VIDEO: A closer look at Belgian Audi Club Team WRT's R8 LMS ultras in Moscow Raceway

A closer look at the Audi R8 LMS ultra cars from Belgian Audi Club Team WRT. The event was the fourth round of the Blancpain Sprint Series at the Moscow Raceway in Russia.

Photo credit: Blancpain GT Series

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2014: An exceptional harvest for the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT

Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Press Release

RACB’s ‘Team of the Year” distinction adds to the 7 titles and the Total Spa 24 Hrs win, as the squad celebrates its first five years of racing

The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT has been elected Team of the Year by the special jury of the RACB, Belgium’s Royal Automobile Club. It is the third time that the squad is awarded the top national distinction for a team in its home country, after conquering the prestigious award in 2011 and 2013.

The distinction adds to the extraordinary collection of titles and wins harvested during 2014, which has seen the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT winning 7 out of the 8 Blancpain competitions it contested, on top of bringing home the Total 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the world’s most prestigious GT race.

Reflecting on the success at end of such a fruitful season, Team Principal Vincent Vosse stated: “We can be proud of what we have achieved on the track, but what makes me happiest and proudest is to see that we have achieved putting together an exceptional team of talented and competent people, united by very strong commitment and determination, and that we have been able to create a true WRT family spirit. What strikes me when looking at the 2014 season is that we haven’t been dominating the championships, where competition has been extremely close, but that we have succeeded to be the best in the key moments, at the Total Spa 24 Hours, at the Nürburgring 1000 and at the Baku World Challenge, and that has  made the difference.”

Looking forward to 2015, Vosse explained: “It is going to be difficult to repeat such a successful season as 2014, … but in a way, that’s the challenge we have been faced with every year. What I can say is that we will continue with the same passion and motivation, with the same search for excellence, faithful to a brand, Audi, to whom we are grateful for the great support and cooperation. And we will be happy to continue contributing to the ever-growing success of GT racing. Recently, we have also expanded into new grounds, races on ice, with the Trophée Andros, and it is nice to see that we are already winning races. ”

"In only five years of presence in GT racing”, recalls Vosse, “WRT has managed to win 26 titles or major races, and most of all, it has gained the respect of everybody in racing circles. It was back in November 2008 when, together with an exceptional technician as René Verbist, with whom I worked in my years as a driver, and an enthusiastic motorsports fan and gentleman-driver, Yves Weerts, we first had the idea to create a team. The two V and the W explain the name: W Racing Team. We certainly couldn’t dream at that time that the journey would have been so exciting and successful. It accelerated the end of my career as a driver but I do not regret the choice one single second: leading such a project is just fabulous! We spent 2009 setting up everything and we hit the track in 2010 in the Belcar series, clinching our first two titles…”
Since then, many things have happened … and the story continues!

A video reviewing the first five years of existence of Team WRT has been released and can be viewed through this link: http://youtu.be/znKrKHU1P9M

The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT seen by some key players…

To mark the first five years of activity of the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, we have asked to some key players in this venture that “know well the house”, to tell us what WRT meant to them. Posing them a challenge, though: to express it in the shortest and most personal way…

Mattias Ekström: "In 2011 we won the 24h of Spa together. It was the first 24h victory for both of us. A very emotional and special moment for me and the nice, family and motivated team. It was a real pleasure!"

André Lotterer: “WRT Its a team where I feel at home! The spirit, passion and fun everybody has is so high, and to combine this with great attention to details and performance is unique! Work hard & play hard is why I love WRT!”

Stéphane Ortelli: “WRT=Want Real Things. I always wanted to meet people who can learn and teach things at the same time, at the highest level of racing. I found it here and being part of the two titles we won together, but also contributing to WRT’s success, inside or outside a car, has been the best part of my racing career these recent years. WRT is raising its level of performance year after year while keeping a real and human approach”.

Frank Stippler: "The passion in the eyes of the complete WRT équipe makes all the difference between a very good team and 25 titles."

Laurens Vanthoor: “My second family but my first friends.”

Romolo Liebchen, Head of Audi Sport Customer Racing: “Audi Sport Customer Racing and Belgian Audi Club Team WRT combine a really good and long cooperation. We are very happy about the successes that Yves Weerts, Vincent Vosse and René Verbist achieved together with their team and the Audi R8 LMS to date. Hopefully this will continue for them in the future. »

Major achievements of the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT since its creation

2010:
Belcar Team overall CHAMPION
Belcar Driver overall CHAMPION (Franchi-Kumpen)

2011:
Total 24H of Spa Winner (Franchi-Ekström-Scheider)
Blancpain Endurance Series Team CHAMPION
Blancpain Endurance Series Driver CHAMPION (Franchi)
FIA-GT3 Series Driver 3rd overall (Ide)
GT Tour Driver 2nd overall (Halliday-Ortelli)
Belcar Driver 2nd (Longin-Maassen) and 3rd overall (Ide-F.Verbist)
Zolder 24H Winner (F.Verbist-Ide-Longin-Maassen)
Sepang MMER 12 Hrs runner-up (Biela-Fässler-Werner)
RACB Team of the Year

2012:
Blancpain Endurance Series Team CHAMPION
Blancpain Endurance Series Driver CHAMPION (Ortelli-Mies-Haase)
FIA World GT1 Championship Team 3rd overall Team
Total 24H of Spa runner-up (Ortelli-Mies-Haase)
Zolder 24H Winner (Vanthoor-Sandström-Kumpen-Bonanomi)

2013:
Blancpain Sprint Series Team CHAMPION
Blancpain Sprint Series Driver CHAMPION (Vanthoor-Ortelli)
Blancpain Endurance Series Team 2nd
Total 24H of Spa 3rd overall (Stippler-Mies-Lotterer)
Baku World Challenge winner (Ortelli-Vanthoor)
Pirelli GT Challenge winner
RACB Team of the Year

2014:
Total 24H of Spa Winner (Vanthoor-Winkelhock-Rast) and 3rd overall (Mies-Stippler-Nash)
Blancpain GT Series Team CHAMPION
Blancpain GT Series Driver CHAMPION (Vanthoor)
Blancpain Endurance Series Team CHAMPION
Blancpain Endurance Series Driver CHAMPION (Vanthoor)
Blancpain Sprint Series Team CHAMPION
Blancpain Sprint Series Silver Team CHAMPION
Blancpain Sprint Series Silver Cup Driver CHAMPION (Lisowski-Abril)
Baku World Challenge winner (Vanthoor-Ramos)
Pirelli GT Challenge Winner
RACB Team of the Year

Belgian Audi Club Team WRT: 5 seasons, 78 drivers…

Greg FRANCHI (BE) 2010-11
Stéphane LEMERET (BE) 2010
David TUCHBANT (FR) 2010
Kurt MOLLEKENS (BE) 2010-12
François VERBIST (BE) 2010-11
Bert LONGIN (BE) 2010-2011-13
Anthony KUMPEN (BE) 2010-12-13
Enzo IDE (BE) 2010-11-13-14
Benjamin BAILLY (BE) 2010
Marcel FÄSSLER (CH) 2010-11-13-14
Christian KELDERS (LU) 2010-14
Jean-Luc BLANCHEMAIN (FR)2010-12-14
Fred BOUVY (BE) 2010-14
Stéphane ORTELLI (MC) 2010-11-12-13-14
Xavier MAASSEN (NL) 2011
David HALLYDAY (FR) 2011-12
Gary CHALANDON (FR)     2011
Didier ANDRÉ (FR) 2011
Tobias NEUSER (DE) 2011
Mattias EKSTRÖM (SE) 2011-13
Timo SCHEIDER (DE) 2011
Filipe ALBUQUERQUE (PT) 2011-12-13
Ronnie LATINNE (BE) 2010-11
Jean-Jacques SMITS (BE) 2010-11
Antoine CHOQUE (FR) 2010-11
Donald CHOQUE (FR) 2010-11
Frank BIELA (DE) 2010-11
Vincent VOSSE  (BE) 2010-12
Frank STIPPLER (DE) 2010-12-13-14
Claude-Yves GOSSELIN  (FR) 2010-11
Marc ROSTAN (FR) 2010
Koen WAUTERS (BE) 2011
Jirko MALCHAREK (SK) 2011
Christopher MIES (DE) 2011-12-13-14
Julien JOUSSE (FR) 2011
Laurens VANTHOOR (BE) 2011-12-13-14
Christopher HAASE (DE) 2011-12-13
Andrea PICCINI (IT) 2011-12
Marco WERNER (DE) 2011
Daryl O'YOUNG (HK)2011
Alex YOONG (ML) 2011
Seiji ARA (JP) 2011
Roland BERVILLE (FR) 2011-12
Fred MAKOWIECKI (FR) 2011
Oliver JARVIS (GB) 2012-13
Edward SANDSTRÖM (SE) 2012-13-14
Adam CARROLL (IE) 2012
Marco BONANOMI (IT)       2012
Allan SIMONSEN (DK) 2012
Adrien TAMBAY (FR) 2012
Karim DOGUET (FR) 2012
André LOTTERER (DE) 2013-14
René RAST (DE) 2013-14
Rahel FREY (CH) 2013
Niki MAYR-MELNHOF (AT) 2013
Matt HALLIDAY (NZ) 2013
Francesco CASTELLACCI (IT) 2013
Grégoire DEMOUSTIER (FR) 2013
Yves WEERTS (BE) 2012-13-14
César RAMOS (BR) 2014
Marc BASSENG (DE) 2014
Roman RUSINOV (RU) 2014
Grégory GUILVERT (FR) 2014
Nico MÜLLER (CH) 2014
James NASH (UK) 2014
Vincent ABRIL (FR) 2014
Mateusz LISOWSKI (PL) 2014
Fabian HAMPRECHT (DE) 2014
Stéphane RICHELMI (MC) 2014
Pierre HIRSCHI (CH) 2014
Stéphane POURQUIE (FR) 2014
Harry TENEKETZIAN (FR) 2014
Grégoire CHAIX (FR) 2014
Markus WINKELHOCK (DE) 2014
Benoît TRÉLUYER (FR) 2014
Vincent RADERMECKER (BE) 2014
Olivier PANIS (FR) 2014
Lionel DAZIANO (FR) 2014

Photo credit: Belgian Audi Club / Patrick Hecq Photography

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Blancpain Sprint Series: The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT in the race for five titles at Blancpain season’s finale in Baku

Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Press Release

The long 2014 season of the GT élite is coming to an end this weekend: like last year, it will be the urban track in the streets of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to host the closing round of the Blancpain Sprint Series. The “City of Fire” is preparing again to host in great style this event, which will have a stellar entry of 30 cars, with many top teams and drivers joining, attracted by the great happening and the prize money. The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, who enjoyed great success last year as it won both races, is clearly hoping to repeat the result, but most of all, it will focus on fighting in no less than …five championship battles, where it is still in the race for the crown. While securing the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles in the Silver Cup should be almost a formality, the Belgian squad will have to fight to overturn the situation in the Teams’ competition of the Sprint Series, where it currently lies second, 10 points behind the leader. In addition, the round will be decisive for the Blancpain GT Series championships, which are the overall standings combining the results in both the Endurance and the Sprint Series. There, the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT is leading among the Teams while Laurens Vanthoor is second in the Drivers’ rankings, with still a mathematical chance to opt for victory.

Calculating machines will be an useful tool this weekend on the shores of the Caspian Sea, as the Blancpain GT Series provides for many opportunities to use them. To summarize the situation, the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT has already secured the titles in the Blancpain Endurance Series, both Teams’ and Drivers’ (with Laurens Vanthoor). In the Blancpain Sprint Series, it is still running for the Teams’ one, although the 10-point gap will require excellent results to make it.

In the overall Blancpain GT Series, which takes into account all 12 events under the Blancpain banner, the Belgian squad enjoys a 17-point lead in the Teams’ classification, while Laurens Vanthoor, currently second in the Drivers’ standings 23 points behind the leader, still has a theoretical chance to clinch the title. 

Team Principal Vincent Vosse is at the same time realistic and ambitious ahead of the grand-finale: “It’s the last round of a long season, which has been similar to the previous ones. We have had successes, certainly in the Endurance Series and at the Spa 24 Hours, but also some lows. I can’t avoid some frustration when looking at our season in the Sprint Series. We have been fast and competitive, mostly in qualifying and in the Qualifying races, but not very successful in the Main races, winning only at Zandvoort with Ide-Rast. For whatever reason, there have always been some circumstances that have cost us many points. We cannot put all the blame on bad luck and race incidents, it is clear that we have done some little mistakes and lacked consistency, and we’ll have to draw conclusions from that. Now comes the final round and we are still in a position to fight for five titles. I understand it will be difficult to get them all five, but we go to Baku to fight until the end and bring home as many crowns as possible. Last year, we had an excellent weekend there, winning both Race 1 with Rast-Mayr Melnhof and Race 2 with Vanthoor-Ortelli. We aim at having that kind of success again…”

Laurens Vanthoor, who is still in contention for the Blancpain GT Series Drivers’ title, is no less realistic and ambitious: “Theoretically, I still have a chance, but it’s going to be difficult. If I can clinch another title, I would be happy, but I don’t regard that overall crown as important as the Endurance or Sprint ones, because it is a combination of two separate things and not all drivers competed in both series. This said, together with César Ramos, we are extremely motivated to deliver the maximum, and to contribute to the team’s success in the two Teams’ championships still open. We were quite successful in Baku last year, and I believe the Audi will be competitive again. Of course, Baku is a street circuit and we know anything can happen on that kind of track. On top, there is an entry much bigger than usual, with a lot of cars just coming for the prestige and the prize money. The track has been slightly redesigned, in the narrow section in-between buildings, and we need to see how this will play. What is sure is that there won’t be any space for mistakes, as the two races are on Sunday…”

The two of the five titles that are at closest reach for the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT are certainly the ones of the Silver Cup, the special class in the Sprint Series for under-25 drivers, as Mateusz Lisowski and Vincent Abril, after an impressive maiden campaign in the Sprint Series, are very close to reach their goal. “While we couldn’t achieve mathematical certainty at Zolder”, explains the Pole, “the situation is such that we just need to finish the races in Baku to get the points necessary for the title. Still, Vincent and I aim at doing well in Azerbaijan, although the track is new for both of us. But we won’t do anything stupid!”

For the two other cars of the team, #2 of Enzo Ide-René Rast and #9 of Stéphane Ortelli-Stéphane Richelmi, the goal will be to bring home as many points as possible for the team, a mission that should be facilitated by the fact that Rast and Ortelli won one of the races each last year in Baku and thus know the track perfectly.

The Baku round will adopt the format used last year, with free practice on Saturday and both the Qualifying and the Main races on Sunday, respectively at 9:15 and 13:55 local time, which is 3 hours ahead of Central European time. 

Blancpain Sprint Series - Round 7
Baku, Azerbaijan   
1st-2nd November 2014

Timetable (all times local = CET +3)

Saturday 1st November 2014
09:00-10:00  Free practice
11:30-12:30  Free practice 2
16:00-16:55  Qualifying

Sunday 2nd November 2014
09:15-10:15  Qualifying Race (1 hour)
13:55-14:55  Main Race (1 hour)

Belgian Audi Club Team WRT
#1   Laurens Vanthoor (B) – César Ramos (BR)
#2   René Rast (D) – Enzo Ide (B) 
#4   Vincent Abril (F) – Mateusz Lisowski (PL) (Silver Cup)
#9   Stéphane Ortelli (MC) – Stéphane Richelmi (MC)

Provisional Drivers’ standings Blancpain GT Series after Round 11 of 12:

1. Buhk (Mercedes SLS)                               190 points
2. Vanthoor (Audi R8 LMS ultra)             167
3. Götz (Mercedes SLS)                               160
4. Ramos (Audi R8 LMS ultra)                 124
5. Bleekemolen-Proczyk (Lambo FLII)           113
6. Ide-Rast (Audi R8 LMS ultra)             111
Etc..

Provisional Drivers’ standings (Sprint Pro Cup) after Round 6 of 7 :

1. Götz (Mercedes SLS)                                142 points
2. Buhk (Mercedes SLS)                                126
3. Bleekemolen-Proczyk (Lambo FLII)            115
4. Ide-Rast (Audi R8 LMS ultra)               68
5. Vanthoor-Ramos (Audi R8 LMS ultra)  67
6. Bueno-Jimenez (BMW Z4)                         55
7. Baumann-Jäger (BMW Z4)                         5
8. Ortelli (Audi R8 LMS ultra)                   37
… Abril-Lisowski (Audi R8 LMS ultra)      28

 Provisional Drivers’ standings (Sprint Silver Cup) after Round 6 of 7 :

1. Lisowski-Abril (Audi R8 LMS ultra) 162 points
2. Colombo-Fumanelli (BMW Z4)               138
3. Toril (Mercedes SLS)                            99
4. Wolf-Stolz (Mercedes SLS)                    75

Provisional Teams’ standings Blancpain GT Series after Round 11 of 12:

1. Belgian Audi Club Team WRT        251 points
2. HTP Motorsport                                 234
3. Grasser Racing Team                         121
4. Saintéloc Racing                                 78
5. ART Grand Prix                                  73
6. BMW Sports Trophy Team Brasil         72

Provisional Teams’ standings (Sprint Pro Cup) after Round 6 of 7 :

1. HTP Motorsport                                 144 points
2. Belgian Audi Club Team WRT        134
3. Grasser Racing Team                         121
4. BMW Sports Trophy Team Brasil         72
5. BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert     50

Provisional Teams’ standings (Sprint Silver Cup) after Round 6 of 7 :

1. Belgian Audi Club Team WRT         162 points
2. ROAL Motorsport                                138
3. Fortec Motorsport                               98
4. HTP Motorsport                                  75

More info on the Blancpain series, live timing and live commented TV streaming of each race on www.blancpain-gt-series.com

Photo credit: Belgian Audi Club / Patrick Hecq Photography

 

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Blancpain Endurance Series: Magnificent podium for Vanthoor at Silverstone

Laurens Vanthoor Press Release

In the second race of the Blancpain Endurance Series in Silverstone Laurens Vanthoor

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BES: I.S.R. Racing looking at an Audi R8 LMS ultra for the Spa 24 Hours

By Johan Laubscher

The Czech I.S.R Racing team has been reported to be looking at possibly running an Audi R8 LMS ultra at the 2014 Spa 24 Hours.

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Blancpain GT: Phoenix Racing fields strong line-up of two Audi R8 LMS ultra in new Blancpain Sprint Series

Phoenix Racing Press Release

Phoenix Racing will be fielding two Audi R8 LMS ultra cars in the Blancpain Sprint Series (BSS) driven by the two GT1 World Champions Marc Basseng (DE) and Markus Winkelhock (DE)

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Blancpain GT: Audi teams showed good pace at the Paul Ricard test days

By Johan Laubscher

The Blancpain GT Series official test days at Paul Ricard concluded on Wednesday. The Audi teams showed good pace during the two-day test.

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Blancpain GT: Strong opening day for the Audi teams at the Paul Ricard test days

By Johan Laubscher

The Blancpain GT Series is hosting its official test days at Paul Ricard this week, from Tuesday to Wednesday. Many of the Blancpain Endurance Series and Blancpain Sprint Series teams are taking part.

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Blancpain GT Sprint: Belgian Audi Club Team WRT winter testing at Navarra this week

By Johan Laubscher

Belgian Audi Club Team WRT was very busy this week, taking part in two sets of two-day tests at Paul Ricard in France and at Navarra in Spain.

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Blancpain GT Sprint: WRT Audi R8 LMS ultra at the 2014 Pirelli tyre test days at Paul Ricard

By Johan Laubscher

Official test days were held at Paul Ricard in France this week. WRT were present with their Audi R8 LMS ultra and took part in the testing.

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BES: Double duty for Belgian Audi Club Team WRT in 2014

By Tarek Ramchani

The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT had a very busy 2013 season. The team managed by Vincent Vosse took part in both the Blancpain Endurance Series and the FIA GT Series.

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