United Autosports Press Release
- 2011 saw double pole with the Audi R8 LMS at Rockingham
- After strong finish in Germany, team looking for their first win
- Productive test ahead of first two-hour race this weekend
United Autosports head back to a circuit where in 2011 they secured the first double pole for the Audi R8 on the Rockingham Motor Speedway in Corby, Northamptonshire.
After a strong finish in the feature race last time out around the legendary Nurburgring Grand Prix circuit, the team will be looking for nothing less than a podium finish at Rockingham.
Leading up to the event the Pilgrim Food Service-sponsored Audi R8 LMS GT3 team have been busy working through a development schedule with two day’s of testing at Snetterton in Norfolk ahead of the two-hour race on Sunday. The objective was to work through a number of set-up items to get a better understanding of the new balance of performance regulations and some tyre evaluation work.
United Autosports currently lies ninth in the 2012 Championship after two rounds.
Matt Bell, Driver, United Autosports
“ I am looking forward to Rockingham and feel optimistic that we can improve after our last race in Germany. We have been given a slight balance of performance adjustment, but it only equates to less than 1% more horsepower. It’s still not enough to bring us in line with our competition, so although we may not have the ultimate pace we can focus on our other strengths. We, as a team have been working well, our pit stops have consistently been the best in British GT’s and my teammate Charles has settled into the Audi well, so considering all these factors we should be in a position to push for a good result. The two-hour race format was good for us last year as the car looks after its tyres better, so hopefully, we can make the most of that too.”
Charles Bateman, Driver, United Autosports
“We have had a challenging start to our season, but we have been working hard between events and are making progress. We had two productive days of testing at Snetterton so we feel we are heading in the right direction. I really enjoy the longer races so I am looking forward to seeing how the weekend unfolds.”
Richard Dean, Team Owner- Managing Director, United Autosports
“We seem to have had our first improvement with the balance of performance figures coming through from the FIA. I expect these to help us be more competitive in qualifying which was our weak point at Nurburgring last time out. Rockingham is also the first of the two-hour races this year so we expect to be very competitive.”
About Rockingham:
The 2.05 mile road-course that features a 7-degree banking at turn one is one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar. The circuit has an infield of complex corners and can be tricky to race on because of our unpredictable British weather. Competition will again be fierce, with expected challenges from the Ferraris, Aston Martins, and Porsches.
Race information:
Race Distance: Timed. Two-Hours
Start time: 3.25pm
Circuit Length: 2.05 miles
Photo credit: United Autosports
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