Ullrich on the next-generation R8 GT car
Audi Sport boss Dr Wolfgang Ullrich was in attendance at a press conference organised by race sponsor Total and local team WRT, and he confirmed that the next-generation R8 LMS GT3 car (based on the upcoming second-generation R8 road car) will appear towards the end of 2015.
“There is no clear date set yet, I know we’ve started work on this car, but its debut depends very much on the schedule for unveiling the road car. We’ve started testing already, but it takes a lot of work to get a car competitive and reliable enough to sell as a customer car and that’s ongoing.”
Ullrich also gave his angle on the (seemingly stalled) movement towards convergence of the two main GT classes, GTE and GT3. “I was involved in many meeting about GT convergence,” he told us. “For me it was important we found a good solution for GT racing as a whole. I think the GT3 cars are all now on a nice similar level and we have great racing. We think as well that GT3 is at a good cost level for drivers and teams. Yes, GTE is on a completely different level – I just hope everyone involved in GT racing works together to find a good way to keep the sport at the good level it’s on now and that rivalry between GT3 and GTE doesn’t hurt the sport as a whole.”
Asked how Audi will debut the next R8 GT3, Ullrich stated: “It could be that we follow the same plan as we did in previous years, taking some selected teams that are very close to Audi Sport and doing the car’s first races with them, to learn more about the car and to promote it.”
Ratel pushing ahead with Baku
“It’s great – I love to show the way for F1!” declared SRO boss Stephane Ratel when asked for his reaction to the news that Baku, Azerbaijan has signed a contract to host the ‘European Grand Prix’ in 2016. SRO’s Baku World Challenge event and the previous Baku City Challenge race have brought GT cars to the Caucasian republic’s capital city for the past two seasons
Ratel confirmed that this year’s Baku event was proceeding as planned, with one or two tweaks to the circuit layout due to new construction in the rapidly expanding city since 2013. “We have an initial three-year agreement for 2013-2015, but they can stop it when they want, so hopefully will return in 2015 at least. I would like to continue going there in 2016 when they have Grand Prix, too,” he said.
The SRO founder will speak more about his plans for later this year and 2015 at the traditional Spa 24 press conference at 5pm today (Friday).
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