It is six races down, six to go in the hotly-contested 2016 Audi R8 LMS Cup. With the championship wide open at the halfway stage, the Cup’s international mix of professional drivers and enthusiastic privateers heads to the Korea International Circuit in Yeongam, South Korea for Rounds 7 and 8 on September 24-25.
After some breath-taking battles in Sepang last month, reigning champion Alex Yoong of Audi TEDA Racing Team and Belgian wunderkind Alessio Picariello of MGT Team by Absolute are locked in an intense standoff at the top of the championship on 95 points.
Only six points then separate Rahel Frey of Castrol Racing Team, Martin Rump of Champion Racing Team and Team Audi Hong Kong’s Marchy Lee, who make up the top five.
Coming into Korea, last season’s runner-up Cheng Congfu of FAW-VW Audi Racing Team will try to put his campaign back on track after a difficult start to the season. Reigning Audi Sport TT Cup champion Jan Kisiel of KCMG and Team Audi R8 LMS Cup’s Aditya Patel will also be in the hunt for podium places in the highly competitive field.
Local-favourite K.O. You of Team Audi Korea will be looking to make his mark on the championship in front of his home fans over the weekend. The Korean star was second on the podium in the Cup’s previous race at the circuit last season and will be aiming to convert his knowledge of the track into vital championship points this time around.
In the Amateur Cup, Jeffrey Lee of Team Audi Volkswagen Taiwan heads into the second half of the season with a commanding championship lead on 140 points after winning five out of the six races thus far. Rival Sun Jingzu of Absolute Racing lies in second place on 85 points with only 12 points separating the Chinese gentleman driver from EN Sport by Absolute’s Vincent Floirendo in fourth place. Johnson Huang of Absolute Racing is sandwiched between them in third. Australian privateer Greg Taylor of Absolute Racing will line up on the grid in Korea for his Cup debut.
The Korea International Circuit is an expansive 5.62 kilometre track that runs anti-clockwise along the hill-flecked coastline of the Yellow Sea. The highly-technical circuit features the longest straight in Asia and 18 turns, with the fast-changing weather conditions adding yet another layer of complexity.
The first qualifying session will kick off at 16:35 on Saturday, September 24, with Superpole following at 17:00. Round 7 will begin at 9:55 on Sunday, September 25, with Round 8 taking place later that day at 13:55 (all times UTC+9).
