Double duties at Bathurst

After wrapping up his second ADAC GT Masters drivers’ title earlier this year, seasoned Audi Sport campaigner, Christopher Mies, will make a welcome return to Mount Panorama this week to drive Audis in two separate categories. The 32-year-old German driver will not only get behind the wheel of the Audi RS 3 LMS in the TCR Bathurst 400, but will also do duty in the Audi R8 LMS GT3, partnering Yasser Shahin as he attempts to clinch the Pro-Am class championship in the GT World Challenge Australia.

Mies, who is no stranger to the Bathurst circuit, will race the RS 3 LMS car prepared by Melbourne Performance Centre (MPC) – who are responsible for Audi Sport customer racing in Australia.

This car last saw action in the series at the Bathurst 6 Hour this year, where Garth Tander scored twin podium finishes. As Tander concentrates on commitments in the Bathurst 1000 Supercar race this week, Mies has the opportunity to spend time in the RS 3 LMS – this first time he has driven the car category since participating in development work with Audi Sport on the first generation model.

The car he will be driving has received new race livery (pictured) and will see duty this week with Lock & Load Transport Tie Down Systems stepping in as major sponsors for the event. But Mies will not be the only Audi campaigner in the category, as series leader, Chaz Mostert looks to wrap up the season with a strong performance in the first race.

As Mostert too will be taking part in the Bathurst 1000 Supercar race, he will only be able to compete in the first of the three 21-lap races that comprise the TCR round at The Mountain. But with a 106 points lead over the rest of the field on the TCR points table, he will only need to finish seventh in the first race to claim the title.

A third Audi RS 3 LMS also prepared by MPC will also be in the hunt at Bathurst, with Luke King  behind the wheel. Going into the TCR Bathurst 400, King is the nearest rival to Mostert on the championship ladder and will be looking to consolidate his position or even hope for a mistake from the series leader that will allow him to capitalise and even slip into the top spot.

In the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia, Mies will also be filling in for Tander, driving with Yasser Shahin in the Audi R8 LMS GT3 as Shahin looks to clinch the Pro-Am class championship. Mies has plenty of experience around the Mount Panorama circuit behind the wheel of Audi Sport’s all-conquering model, the German wining the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2011 on his first visit to The Mountain, and then successfully defending the title the following year in appalling weather conditions.

He also holds the official lap record of 1:59.29, which he set in the 2018 Challenge Bathurst. “Bathurst is always special and to come back after many years of not being able to be in Australia, I’m really looking forward to it,” says Mies.

“My main goal is to help Yasser [Shahin] win the championship … I can’t wait to get this done for him and MPC. I’ve really missed these guys and I’m looking forward to continuing our story together.”

Both race categories are part of this week’s intensive Bathurst 1000 race program, and will see the three TCR races take place on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday –  the two GT3 races will be held on Thursday and Friday.