Q/A: Interview with Nathan Antunes - Audi driver in Australian GT Championship

By Tarek Ramchani

Nathan Antunes is having a strong 2015 season so far in the Australian GT Championship. The Audi driver won three races this year and is currently second overall the drivers points standing.

We recently had a chat with Nathan Antunes about his performances in the Australian GT Championship and more.

This his your second year with Audi Sport customer racing Australia, tell us more about that.

Well this is my second year racing and Audi, last year Rod Salmon and I won the Australian GT Trophy class in the older 2011 Audi R8 LMS. This year I have stepped up to the current 2015 Audi R8 LMS Ultra and I'm loving every bit of it! I feel very privileged to be part of the Audi Sport Customer Racing Australia family.

Now you are second in the overall championship standing, tell us more about your season so far.

This year has got to a great start. Out of the 6 races so far I have won 3 of them and now at the halfway point of the year I'm looking to continue with the success, be consistent with my performances and be there at the end of the year hopefully at the top of the Australian GT Championship standings.

How competitve is the Australian GT Championship field this year?

This year it is by far the most competitive it has ever been. We are getting Australian V8 Supercars drivers and professional drivers from around the world come and join the Australian GT Championship and it it making for a very exciting and tough year of racing.

You won races this year at Adelaide and Townsville, do you like the street courses more?

I have always liked street circuits, I find them very challenging and that makes me even more focused and determined. I actually see every race track as if its the most challenging track so my approach doesn't change from street circuit to normal circuit. Always very focused and determined.

How different is to compete in Australian GT Championship without a team-mate sharing the Audi R8 LMS ultra with you?

It is quite a bit different. Driving by myself allows me to control a lot more of the race strategy and almost push a little more because I know I can control the tyre wear over the course of the 1 hour race. But this year there are two rounds where we have a 3 hour race and it is compulsory for there to be two drivers in each car so Rod will join me for those races.

What about the idea of competing in prestigious endurance classics like Nurburbring 24 Hours and Spa 24 Hours with Audi?

The reason why I started focusing on GT racing is because it is a dream of mine to be able to compete in the Spa 24 hour and the Nurburgring 24 hour and to do it with Audi which I have so much love and respect for would be the ultimate achievement for myself.

What is your favourite racing circuit?

My favourite race circuit is actually Spa Francorchamps! I raced there in 2006 before they changed the Bus Stop chicane when I was in the Red Bull Junior Team in Formula Renault 2.0 EuroCup. After that I have a lot of love and succsess at Donington Park in the UK and also Zandvoort in the Netherlands.

What are your targets for the near future?

My target for the near future is of course to win the Australian GT Champioship with the ultimate goal of one day being an Audi Sport factory driver in mind. That would be a dream come true and I will be working to make that happen.

Photo credit: Nathan Antunes / Australian GT

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Interview: Joonas Lappalainen "The season so far has been good in total"

By Tarek Ramchani

The newly formed Audi Sport TT Cup has reached the halfway mark. Three rounds done and three left with some great racing and different winners.

We had a chat with Joonas Lappalainen one of the stars of the series who is now fifth in the overall drivers' points standing.

This is part 1 of the interview in which Joonas Lappalainen reviews his season so far.

The Audi Sport TT Cup reached the halfway mark, tell us more about your season so far.

The season so far has been good in total; after the halfway mark I am standing 5th in the championship. At the second round in Norisring, I had a great qualifying in the challenging conditions (wet tires on an almost dry track), as I was P5 for Race 1 and P4 for Race 2.

I was able to clinch another 5th place in the wet in Race 1. I was a little disappointed, because in the race I was really fast in the end, but could not really challenge the guys in front, as I lost some time in the first few laps of the race.

Race 2 at Norisring was far from good. I started P4 and was able to climb up to P3 after a good start. Everything then changed on lap 2 of the race when I lost a bit of ground. I was overtaken into turn 1, as I got a bad exit from the final corner. Then, coming out of the chicane, I made a mistake with shifting and this lead to losing another place: in total I lost three positions on the lap.

The next lap we had the safety car come in after the accident in turn 1. The lights came out before the leading cars entered the chicane, and obviously everyone slowed down. This was the part when my downhill actually began: as Jordi Gene in front of me slowed down coming out of the chicane, I lifted the throttle a bit also, but the guy behind me did not, slamming straight into my rear and damaging my exhaust (under the safety car).

The exhaust pipe was damaged severely and it was fair to say no air could come out of it. This cost me a lot of vital straight line speed, and after the safety car came off, I was pretty much a slalom stick on the straights. I was able to finish P10 in the end and I certainly was not happy with the result as it could have been better without the incident, but it is a part of racing.

After Norisring I was classified P5 in the championship, standing with a few points of breathing space to the front and back of me, which I was satisfied about, even though the second race was not the type of one I was expecting.

Coming into Spielberg and Red Bull Ring after a four week break felt like a new beginning as the previous Norisring was such a special type of a circuit. Like the other tracks until now, Red Bull Ring was a new circuit for me. As I knew that many of the other drivers have more experience from the circuit, I was expecting a solid top 10 result from the weekend going into it.

The weekend turned out to be extremely challenging straightaway from the Free Practice. I was struggling with the setup and a technical problem early on and was only P12 in the extremely close field.

Going into the qualifying, I was confident of making a better result. Well, the same problem haunted me again and I could not get the maximum potential out of the new tires. I indeed did a better result in the qualifying, placing myself P11 for Race 1 and P13 for Race 2 on Sunday. After analyzing the qualifying, I have to say that I was kind of expecting this kind of a result at some point: it was my first qualifying session in 'normal' conditions and the series' first also.

After the slightly disappointing qualifying, I gathered myself and was ready to fight in Race 1. I got well off the line and dived inside which turned out to be a huge mistake as some used to the run-off of T1 to gain a small advantage. After the first lap I was down to P16. I then worked my way up to finish P14 (P13 of the permanent drivers) in the end which was a massive disappointment as I knew my vital judgmental mistakes cost me a lot of ground. But there was something positive in the race also: it was the first time I got the car work the way I wanted on the dry and despite of the bad position, my pace was fairly good throughout the race.

Race 2 on Sunday was a replay of the previous race weekends: other race on the dry, the other one on the wet. Just as we were making our way to the grid, the skies opened up completely. The downpour was so terrible and strong that we had to start behind the safety car. We did a total of three laps behind the safety car before the green flag was shown.

Unfortunately there was a massive crash going into T2 which caused a red flag to come out and the race was called off. I was able to avoid the crash. The results went according to your starting position and half points were awarded, so I finished P13 (P12 of the permanent drivers). After the two races at the Red Bull Ring, I am still standing 5th in the championship, but the gap forwards grew notably.

In total, I can say that the season this far has been filled with both ups and downs, but it is part of the whole process. I always knew that the season would not only be dancing on roses as the field in the series is very close and tight. I am confident that the second half will be good, but I am sure that it will not be any easier.

Photo credit: Audi Media

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Interview: Christopher Haase "The Audi Sport TT Cup is closely fought series with young talented drivers"

By Tarek Ramchani

Christopher Haase is having a great season in the North American based TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. The Audi works driver is leading the demanding GT Daytona class with team-mate Dion von Moltke driving an Audi R8 LMS from Paul Miller Racing.

We recently had a chat with Christopher Haase about the newly formed Audi Sport TT Cup and how great is the new single-make series for the drivers.

Read also: Interview with Christopher Haase - GT Daytona points leader in TUSC

"In my opinion it was a great idea to form this series which is part of the DTM race weekend programme. As a young driver these days, there are so many options in motorsport, actually like never before."

"Most of the time a sponsor's budget decides which series to contest but the bigger question should always be which series is the best for you as a driver!? In which one can a driver perform well, in equal machinery, and where can you best get noticed if you have good results?"

"A young driver has to 'grow' and needs support. In the new Audi Sport TT Cup you get all of these possibilities. It is the same for everyone. That's why a Cup is always a good choice, if the Cup is correctly supported and managed like the Audi Sport TT Cup."

"By racing in the Audi Sport TT Cup and claiming good results, is definitely a good base to Audi Sport itself or DTM and GT Racing. Of course to become a factory driver you always need luck, needing to be in the right place at the right time, but you never know. That's why you have to try it."

"All of the Audi Sport TT Cup drivers have the possibility to talk with my GT colleague Markus Winkelhock. He is the coach of the Audi Sport TT Cup. He is already very experienced in different cars, classes, and last but not least, Formula One. So he can pass on the right tips for young drivers to learn and to improve." 

"Sometimes as a young driver you just need one guy which can explain you some little racing secrets perfectly and suddenly the day after you have improved because of these comments. Thats another big advantage in the Audi Sport TT Cup."

"I haven´t driven the car yet but I have to say it would be interesting. :-) Markus has told me it's fun to drive the 310 hp car (plus 30hp push-to-pass). It's a very professional, closely fought series with young talented drivers. If you see the Audi racing, the TT looks great on the race track so overall I'm a fan of the Audi Sport TT Cup."

Photo credit: Audi Media

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Interview: Nico Müller "I am happy with my second place at the Spa 24 Hours"

By Jean-Baptiste Lassaux

Audi factory driver Nico Müller took a very strong second place overall at the Spa 24 Hours. The young Swiss talented driver shared the Audi Sport Team WRT run #2 Audi R8 LMS with Stéphane Ortelli and Frank Stippler.

We interviewed Nico Müller right after the end of the Belgian classic. An interesting Q/A about the stellar event of the Blancpain Endurance Series, the new Audi R8 LMS, the next DTM round and more.

Read our Spa 24 Hours race report: Double podium for the new Audi R8 LMS in the Belgian classic

What are your thoughts after such a demanding Spa 24 Hours race?

On the dry we were not as fast as BMW, even in the tests they were quicker than us. By the night and earlier in the morning with the fresh cool air we were better. I had a triple stint where I performed very well. Unfortunatelly with the temperature rising we were not able to match the Z4 GT3's pace.

The target was to not make mistakes and we were focused on keeping our second place overall. To finish the event with this brand new Audi R8 LMS in second and third places is really great.

Was your last stint the hardest?

No it was not the case. It was even easier as we did not have the pressure of the #99 Mercedes-Benz (ROWE Racing) any more. I would say my hardest stint was the first one. The racing line was dry but the track was really wet especially into the night.

What was your target before the race? Another victory following the Nürburgring 24 Hours one?

I have to say that would have been great to achieve a double victory. But my target was to battle for a podium and we did it and I am happy about that.

Winner at the Nürburgring 24 Hours and second at the Spa 24 Hours, a successful 2015 season so far.

Would say yes. I really wanted to compete in GT endurance races with Audi and battle for the top spots. Team WRT is a great team and so is the new Audi R8 LMS, such a competitive car. We worked hard and we achieved some great results.

The next stop for the DTM is Spielberg, are you going there to win?

To clinch a podium, that would be a great result. We will see on Saturday now, it's hard to say something, wait and see so.

The next events in the DTM calendar should be better with tracks you really like.

Exactly. There are two or three circuits that I really like. I really appreciate the Moscow Raceway despite it's not popular among the DTM drivers, it's very challenging and technical. There are also the Nürburgring and the Hockenheimring, two beautiful tracks and I hope to perform well there.

Read the interview with Nico Müller in French at Sport-Auto.ch

Photo credit: Audi Media

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Spa 24 Hours: Marcel Fässler wants victory at the Spa 24 Hours

By Jean-Baptiste Lassaux

Marcel Fässler is competing this weekend in the Spa 24 Hours behind the wheel of a brand new Audi R8 LMS. The three times Le Mans 24 Hours winner is sharing the Audi Sport Team Phoenix run car with André Lotterer and Mike Rockenfeller.

We had a quick chat today with Marcel Fässler about the demanding Belgian endurance classic.

"We are in a better position that we expected before the start of the racing weekend. I have very good feelings with this new Audi R8 LMS even though we are not using the same tires as in the Nürburgring 24 Hours"

"The car is very good in the wet and for me personally it doesn't matter if it will be a dry or a wet race. We are here to try to win and I really want to take the victory"

Photo credit: Audi Media

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Interview: Laurens Vanthoor talks about Audi's chances at the Spa 24 Hours

By Jean-Baptiste Lassaux

Laurens Vanthoor will take part in the Spa 24 Hours behind the wheel of the #1 Audi R8 LMS from Audi Sport Team WRT. The Belgian star will target a second straight outright victory at his home event and the stellar round of the Blancpain Endurance Series.

We had a quick chat today with Laurens Vanthoor about Audi's chances in the twice around the clock Belgian classic.

"Last year we won the Spa 24 Hours and that was a highlight of a great season and my personal racing career. That said what happened in 2014 doesn't count anymore and we have to focus on the 2015 edition now."

"Right now It's too early to predict anything about the race. The new car is strong, it is already a race winning machine, and no doubts it has a lot of potential. I don't like talking about the Balance of Performance but I have to say we are a little bit worried to not be competitive enough against our rivals."

"Anyway we will have to wait and see the first practice sessions to have an idea about our chances for the race. But that doesn't mean we can't target the outright victory or at least clinch a podium finish".

"For the weather I prefer to have a dry racing weekend but Audi and the R8 LMS always been very strong in the wet. I won't have any problem with running in the wet unless it becomes too hard with true thunderstorms."

Photo credit: Audi Media / Sport-Auto.ch

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Interview: Ramona Karlsson "My dream is always World RX"

By Tarek Ramchani

Ramona Karlsson made history this year. The Swedish became the first women team owner/driver in Rallycross competition. She is competing this season with her own privateer Volkswagen team in the FIA European Rallycross Championship (Euro RX) behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Scirocco Supercar.

We recently had a chat with Ramona Karlsson. A interesting Q/A about her season in Euro RX, the level of competition in World RX and more.

How emotional was it becoming the first female team owner/driver in rallycross?

It feels great to run my own team, to have control, be engaged in all the different parts, and to work with committed people.

This year you're competing in Euro RX with a brand new Scirocco Supercar, is the effort having any kind of support from Volkswagen? 

Yes, Volkswagen Sweden is one of my sponsors.

How competitive is the Euro RX field this season? 

Very competitive. Lots of experienced drivers and also with very competitive material. The top Euro RX drivers are also competitive with the top World RX drivers, so for sure it's tough.

What do you think of splitting World RX and Euro RX fields in semi-finals and finals this year?

I think it's really great, and it gives both the Euro RX and the World RX drivers more fair conditions. Also great for the audience I think. The more finals, the more excitement!

Let's talk about World RX, what do you think of the level of competition there this year? 

It demands a lot, both from the drivers and the teams, to be competitive in World RX. The level is very high, and I also think that it's great for the sport that there's so many competitive drivers and teams.

You never know how the podium will look like until the finish line.

Four out of five Audi drivers in World RX are from Sweden, how popular is rallycross in your home country?

It's very popular. Just look at World RX in Höljes, with almost 40 000 spectators. The competition is called "The Magic weekend", which it for sure is.

The rallycross sport started in the Nordic countries so it has a great history and a big heart here in Sweden.

What about the idea of getting behind the wheel of the EKS Audi S1 or the ALL-INKL Audi S3 in World RX?

Is that an idea or a question, haha ;-)

What it's your favourite rallycross track? 

Höljes for sure!

What are your targets for the 2016 season?

My dream is always World RX, but with my own team I must be realistic and I thin it will be too tough economically.

So my realistic goal with my own team is to run the Euro RX next year, and then my goal is to be on the podium!

Photo credit:  World RX 

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Q/A: Interview with Christopher Haase - GT Daytona points leader in TUSC

By Tarek Ramchani

Christopher Haase is having a very successful 2015 season so far. The talented German Audi factory driver is leading the GT Daytona (GTD) class in the demanding TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. He is also competing in selected European races in Blancpain Endurance Series and French GT Tour.

We recently had a chat with Christopher Haase about his North American campaign with Paul Miller Racing and more.

You just clinched a great GTD podium with Paul Miller Racing at the 6 Hours of the Glen, tell us more about your race weekend.

All I can say is "what a race"! :-) We had the worst weather conditions which you can have. 'Slick' tyres on a damp track for the race start.

During the race, 'slicks' with it drizzling. In the closing stages, rain - no sorry, make that heavy rain! I was on rain tyres but the car would aquaplane under heavy acceleration even in a straight line. The conditions were very, very difficult. :-) For a couple of minutes, there was also a Red Flag stoppage because we couldn´t follow the Safety Car as it was impossible to see the rain lights of the cars in front. So it was a good choice to put out the Red Flag for safety reasons. After some minutes the weather improved a little and we went back to racing. But many cars went off the track causing more Safety Car periods. Indeed the last lap of the race was completed behind the Safety Car and I was very thankful for that. :-)

We always put the focus on ourselves and this was the key during the race to finish on the podium. And of course thanks to Paul Miller Racing for a great job in truly difficult conditions.

You are sharing the #48 Audi R8 LMS with Dion von Moltke, how is the work split between the two of you during race weekends?

There is nothing special. We have the same feeling of the car, so we always set-up the Audi in the same direction. We share all of our information which brings us closer as a team. He is a great team-mate and we also have fun together out of the car. ;-)

How strong is the competition in GT Daytona within the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship?

It is strong. Very strong. There are good drivers and teams in the series. They all know how they have to work in the Tudor. If you look to the championship points than you can get a feeling how strong it is. Each race is a new, big challenge.

How different is the new Audi R8 LMS (GT3) compared to the all conquering Audi R8 LMS ultra?

It is a big difference but a very positive one. :-) The new car is much easier to drive - I love it :-) . There is a better range to set-up the car for different driving styles and great interior cooling. But the drivability was the main focus to improve. The up and down shifting is much better, the traction control is supersensitive, and now we have the important buttons on the steering wheel. For the long distance races, when there are multiple drivers sharing a car, there is now the possibility to change the pedalbox to get the best possible seat position for each driver. And of course the new R8 LMS just looks amazing. :-)

This year you will not compete in the Spa 24 Hours (clash with Lime Rock TUSC race), what are Audi chances in the event with the new car?

Unfortunately that's true. In future the Tudor series and the 24h of Spa race should find a schedule that doesn't clash. We already showed at the 24hNürburgring that our new Audi is capable of winning a 24h race. But remember it is still a brand new car, so we shouldn´t think too much about winning. The car has great performance and without any issues, I'm sure they will fight for the victory. I will cross my fingers for them. :-)

Blancpain Endurance Series vs TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, which series is more demanding?

The two championships are difficult to compare. In BES there are around 65 GT3 cars. To race in such a big field is great but also physical. There is never a 'free' lap. And to overtake a [GT3] car with your own [GT3] car is not easy. Each car/brands have different advantages and disadvantages around a track, so a driver must figure out the optimum place to overtake and of course this changes on each race track.

Whereby in the Tudor series, there are GTD, GTLM, PC, LMP2, DP cars. In your own class, you have the same issues like in BES with different cars/brands. But these cars don´t have ABS or TC plus less downforce, making them more difficult to drive than a GT3-specification car. There are less cars in he GTD class but on the other hand, there are the faster GTLM, LMP2 and DP cars on track - none of which want to loose any time behind a slower class car. Often in a race there is the scenario of fighting with a car in my class but then suddenly faster class cars, themselves fighting for position, are in my mirrors. To find the right balance on track is very difficult. Sometimes you are just in the wrong place [corner] at the wrong time which can effect your race either in a negative or positive way.

So both championships have a different style of racing - one is not more demanding than the other. But if you want to win, it will be never easy!

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing / Audi Media / Blancpain GT Series

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Interview: Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky "To be the first woman on the podium in Audi Sport TT Cup, that was cool"

By Tarek Ramchani

Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky had a dream weekend at the Norisring in the second round of the Audi Sport TT Cup. The young talented Swedish driver became the first women to clinch an overall podium in the newly formed Audi single-make racing series.

Read also: Podium and big points for Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky at the Norisring

We were pleased to have a new interview with Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky. Talks about her performances at the Norisring, the upcoming round at the Red Bull Ring and more.

The Norisring weekend started with a sensational performances in qualifying, tell us more about that.

The qualifying in Norisring was really under difficult conditions. It was raining a bit, a little bit too much for slick tires, but still to little for rain tires.

The plan for me was to wait out the rain, but it actually increased so my coach Kris told me to get out and make 2 fast laps. So I did, and then when seeing that I was P3 for race 1 and 2 I was SO happy!!

How difficult were the conditions in race 1?

Well since I didn't get any experience from the rain race in Hockenheim, we went a bit wrong with the tire pressure for the wet race, and I overheated my tires already after 8 laps.

So the remaining 17 I really had to struggle, and then finished P7 among us permanent drivers.

Sunday’s race 2 turned to be a magical one, how emotional was it to clinch an overall podium?

Amazing is not even an "enough" word do describe my feeling! I was so happy, jumping around and just smiling :-)

Really brought my confidence back after race 1! And then again, to be the first woman on the podium in Audi Sport TT Cup, that was cool.

Tell us more about the fierce battle with SEAT Sport factory driver Jordi Gené in the closing stages of race 2.

Before the 2 last laps I had a gap of 3 seconds to Jordi, so I was really safe and calm at the moment.
Then we were about to overtake the last car which was one lap after, and then he didn't move out of the ideal line so I lost my contact to P2, and Jordi came really close!

I had to close the door many times, also in Schöller S I got a huge oversteering, but could handle it and had to once again close the door for Jordi.

But he was really nice and fair, and to be honest I think he understood my frustration from the overtaking of the last car, and he knew I had a big gap before it, so he was really fair :-)

He is a great driver, and also a great person!

The Red Bull Ring will be the next stop for the Audi Sport TT Cup, what are your targets and hopes for the Austrian round?

Red Bull Ring is a track I like! With it's hilly character and fast corners.
My goal and target is like for the other races, just to do my best and gain as my experience and knowledge as possible.

Audi has two highly competitive single-make series, the Audi Sport TT Cup and the Audi R8 LMS Cup, which one do you think is stronger?

That question I can't answer, since I've not raced in the R8 LMS Cup. But it seems to be a very though one too!

Some motorsport followers are claiming that single-make racing is boring, what is your answer about that?

My answer to that is, have they looked at an Audi Sport TT Cup race? ;-)

No but I think it get's even more interesting, especially in our series with the push-to-pass!

Photo credit: Audi Media

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Interview: Laurens Vanthoor talks about the Spa 24 Hours and the new Audi R8 LMS

By Antoni Coppi

Laurens Vanthoor will compete in the demanding Spa 24 Hours endurane race driving a new Audi R8 LMS from Audi Sport Team WRT. The 2014 Blancpain GT Series champion won the event last year and will be joined by René Rast and Markus Winkelhock.

We had a quick chat with Laurens Vanthoor at the Spa 24 Hours test day about the upcoming Belgian classic and more.

What are your expectations for the Spa 24 Hours?

The new car already won at the Nürburgring 24 Hours but we know it's not going to be easy. The target will be of course to win the race again or at least secure a podium.

Now we have to work more on the Pirelli tires.

How different is the new Audi R8 LMS compared to the Audi R8 LMS ultra?

For us drivers the new car is better, quicker and has a better fuel efficiency. Everything has been improved (TC, ABS...) compared to the seven-year old first generation model.

That said, it won't be that obvious to see very big improvements on track. After all GT3 racing is all about Balance of Performance.

Spa 24 Hours vs Nürburgring 24 Hours, which one is harder?

I would say the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Both races are very hard with intense traffic but the Nürburgring circuit is really challenging.

For me that endurance event has everything in order to be considered as the hardest race in the world.

Photo credit: Audi Media

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Interview: Marcel Fässler talks about the Spa 24 Hours and the new Audi R8 LMS

By Antoni Coppi

Marcel Fässler will compete in the demanding Spa 24 Hours endurane race driving a new Audi R8 LMS from Audi Sport Team Phoenix. The three-time Le Mans winner will share the car with FIA WEC team-mate André Lotterer and Mike Rockenfeller.

We had a quick chat with Marcel Fässler at the Spa 24 Hours test day about the upcoming Belgian classic and more.

What are your expectations for the Spa 24 Hours?

The target is of course to win the race overall. But it's not easy at Spa-Francorchamps with so many cars and so many strong teams.

We are here (on Spa 24 Hours test day) with the brand new Audi R8 LMS, it's an already great car and we worked hard on the car's set-up. We collected many datas and informations for the race.

How different is the new Audi R8 LMS compared to the Audi R8 LMS ultra?

The new Audi R8 LMS is a real racer. In the past the organisers wanted to have GT3 cars too close to their road cars counterparts.

That was the case of the Audi R8 LMS ultra, a great car but too close to the Audi R8 road going model. Now we have a true race car with a lot of improvements. The new Audi R8 LMS is stronger and drivers feel a lot better behind the wheel of it.

Spa 24 Hours vs Nürburgring 24 Hours, which one is harder?

It's hard to compare these two races, both are true very hard endurance classics but very different same time.

For me any 24-hour is a real challenge, you can't do any mistake, the car must be reliable and any slight error can cost you the race win.

Photo credit: Audi Media

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