Dubai dominance
Audi Sport customer racing has claimed first blood for the new year with a one-two finish in the 24 hours of Dubai.
Audi Sport and the new R8 LMS have started 2019 in style, taking out the 24 Hours of Dubai endurance race.
15 January, 2019
The latest evolution of the Audi R8 LMS GT3 has taken its first one-two victory in a major endurance race, dominating this year’s 24 Hours of Dubai. The #88 Car Collection Motorsport car driven by Dimitri Parhofer, Christopher Haase, Frédéric Vervisch and Rik Breukers completed 607 laps of the Dubai circuit to cross the finish line a lap ahead of its nearest rival, the Team MS7 R8 LMS GT3 driven by Mohammed Saud Fahad Al Saud, Michael Vergers, Christopher Mies and Dries Vanthoor.
Following an early battle for the lead, that changed back and forth amongst the leading teams, the #88 car was never bested from the 6th hour of the race until the end, spending a total of 560 laps at the head of the pack to win.
The MS7 Motorsport entry likewise solidified its position in second with eight hours still to go and stayed in control to complete the one-two result. In total, five Audi R8 LMS cars – from Attempto Racing, BWT Mücke Motorsport, plus the second race car from Car Collection Motorsport finished in the top 10 in Dubai.
"...the #88 car was never bested from the 6th hour of the race until the end..."
"This victory marks the biggest success of the Audi Sport customer racing team in endurance racing..."
Car Collection Motorsport has regularly participated in the 24 Hours of Dubai since the event’s first running in 2006. This victory marks the biggest success of the Audi Sport customer racing team in endurance racing and marks the second victory for Audi Sport in Dubai following the success of Belgian Audi Club Team WRT in 2016.
“Sincere congratulations to our customer teams Car Collection Motorsport and MS7 by WRT on this outstanding success in Dubai,” says Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. “The 24-hour race with a total of 74 teams featured a strong field, so that makes us all the happier about the first endurance racing success of the latest evolution version of the Audi R8 LMS GT3 following its homologation – this one-two result is an impressive performance by the further development of our customer sport race car.”
Audi stars of the 24 Hours of Dubai, Christopher Haase and Christopher Mies will join teammate Marcus Winkelhock in Australia in a matter of weeks for the Bathurst 12 Hour race at Mount Panorama.
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