Audi Motorsport Newsletter 14/2016

Lucas di Grassi triumphant as Formula E debuts in Paris

Lucas di Grassi did not just inspire the fans as Formula E made its debut, but also extended his championship lead. The Audi factory driver started the race from second on the grid, took the lead at the first corner before controlling the seventh race of the season in convincing style. di Grassi competes in the electric racing series for the ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport squad and now sits atop the overall rankings when the German team heads to its home in Berlin on May 21.

A word from … Philipp Mondelaers

Philipp Mondelaers is Project Leader for the Audi Sport TT Cup since the beginning of the year. He makes an initial appraisal before the Audi one-make cup season starts on May 7-8 as support event to the DTM at the Hockenheimring.

How did preparations for the season go?

Especially during the tests at Hockenheim it was clear to see just what our budding young talents can achieve on the race track. We have a very good mix of Rookies, who compete for the first time in the Audi Sport TT Cup, as well as experienced drivers. In the qualifying simulation, six drivers were within only five tenths of a second. This not only promises plenty of nail-biting action, but also plenty of different faces on the podium.

You worked for Audi Sport in the DTM and in GT racing before. What prompted your change to the Audi Sport TT Cup?

I didn’t have to think twice when Rolf Michl as former Project Leader moved into Product Marketing and I was asked if I would like to be his successor. For me, it is just the challenge I was looking for. I wanted to devote myself to something new. Being the Audi Sport TT Cup Project Leader is very exciting, and I’m really looking forward to tackling this huge task.

What’s so special about the Audi Sport TT Cup for you?

In addition to the actual program of a one-make up, training the young drivers is very mush the focus. The Audi Sport TT Cup boasts high quality content at trackside yet again in 2016. From fitness camps via nutrition plans and media training to data analysis, we give the budding young talents as much as possible on their way to forging a successful career in motorsport.

Nurturing talent is taken seriously in the Audi Sport TT Cup. Several drivers who competed in the premiere season made the jump into GT racing. Did the training plan pay off?

Most certainly. The great thing about the Audi Sport TT Cup is that competitors become visible in the world of motorsport. I see this as a clear aim of our one-make cup. The competition among the young racing drivers is already very fierce. Through the Audi Sport TT Cup, the talents can make a splash very early on and open doors for their career path while competing on the DTM support program. Obviously I’m very pleased if a GT3 team acknowledges a particular driver’s good performance and succeeds in the next step.

Coming up next week

29/04–01/05 Laguna Seca (USA), IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, round 3
29/04–01/05 Sachsenring (D), ADAC GT Masters, races 3 and 4
29/04–01/05 Sachsenring (D), Spezial Tourenwagen Trophy, races 3 and 4
29/04–01/05 Monza (I), Italian GT Championship, races 1 and 2
30/04 Nürburgring (D), VLN, round 2
30/04–01/05 Rockingham (GB), British GT Championship, round 2

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