Neuburg a. d. Donau, November 18, 2021 – Audi Sport customer cars have the best chance to reach the final of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC). Audi leads the manufacturers’ championship with 36 points in the world’s only GT3 sports car series. In the drivers’ standings, three Audi Sport drivers are tied for second and two others are tied for third. This provides the brand with the best chance to further improve its record of five championships at the IGTC from December 2 to 4.
“With three manufacturers titles and two drivers titles, we’re the most successful manufacturer in the history of the IGTC since 2016,” says Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. “Now we’re fighting for more titles on a particularly beautiful track. A success would be the crowning glory of an already very successful GT3 season.” The brand’s customer teams have already won the GT World Challenge Europe, the ADAC GT Masters and the Campionato Italiano Gran Turismo with the Audi R8 LMS GT3 – three of the most important GT3 racing series in Europe. In addition, there is a club racing title in Germany and the current leading position in the GT World Challenge Australia, the finale of which runs parallel to the race at Kyalami.
Fans can look forward to an exciting championship decision after Audi Sport Team Saintéloc’s big win at the final IGTC race in Indianapolis. The five automakers’ rivalry in the Manufacturers Championship has turned into a showdown. In addition to the championship leader Audi, only the chaser Ferrari has the arithmetical chance of winning the championship. With 43 points still up for grabs, here’s how: If the challenger from Italy plays a one-two, sixth place would be enough to give Audi Sport the title, or at least seventh and ninth in the group. Eligible applicants.
By contrast, the situation in the drivers’ standings is completely open. Audi Sport drivers Markus Winkelhock, Patric Niederhauser and Christopher Haase are just two points behind the leading Ferrari trio of Côme Ledogar/Nicklas Nielsen/Alessandro Pier Guidi. Third-placed Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts are nine points behind the leaders. “For this reason, we maximize our chances by combining our drivers into the new lineup,” said Chris Reinke. Italian Mattia Drudi shares the cockpit of Audi Sport team Saintéloc with German Christopher Haase and Swiss Patric Niederhauser. The three Belgians Dries Vanthoor, Frédéric Vervisch and Charles Weerts competed together in the Audi Sport team WRT. The sister car will be driven by Swiss Nico Müller, South African Kelvin van der Linde and German Markus Winkelhock, who joined Audi in 2017 as IGTC champion. Two more privately entered Audi R8 LMSs complete the lineup of Audi Sport customer cars.
In partnership with Team WRT, High Class Racing used a GT3 sports car with four rings. The Danish team won the Pro-Am championship with the Audi R8 LMS GT2 in the inaugural season of the GT2 European Series in October. The two GT2 winners – Dane Anders Fjordbach and South African American Mark Patterson – shared the steering wheel with Dane Michael Markussen during the nine-hour race. Like Indianapolis, Saintéloc Racing outfitted Nicolas Baert and Lucas Légeret with a private Audi R8 LMS. The Belgian and Swiss, who finished runners-up in the US Silver Cup, will join Frenchman Simon Gachet this time.