well suffer the same fate. When will it end ? We've heard everything from a very near end to a two-year deadline for GT3 and GT4. The question is whether Audi will give its 10 year old R8 a new car. It seems unlikely.

The usually well-informed folks at Endurance Info believe the end is neigh for Audi Customer Racing.

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

https://en.endurance-info.com/auto/a...ustomer-racing



The usually well-informed folks at Endurance Info believe the end is neigh for Audi Customer Racing.

I hate to see variety go, but I have to say its gotten a little boring watching Audi and Mercedes dominate GT3 so regularly, so I wouldn't be quite as sad to see them go as the more exotic manufacturers such as Ferrari, Aston, Mclaren etc.

So WRT must be thinking about finally jumping ship, first they lose their tee'd up LMDH gig, and now they might not have GT3!

I wonder with the Lamborghini LMDH news, whether VAG are re-aligning so their sportscar brands run sportscars- Porsche (GT3 + GT4 + Proto) & Lambo (GT3 + Proto), and Audi can get out of sportscars on the road and track (bye bye R8, hello only S and RS models of the road cars), and focus only on Formula 1.

I imagine all this would be echoing their road car strategy, which seems to be remove Audi's overlap with Porsche in the TT and R8, allowing Lambo and Porsche to be the sportscar brands, and Audi & VW are the daily drive brands. They then use F1 as a marketing tool for the daily drive brand instead of plugging a sportscar directly.

Porsche going to F1 also raises the question as to whether they will stay in Formula E, which I think is very doubtful.

[NaBUru38]

Great analysis, B!

[canaglia]

audi is pushing for electric cars technologies in their automotive plans and for f1 in their sport programs... no surprise gt and sportscars are fated to be axed from their new identity.
Somehow it's the end of an era since first 2009 R8 LMS model is the car that introduced gt3 racing in mainstream motorsport as we know it today.

[FIRE]

With their F1 plans I am not surprised.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

I hate to see variety go, but I have to say its gotten a little boring watching Audi and Mercedes dominate GT3 so regularly, so I wouldn't be quite as sad to see them go as the more exotic manufacturers such as Ferrari, Aston, Mclaren etc.

So WRT must be thinking about finally jumping ship, first they lose their tee'd up LMDH gig, and now they might not have GT3!

I wonder with the Lamborghini LMDH news, whether VAG are re-aligning so their sportscar brands run sportscars- Porsche (GT3 + GT4 + Proto) & Lambo (GT3 + Proto), and Audi can get out of sportscars on the road and track (bye bye R8, hello only S and RS models of the road cars), and focus only on Formula 1.

I imagine all this would be echoing their road car strategy, which seems to be remove Audi's overlap with Porsche in the TT and R8, allowing Lambo and Porsche to be the sportscar brands, and Audi & VW are the daily drive brands. They then use F1 as a marketing tool for the daily drive brand instead of plugging a sportscar directly.

Porsche going to F1 also raises the question as to whether they will stay in Formula E, which I think is very doubtful.

I think you've nailed it right there. Although I think they are missing a trick making the smaller engine city cruiser Boxster/Cayman versions Audis and more power for the Porsches. Could allow them to run a GT4 and TCR car for the daily driver approachable cars and keep Porsche and Lamborghini as the cars for the bedroom wall.

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

I think you've nailed it right there. Although I think they are missing a trick making the smaller engine city cruiser Boxster/Cayman versions Audis and more power for the Porsches. Could allow them to run a GT4 and TCR car for the daily driver approachable cars and keep Porsche and Lamborghini as the cars for the bedroom wall.

I think this is a lot about gearing up for the electric age. Audi and VW are going to be headed down that path fully, much quicker than Porsche and Lamborghini

[tux]

Huge shame, it was kinda inevitable we were going to end up with a grid of Mercedes though, that car is outstanding. It works on all tracks, all conditions and all drivers.

Would love to have more variety, cant see it happening. Aston Martin seem on their way out too at some point.

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by tux

Huge shame, it was kinda inevitable we were going to end up with a grid of Mercedes though, that car is outstanding. It works on all tracks, all conditions and all drivers.

Would love to have more variety, cant see it happening. Aston Martin seem on their way out too at some point.

Agree on AMR, probably Honda/Acura too are a likely discontinuation.

I imagine we will see GT gradually downgrade until they figure out how to make it work electric or hydrogen, to suit the direction OEM's are headed.

Been saying it a while now, whoever figures out a electric or hydrogen formula that can look like GT cars, is going to be doing pretty solidly. Much to the displeasure of many petrolheads

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

Been saying it a while now, whoever figures out a electric or hydrogen formula that can look like GT cars, is going to be doing pretty solidly. Much to the displeasure of many petrolheads

Naw, too many team bosses and pay drivers are petrolheads themselves... I really don't see electric GT gaining much traction outside a few exerimental series.

[GT6]

Well if gt racing goes electric i suspect the majority of interest will switch to classic gt racing, people like to hear and feel the sound of racing cars

[Bcarr6]

I think theres a certain inevitability of electric of hydrogen taking over as some point soon, especially seeing as petrol and diesel are going to be outlawed soon enough in large parts of Europe.

Doesnt mean I like it, I'd much much much prefer keeping the glorious engine and run some kind of bio fuel. I guess thats the only real way out of electric for GT....