Dubai 24 Hours

Just as the 2022 Dakar Rally was wrapping up in Saudi Arabia, the GT teams were descending on the United Arab Emirates for the opening of the 2022 endurance racing season in Dubai. Audi Sport customer racing was represented across several race categories as well as the outright class, where the Audi R8 GT3 LMS cars have enjoyed considerable success in the past, and 2022 proved to be no exception for the all-conquering GT cars.

Taking pole position and leading from the start, the #7 R8 LMS GT3 of Mohammed Saud Fahad Al Saud, Axcil Jefferies, Christopher Mies, Dries Vanthoor and Thomas Neubauer wracked up no less than 301 laps out front – winning the race comfortably with only another Audi R8 in contention. That car, the #31 R8 of Benjamin Goethe, Arnold Robin, Maxime Robin, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer and Frédéric Vervisch, held the lead for more than 200 laps of the race, but in the end couldn’t quite match the pace and finishing just a lap behind.

It was a strong performance from the Audi teams, and the third outright win in Dubai since first competing in the desert classic.

“After first and third place in our customers’ first victory six years ago and first and second place in 2019, we can now be pleased about another one-two victory by our customers,” said Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing.

In the AM category for ‘gentleman’ drivers, the number #34 R8 LMS GT3 car from Car Collection Motorsport clinched third place, but the R8 LMS GT3 cars were not the only ones from Audi Sport customer racing to score podiums at the Dubai Autodome over the weekend. 

The fire-breathing Audi R8 LMS GT2 made its endurance debut and instantly opened its account with a commanding class victory. The most powerful model available from the Audi Sport stable, the Audi R8 LMS GT2 saw action in Dubai in the GTX class with Belgium outfit, Team PK Carsport – the same team that raced the Audi to a runner’s-up position in last year’s GT2 European Series. Its presence in the UAE extended the car’s repertoire and made it the first Audi R8 LMS GT2 to contest an endurance race. Driven by Peter Guelinckx, Bert Longin, Stienes Longin and Stijn Lowette, they took the lead in their class on lap 140 and went on to a class win with a massive 25-lap lead over the second-placed Lamborghini.

Only one Audi R8 LMS GT4 contested the popular class for club racers, but withdrew from the race before the end of the race, but in the burgeoning TCR class, the Audi RS 3 LMS continued to build on its success story with the AC Motorsport entry – a first-generation RS 3 LMS – finishing second in class.

It was a good way to kick off the new year for Audi Sport customer racing, and another resounding result for the Audi R8 LMS GT3, which recorded its 15th 24-hour race win internationally since the start of the program back in 2009.