Audi R8 LMS clinches second and third place at Spa

In spite of many setbacks, two other new Audi R8 LMS cars ultimately took positions in the top five. Audi Sport Team Phoenix with Christian Mamerow (D), Christopher Mies (D) and Nicki Thiim (DK) achieved third place following a recovery. Their team-mates Marcel Fässler (CH), André Lotterer (D) and Mike Rockenfeller (D) finished in fifth place. Both driver squads had lost a lot of time in the turbulent early stage. Following heavy rain, Phoenix switched to slicks early with both race cars on a drying track, but the weather put a spoke in the wheel of Ernst Moser’s team. When the rain started again, the squad was forced to make another tire change, while unfavorable caution periods had an additional effect. In the final stage, stop-and-go penalties due to crossing the track boundaries resulted in a further loss of time. Last year’s winners René Rast (D), Laurens Vanthoor (B) and Markus Winkelhock (D) were absolutely competitive with good lap times. After a failed overtaking attempt, Vanthoor lost control of his car. The collision meant that Audi Sport Team WRT had to change parts of the suspension and bodywork. In the end, due to consequential damage within the driveline, car number ‘1’ dropped out of the top ten.

Team Saintéloc regretted missed opportunities as well. Marc Basseng (D), Grégory Guilvert (F) and Edward Sandström (S) were in second place some of the time before retiring due to technical failure. The sister car of the French team with Michaël Blanchemain (F), Mino Caccia (CH), Philippe Haezebrouck (F) and Gilles Lallement (F) achieved eighth place in the Am category. Due to accidents the number ‘3’ (Belgian Audi Club Team WRT), number ‘4’ (Team WRT) and number ‘75’ (ISR) Audi R8 LMS cars did not finish the race.

Upon the positive completion of the endurance race, Audi is ready for the next step. Following the successful trials in the test runs, the production of the new Audi R8 LMS for customers on four continents will be launched in September.

Race results

1 Catsburg/Luhr/Palttala (BMW #46), 536 laps

2 Ortelli/Müller/Stippler (Audi R8 LMS #2) –1 lap

3 Mamerow/Mies/Thiim (Audi R8 LMS #5) –2 laps

4 Bruni/Lathouras/Lemeret/Pier Guidi (Ferrari #47) –5 laps

5 Fässler/Lotterer/Rockenfeller (Audi R8 LMS #6) –6 laps

6 Cameron/Griffin/Guedes/Rigon (Ferrari #51) –7 laps

7 Bryant/McCaig/Modell/Sims (BMW #79) –9 laps

8 Cocker/Keen/Machitski/Minshaw (BMW #78) –9 laps

9 Abril/Parisy/Primat (Bentley #84) –9 laps

10 Leonard/Meadows/Mücke/Onslow Cole (Aston Martin #32) –13 laps

14 Loggie/Macleod/Simonsen/Westwood (Audi R8 LMS #24) –23 laps

21 Rast/Vanthoor/Winkelhock (Audi R8 LMS #1) –28 laps

34 Blanchemain/Caccia/Haezebrouck/Lallement (Audi R8 LMS #36) –175 laps