Audi Sport R8 LMS Cup star Alex Au took victory for the Audi R8 LMS GT4 in the first race of the Greater Bay Area GT Cup season. The Grid Motorsport entry dominated the first of two 15-lap races on the 2.824km Guangdong International Circuit, beating seven other marques in tricky, wet conditions. An incident in race two saw Au collide with a competitor whilst leading after a front row start, eventually crossing the line in fourth.
Starting from third for race one, Alex Au stormed into the lead and crossed the line more than four seconds clear of his closest challenger, his Grid Motorsport team having expertly nailed the set-up of the Audi R8 LMS GT4 for the tricky wet conditions.
In the second qualifying session, Au went one better to secure a P2 start. Once again, he shot to the front of the pack and was leading the race when contact from a rival saw him shunted down the order. He recovered well to cross the line in fourth, just missing out on a second podium of the weekend.
The weekend saw the first of two points-scoring double-headers at the Guangdong International Circuit for GT4 machinery, with the series showpiece finale taking place as part of the 66th Macau Grand Prix in November. The incentive to compete at one of the word’s most prestigious race weekends was so strong that almost 40 entries were received for the first weekend. In order to accommodate the large number of entries, which included GT4 cars from eight different manufacturers, organizers divided the field into two, running two races for each group.
The second weekend of the Greater Bay Area GT Cup will be held from June 21 to 23, again at Guangdong International Circuit. After the conclusion of the second meeting, the entries for the Greater Bay Area Cup at the 66th Macau Grand Prix from November 14-17 will be decided.
