Audi R8 LMS GT3
Two wins at Zandvoort: The Audi R8 LMS was unbeatable at the third event of the 2021 ADAC GT Masters in the Netherlands. On the revamped Zandvoort circuit with its challenging new banked corner, Audi Sport’s customer teams showed strong performances as early as in qualifying. Swiss privateer Ricardo Feller secured pole position for himself and team-mate Christopher Mies in the first qualifying session at the last minute. The 21-year-old Feller drove the start in Saturday’s first race, set the fastest lap time and handed over his cockpit to Audi Sport driver Mies on the 17th lap. The German returned to the track in second place but the now leading Lamborghini team had made a mistake. It received a penalty and dropped back. Christopher Mies and Ricardo Feller deservedly clinched the first victory of the season in the ADAC GT Masters for Audi and for Team Montaplast by Land-Motorsport with a lead of 2.6 seconds. There was no way around the Audi R8 LMS on Sunday either. Audi Sport driver Dries Vanthoor from Belgium had secured grid position one for Team WRT and pulled away from pursuer Raffaele Marciello in the AMG-Mercedes by almost two seconds in the first half of the race. Fellow Audi Sport driver Charles Weerts took over the Audi at the pit stop and didn’t let a safety car period disturb his rhythm either. By the time he crossed the finish line, he had outdistanced the Mercedes-AMG chasers by 3.9 seconds. After three of seven events, Mies and Feller are the best Audi drivers in the field in third place in the standings. Likewise, Montaplast by Land-Motorsport is in third position in the team standings. Only six points separate the top three of the 19 outfits in the field.
Championship lead after two podium finishes: Phoenix Racing took the championship lead in the Speed Trophy on the fifth race weekend of the Nürburgring Endurance Series. Ernst Moser’s team scored a podium result with the Audi R8 LMS in both four-hour races on Saturday and Sunday during the double weekend. Vincent Kolb and Audi Sport driver Frank Stippler dropped from position two to fifth in the first competition after a poor start, but caught up again in the course of the race. In the end, Kolb fought a fascinating duel with Mercedes-AMG driver Adam Christodoulou for second place, lost some time when lapping other competitors and in the end had to admit defeat by only five seconds. After finishing third on Saturday, Kolb again engaged in a thrilling duel in the closing stages on Sunday, this time with BMW driver Christian Krognes. After 29 laps, Kolb crossed the finish line in second place. The privateer driver from Frankfurt thus celebrated a podium result with teammate Frank Stippler for the third time in a row. Phoenix Racing has thus taken the lead in the Speed Trophy ahead of 29 other teams. After six of nine races on the Nordschleife, the private Audi squad’s lead over the second-placed BMW Junior Team is 28 points. At the same time, Vincent Kolb leads the SP9 Pro class. Privateers Patrick Kolb and Lorenzo Rocco di Torrepadula from Car Collection Motorsport are leading the SP9 Pro-Am class with another Audi R8 LMS.
Coming up next week
16–17/07 Lime Rock (USA), round 7, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
16–17/07 Lime Rock (USA), round 6, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge
16–18/07 Portimão (P), round 5, 24H Series
16–18/07 Mosport (CDN), round 2, Sports Car Championship Canada
17–18/07 Motegi (J), round 4, Super GT
17–18/07 Vallelunga (I), round 4, Coppa Italia Turismo