It’s been an uncertain time for Audi Sport in the wake of a board decision taken in July to focus on the brand’s proposed F1 project for 2026 at the expense of several aspects of the brand’s successful exploits in Pro GT and customer racing.
Looking around the effort at the Macau GP meeting though, across the brand’s TCR efforts with Comtoyou Racing and in GT3 with Absolute Racing, the allied FAW Racing team effort and a high profile (and very marketable) effort from the Uno racing Team with Adderly Fong’s R8 liveried with the hugely popular Hello Kitty brand, there’s little if any sign of a lack of confidence!
“Audi is here in full-strength,” said Audi Sport Customer racing boss Chris Reinke.
“It is great to be back at Macau with such a strong effort, and with Eduardo (Mortara) looking so strong again here.
“The strength of this event this year after such a difficult time in the region with COVID is great, and it isn’t just here, there is real strength across the region re-emerging too with Absolute in Malaysia and with B-Quik in Thailand.
“Plus in a couple of weeks we have the return of the Asian Le Mans Series to Sepang, with Sainteloc looking very strong with two cars and Attempto looking to push to win too.”
The brand’s efforts at the Macau meeting are being supported by the attendance of senior management from both Audi and the VAG Group in the region.
“This is a huge meeting for motorsport, and for the automotive business in Asia. As we always have we are pushing to help our road car colleagues to stand out from the crowd. It’s great to have them here to do business.”
A perception from some quarters that Audi Sport Customer racing is winding down is smilingly rebutted immediately.
“We have worked hard to keep the whole team together, we still have the same numbers as we did before the board’s decision and we are busy on current, future, and potential future projects.
“I am continuing to report progress on the areas we have been asked to report on and the results are very positive. I’m doing all I can, together the excellent team we have at Audi, to continue to impress the board.”
One significant challenge at present is the question over whether or not Audi are selected by the FIA WEC as a marque invited to nominate a customer team for the 2024 World Championship,
“For us it is simple,” said Reinke. “We were asked to show commitment to LMGT3, as a brand we did exactly that, developed the car, and we have tested, and will test again next week (with Goodyear) in LM GT3 spec.
“We have committed too to posting two entries and we await the decision.”
That decision though is widely expected to be a negative one for Audi and for their customer Sainteloc Racing, with the further decision confirmed during the Bahrain WEC meeting that brands not represented in the WEC will not be permitted to field cars at Le Mans if entries are earned elsewhere proving to be a bitter pill for the perceived to be at risk of falling foul of the entry number cut-off for an oversubscribed WEC.
Audi’s sporting credentials are top drawer, and the drive of their team to deliver programmes at the level that their customers have been used to seems undimmed. It would be a very heavy irony if a body blow was dealt to the brand’s future by a lack of available space on the WEC grid!
