The new Audi R8 LMS instantly won its first major endurance race – the Nürburgring 24 Hours – in May. Now the GT3 sports car will be battling for victory in the season’s most important sprint race in the streets of Macau. At the same time, this marks the Asian premiere of the Audi R8 LMS from November 19 to 22. The International Automobile Federation has awarded ‘FIA GT World Cup’ status to this city street race for the first time. Starting in 2016, Audi will be fielding the new race car in the Asia-wide Audi R8 LMS Cup.
Three times in the past four years, Audi won the Macau GT Cup – each time with Edoardo Mortara at the wheel. The Audi driver from the DTM is returning to the city street circuit again this year. He will be supported by Audi Sport Team Phoenix that achieved its first triumph in a race in Macau in 1999, with an Audi A4 quattro super touring car.
Among the fiercest rivals in the field of the 22 race cars from seven manufacturers is one of Mortara’s brand colleagues: Audi WEC driver René Rast. The German is competing for Audi Sport Team WRT that clinched the first victory of the new Audi R8 LMS at the Nürburgring. Two race drivers from Asia are relying on Audi’s GT sports car as well. Marchy Lee will be contesting the event as a local hero for Audi Hong Kong and Jeffrey Lee from Taiwan will be competing for Absolute Racing. In Philip Ma, a fifth driver in the field has opted for an Audi. The privateer driver from Hong Kong will be contesting the FIA GT World Cup in a proven Audi R8 LMS ultra of Absolute Racing.
