1.4.2019. The curtain on the second season With the official Test in Barcelona, Audi Sport customer racing decides, in its preparation for the WTCR – FIA touring car world Cup in 2019. The second season of the highest-ranking TCR series promises to be, with new rules, manufacturers and drivers with even more voltage.
“We have managed to 2018, a strong debut season, but this year we want even more,” says Chris Reinke, head of Audi Sport customer racing. “The goal is to fight with our crews and drivers to the title in the two ratings.” Last year, Audi Sport what is one of the Best: Six wins, spread across the three Audi Sport-driver Gordon Shedden, Jean-Karl Vernay and Frédéric Vervisch, and 17 podiums in total were at the end of the season to beech.
Three Pole Positions and six fastest race laps complete the balance of the year, Jean-Karl Vernay continued up to the final, his title chances open. The 31-year-old Frenchman and his Scottish team-mate Gordon Shedden so start this year for the Leopard Racing Team Audi Sport. The Belgian Frédéric Vervisch from Comtoyou Audi Sport Team receives a new team-mate – the Dutchman Niels Langeveld. For the first time, Audi Sport has four drivers in the FIA WTCR under the contract. The 31-year-old Langeveld what 2018 the most successful privateer in the Audi RS 3 LMS in the national racing series the ADAC TCR Germany.
With the Test in Barcelona on 28. and 29. March closes for Audi, the season preparations. The four riders have completed the Audi RS 3 LMS, the 2018 and what will the TCR Model of the Year, in the sum of around 10,000 test kilometres. Since April, Audi Sport has completed testing in Belgium, Germany, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Spain and Hungary. “After a good first season we want to fight this year for the title,” says Jean-Karl Vernay, who won in the previous year, as the best Audi Sport Pilot four races and two Pole Positions of import. “The competition is even more intense, and I am looking forward to very much.” In the field, seven marks and 26 participants are represented. “We worked as a Team in the previous year very much. Now I want to increase me personally once again. The Pole Position and the victory in Wuhan, have made appetite for more,“ says Gordon Shedden.
Frédéric Vervisch has shown in the Winter, several of the best benefits: In November, he celebrated in the final of the FIA WTCR in Macau for his first victory, in January, he won in GT3 racing with Audi Sport customer racing in Dubai and his first 24-hour race. “Seven Times I have stood by 2018 in the FIA WTCR on the Podium. Now I want to attack from the first race,“ he says Vervisch. “For me, the contract with Audi Sport is a dream come true,” says Niels Langeveld. “We want to play with the Team in front and score good results. Is that realistic? I don’t know yet. My goal, however, it is, in any case.“
The calendar covers three continents and is comprised again in ten events of three sprint races, starting with the race in Marrakesh, Morocco next weekend. There is a maximum of four racing cars each manufacturer fights for the first time to be successful. The operating personnel working on the cars, will be limited this year to ten people for two race cars. The training time in the first Free practice to grow by 50 per cent to 45 minutes. For the first time, there is not only the second but also in the first Qualifying points for the five fastest drivers. Furthermore, the first Qualifying session determines the starting grid in the first race. The second Qualifying session will be used for the third race.
In the second race, the first ten from the second time the training will start in the reverse order. Unifies the points standings for all three runs, starting with 25 points for a win, and not just the first ten, but the best 15 riders will be rewarded. Title in WTCR – FIA touring car world Cup for the best drivers and Teams, but not for the manufacturer. For the first Time in the course of Sepang in Malaysia in December is the Finale of the race series.
Eurosport accompanied the series with a comprehensive television coverage in Europe. 66 million persecuted 2018, the Transfers in Europe, 212 hours what alone, the cumulative transmission time of Eurosport. This year the series will be broadcast in 204 countries worldwide.
Audi RS 3 LMS #69 (Leopard Racing Team Audi Sport), Jean-Karl Vernay (photo: AUDI AG)
