Team WRT have confirmed the driver line-ups for a five-car entry to the 2022 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS.
The Belgian squad will field five Audi R8 LMS Evo 2s in both the Endurance and Sprint Cups, and aim to retain the five titles earned in 2021 (Team and Drivers in the Overall and Sprint competitions, and the Team title in the Endurance Cup).
Included within the line-ups is confirmation that Moto GP legend Valentino Rossi will be joined in the #46 Pro class entry by Audi Sport factory drivers Frédéric Vervisch and Nico Müller, Vervisch will team with Rossi for both the Sprint and Endurance Cups.
Team WRT Principal Vincent Vosse: “We are very happy to announce such a great driver line-up for the 2022 GTWCE season. Putting it together has required time and effort, but I am fully satisfied with the outcome and I would like to thank all partners for their support. It will be a season of challenges, as to retain five titles and field five cars is certainly demanding, but we are very excited to take up challenges of this kind. We will be present in three different classes and determined to do well in each of them while as per Team WRT’s tradition, we will have an interesting mix of experience and youth. Finally, I am happy to welcome to the WRT family some new faces but also pleased to retain long-standing friends.”
Endurance Cup
#30 : Benjamin Goethe – Thomas Neubauer – Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer Silver
#31 : Diego Menchaca – Lewis Proctor – Finlay Hutchison Silver
#32 : Kelvin van der Linde – Dries Vanthoor – Charles Weerts Pro
#33 : Ryuichiro Tomita – Arnold Robin – Maxime Robin Gold
#46 : Nico Müller – Frédéric Vervisch – Valentino Rossi Pro
Sprint Cup
#30 : Benjamin Goethe – Thomas Neubauer Silver
#31 : Finlay Hutchison – TBC Silver
#32 : Dries Vanthoor – Charles Weerts Pro
#33 : Christopher Mies – Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer Pro
#46 : Frédéric Vervisch – Valentino Rossi Pro
In car #30, Benjamin Goethe, driving with Team WRT for a third season in a row, will be joined by France’s Thomas Neubauer, winner of the 2019 GTWCE Silver Cup. In the Endurance Cup, they will be associated with another French young gun, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer, runner-up of the 2022 Dubai 24 Hours with Team WRT.
In car #31, Britain’s Finlay Hutchison is paired in the Endurance Cup with Mexico’s Diego Menchaca and Scot Lewis Proctor.
#32 will see a line-up of three Audi Sport drivers. Reigning GTWCE Overall and Sprint Cup champions, Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts, will be reunited to defend their 2021 titles. Double ADAC GT champion Kelvin van der Linde will join them in the Endurance Cup.
In #33, Team WRT retains Japan’s Ryuichiro Tomita for a third season. He will be associated, in the Endurance Cup, with French brothers Arnold and Maxime Robin, both runner-ups at the 2022 Dubai 24 Hours with Team WRT. In the Sprint Cup, this car will be entrusted to Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer and another long-time member of the Team WRT family, Audi Sport driver, former GTWCE champion and reigning ADAC GT champion Christopher Mies.
Car #46 sees Valentino Rossi 9-time MotoGP World Champion together with Audi Sport driver Frédéric Vervisch, who has numerous successes in GT and Touring car racing. In the Endurance Cup, the Italian and the Belgian will be joined by an Audi works driver with top credentials in GT and DTM, Switzerland’s Nico Müller.
