Interview: René Rast "This was the moment I worked for almost my whole Life"

By Tarek Ramchani

René Rast had a senstational debut with a factory LMP1 race car at Le Mans 24 Hours. The Audi GT ace was impressive all weekend long at La Sarthe behind the wheel of the Audi Sport Team Joest run #9 R18 e-tron quattro.

We recently had a chat with René Rast about his Le Mans race and expectations for the upcoming challenges.

How emotional was it to compete with Audi in Le Mans 24 Hours with the works Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1?

It was for sure a very special Moment. To be in Le Mans on such a historical track with one of the best manufacturers in motorsport was a big honor and a big pleasure. A dream came true because this was the moment I worked for almost my whole Life.

Tell us more about your Le Mans race weekend.

The Le Mans weekend was a very intense but also fast going week. Press and media activities, practice and qualifying sessions before the race kept us busy. The race itself was a good one till the morning session at around 8-9 o´clock when we had some technical issues with our Hybrid system. During the night we had some leading laps which was obviously very nice, but the Porsche was just a bit faster during the night. In the end my Team Mates and me very happy because neither of us did a mistake and also the Team did a great job.

This year you joined Audi's full factory LMP1 effort, how different is working with Audi Sport compared to Audi Sport customer racing?

Working with Audi Sport is definitely different because you work with many more people which is not easy when you get new into this program. But after a while I got used to so many new faces and you learn how to deal with it. The working itself is with both Audi Sport customer racing and Audi Sport very professional on a high level.

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

You can feel straight away jumping in the new R8 that the Audi engineers put some serious effort into this car to make it better. For us drivers the Interior handling and also the driver comfort is much better. Also driving the car feels better, even more like a race car than the previous one. But it is still a new car, even though they won the 24h Nürburgring, we still need to fine-tune the car especially with the Pirelli Tires.

The next big target for Audi will be the Spa 24 Hours, what are your expections in the Belgian classic?

After winning it last year the ultimate goal is to win it again ;) it will be difficult, the competition is high but we have a strong car, team and lineup. As always we try to avoid high risks during the race and do our normal routine.

What do you think about the new Audi Sport TT Cup?

I think it's a good platform for young drivers to get a food into motorsport. Here they can show how good they are with equal material and also learn how to race each other. Also being in the Audi family is something the drivers can look up to, because there is more to come after the TT Cup, like the GT3 Program or DTM / LMP1.

Photo credit: Audi Media

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Le Mans 24 Hours: René Rast, an LMP1 star is born

By Tarek Ramchani

René Rast debuted in the upper LMP1 class at Le Mans 24 Hours this year. The German driver was behind the wheel of the factory #9 Audi R18 e-tron quattro.

The German driver finished seventh overall in the French classic with team-mates Marco Bonanomi and Filipe Albuqueruque. It could have been a far better for the three drivers without the issues hitting their R18 e-tron quattro.

Before the race there were some questions about René Rast performances with a factory LMP1 coming from GT racing. The Audi driver's answer was brilliant on track. Very fast, consistant and not making any mistake. René was as fast as all his team-mates at Audi Sport Team Joest who have far more exeprience with the R18 e-tron quattro.

René was even in the lead at some stages of the race and resisted brilliantly to the assualts of the quick Porsche 919 Hybrid cars.

René Rast had mixed feelings at the end of the race. Frustrated about the technical issues but delighted about his performances the work done by his two team-mates.

“A good race for me personally. Into the morning hours, we were running in the top group, sometimes even leading the race. Then we lost ground due to hybrid issues. That’s a shame, but that’s racing.”

“Things weren’t going smoothly for the other two Audi cars either. Now, we’re looking ahead to the next races.”

“I drove eight stints, learned a lot about the car, the tires. ‘Thank you’ also to my two mates – we’re a great team.”

René Rast will not take part in the upcoming FIA WEC races (#9 Audi R18 e-tron quattro doing only Spa and Le Mans races), but one thing is sure, an LMP1 star is born at Le Mans.

The next big target for René Rast will be the Spa 24 Hours. A two times winner of the Belgian classic, René Rast will try to take a third overall victory with the new Audi R8 LMS.

Photo credit: Audi Media

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Le Mans 24 Hours: René Rast could achieve a historical triple crown

By Tarek Ramchani

Audi Sport Team Joest welcomed a new face this year, René Rast. The German driver joined the team at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and will race at Le Mans 24 Hours this weekend.

René Rast is maybe a new comer to the upper LMP1 racing, but he has a lot of experience in GT racing. In 2014 he raced at Le Mans in the LMP2 class driving an Oreca 03 from Sébastien Loeb Racing. He finished the event in eighth place overall, fourth within the LMP2 class.

At Le Mans, the Audi driver could achieve a historical triple crown, winning all of the three major European 24-hour endurance races, Le Mans 24 Hours, the Spa 24 Hours and the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

He already won the Spa 24 Hours twice and the Nürburgring 24 Hours with Audi R8 LMS ultra cars.

René Rast will share the #9 Audi R18 e-tron quattro with Marco Bonanomi and Filipe Albuquerque.

Photo credit: Audi Media

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FIA WEC: A word from Audi factory driver René Rast

Audi Press Release

At Silverstone, you were part of the team throughout the weekend. How important was this with respect to Spa and Le Mans?

The visit to Silverstone was an important part of my preparation. This was my first opportunity to get a taste of everything that goes on during a WEC race weekend and to watch the way my team-mates work and deal with various situations. This has given me some insight and an idea of what to expect at Spa, so now I’m really excited about my first race.

How has your onboarding in the Audi sports car family been going since your signing was announced last December?

Tremendous. I’ve been a member of part of the Audi family, Audi sport customer racing, for several years, so I already knew many of the drivers and technical crew members and it’s been a smooth transition. I instantly felt comfortable and again felt the warm welcome and immediate gelling with the team that makes Audi so special.

What does the Le Mans 24 Hours mean for you?

I suppose I feel about it the way most race drivers do. At least in Europe, Le Mans is the most important and most legendary car race. It’s always been one of my dreams to be on the grid there one day. This dream came true last year and I was able to gather initial experiences in the LMP2 category – which was even more impressive than I’d imagined. I’m tremendously proud about competing there for Audi this year.

The ‘dress rehearsal’ for Le Mans will be at Spa where you’ve won before in an Audi R8 LMS ultra. Will that be helpful for your race in the R18 e-tron quattro?

It definitely won’t hurt to contest your first race on a track you’ve got fond memories of. I’ve had many great moments there, including my two victories. I know the track really well, so it’s a perfect place for my first race in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro.

Photo credit: Audi Media

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Nürburgring 24 Hours: Phoenix triumph in Nürburgring 24 Hours

Phoenix Racing Press Release

Haase/Mamerow/Rast/Winkelhock win in Audi R8

Christopher Haase, Christian Mamerow, René Rast and Markus Winkelhock in the Audi R8 LMS ultra of Phoenix Racing won the 42nd ADAC 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in front of more than 200,000 spectators. For Ernst Moser’s team, this marked the fourth triumph in the ‘Eifel marathon’ after 2000, 2003 and 2012. Two years ago Haase and Winkelhock, together with Marc Basseng and Frank Stippler, had produced the first Audi triumph in the 24-hour race on the legendary Nordschleife. And following the Le Mans 24 Hours Audi celebrated the second 24-hour success within just a week.

“I’m overjoyed,” beamed Phoenix Team Director Ernst Moser. “Not only the number of victories is decisive but proving that you’re in contention again and again, that’s what’s so special about it. We were optimally prepared and my guys, every single member of the team, just like the drivers, did an impeccable job. This is the victory of my squad.”

After 24 hours the #4 Phoenix Audi took the chequered flag with an advantage of 2m 59s over the Mercedes that was victorious last year. Third place, with a two-lap gap, went to Mercedes as well. The 159 laps completed have set a new distance record for the 24-hour race. For the first time, over 4,000 kilometres (4,035.102 km) were covered.

“In the Audi R8 LMS ultra we’ve got a very powerful car and we showed that we were able to counter even when the pressure increased now and then. From Saturday night on, we were leading the race most of the time but only an hour and a half before the end it was clear that we’d be able to expect victory. The minutes before the chequered flag was waved then proved particularly long and nerve-wracking,” admitted Ernst Moser.

The victorious quartet of Christopher Haase, Christian Mamerow, René Rast and Markus Winkelhock together with Ernst Moser enjoyed the winners’ champagne to the fullest. “It was simply brilliant that here at the Nürburgring, just like a week before at Le Mans, I was able to drive both the start and the final stint. That was a great honour for me and a tremendous experience,” said an enthusiastic René Rast. “I’d like to thank the Phoenix team that did a brilliant job as well as my fellow drivers. Nobody made any mistakes. That was the key to success and that’s also why we deserved winning.”

For Markus Winkelhock, after 2012, this marked the second triumph in the Nürburgring 24 Hours: “This victory is worth just as much as the first one and it feels exactly the same way too. Winning this race is a very special thing because you only get the chance to do that once a year. The competitiveness of the field was huge and it was a tough race. Everybody did a mega job.

For Christopher Haase, this was the second triumph after 2012 as well: “This is a brilliant day for me, for all of us. Standing on the very top of the podium twice is only possible with a perfect team. I take my hat off to everyone who has contributed to this victory. Plus, in the Audi R8 LMS ultra we had a perfect base.” Christian Mamerow was overjoyed too: “This victory makes me totally proud. It’s not a matter of fortune but of quality when a team like Phoenix wins this race several times. Phoenix was perfectly prepared and everything fit.”

In the top-30 qualifying session on Friday afternoon Christian Mamerow in the #4 Audi had clinched position three on the grid. After the start the #4 R8 initially dropped to fourth place but quickly made up ground to second place and fought impressive duels with the enormously strong competition in the process. A total of 165 GT sports cars and touring cars had started the endurance race through the ‘Green Hell’ at 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, including more than two dozen candidates for victory.

How quickly hope can turn into disappointment was a bitter experience which Phoenix Racing, based in nearby Meuspath, had in the race as well. The second Audi R8 LMS ultra, driven by Marc Basseng, the three-time Le Mans winner Marcel Fässler, Frank Stippler and Laurens Vanthoor, retired after less than an hour and a half when start driver Basseng on a bump in the ‘Tiergarten’ track section lost control of the Audi and crashed into the guard rails. While Basseng, who like Stippler was part of the winning squad two years ago, was not injured in the incident a repair of the #3 Audi was out of the question.

The race turned into a true thriller in the early morning hours when the gap between the #4 R8 that was leading most of the time and its immediate rivals from Mercedes and BMW shrunk to less than a second. The GT3 sports cars chased each other bumper to bumper across the 25- kilometre Nordschleife, to the great delight of the fans. The Phoenix Audi prevailed in this remarkable three-way battle.

“Now we’re tired but happy and then we’re going to concentrate on the Norisring next weekend,” said Ernst Moser, who competes in the DTM with his Audi Sport Team Phoenix as the title defenders in the teams’ and drivers’ classification (with Mike Rockenfeller). “My thanks go to all who supported us in this 24-hour race, particularly to Audi Sport and Audi Sport customer racing, to Michelin and to our partner TÜV Rheinland.“

Photo credit: Audi Media

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Video: Breathtaking on board lap with René Rast Audi R8 LMS ultra in Baku

By Tarek Ramchani

The FIA GT Series 2013 concluded in Baku this weekend. Audi customer teams performed very all weekend long with their R8 LMS ultra cars.

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