WRT’s debut at this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour is the start of a longer-term plan for the team to run at the event annually, according to team manager Vincent Vosse.
Speaking to DSC, Vosse explained that the Belgian GT team, which has won most of the big GT3 races and titles in Europe, had been planning to run at the 12 Hour for a long time, joining the increasing list of international teams competing in the Australian endurance classic.
“It was always a goal to be here, this is a track you want to race at, where you want to compete at a big event,” he said. “I’ve always watched this race carefully because I knew that one day we had to get here. We’re very happy to be here, we decided early September that we would make sure we are here. Audi and our partners allowed us to be here, and we’re on the learning curve.
“I do not know this race that well, the first goal is to gather as much information as possible and be here for the next five years. The first year is a learning year. We’d like to be competitive and finish, that would be a great achievement.”
In the race, the team will run two R8 LMS GT3s, one (#37) with Robin Frijns, Stuart Leonard and Dries Vanthoor, and another (#39) with Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy, Mathias Lauda and Will Davison. Logistically, Vosse said, it was difficult to ensure both cars made it to the event on time.
“The #37 is a car we ran in Laguna Seca, it came straight from there to here, at #39 is a car we had in Asia, which we transferred to here. It was a pain because it was tough to get everything here one time, we were a few days late, which means we haven’t had much sleep. But in the end it’s been fine.
“I know Mathias and Pedro well because I drove with them in the past,” he explained when asked about the deal to get the 2017 GTE Am WEC champions and Will Davison in the team’s #39 car for the race. “We’d been in contact recently, and wanted to get something together. This is a perfect fit. They’ve never driven an Audi. This is quite a place to try new things.”
The Bathurst 12 Hour is the opening race of the four-round Intercontinental GT Challenge once again in 2018. Vosse also explaining that WRT’s goal is to compete in all the rounds after its run at Bathurst this weekend.
“It’s not a done deal but it’s a goal for us,” he said. “If you look at the races, Bathurst, Spa, Laguna and Suzuka, there are not many tracks better. It’s going to be a good field too. We want to be there.”
Featured image courtesy of WRT
