By winning the second race in Portimão, the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT hasachieved a more than successful debut in the European FIA GT3 Championship.Currently second in the drivers’ overall standings, Greg Franchi and Enzo Ide hope tocontinue on the good course in Silverstone. At the wheel of the team’s other Audi R8LMS, Didier André will be associated with young German Tobias Neuser.
Silverstone : a mythical name for all true motorsports fans. The former military airport inBritain is now one of the best-known circuits in the world and the stage for the second roundof the European FIA GT3 Championship on this forthcoming first weekend of June.
After winning the second race of the season-opener in Portimão, Grégory Franchi and EnzoIde approach the second round as the runner-ups in the standings ...but with great humility.«As a consequence of our win in Portugal, we will have to serve a 15-second handicapduring the pit stop in Race 1», explains Enzo. « In a 60-minutes race, like the ones of the FIAGT3, this can certainly have an impact, and that’s why I think we will be in a much betterposition to make a good result in Race 2. Following our win in Portugal, we are clearlydetermined to go for another win. Greg and I constitute a homogeneous pair, we have agood car and the team is extremely professional... There is absolutely no reason why wecouldn’t repeat some excellent results from now until the end of the season...”
The mood is optimistic also for the second Audi R8 LMS of the Belgian squad. As fromSilverstone onwards, 21-year-old German Tobias Neuser, a driver who has already quitesome experience, notably on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife, will be associated with DidierAndré, who collected a good sixth position in Race 2 at Portimão.
«I am anxious to be in Silverstone!», says emphatically Didier. «Taking into considerationthat I was discovering the team, the car and the circuit, I think that the result in Portimão wasnot a bad one. It will be easier this time round, as the only unknown will be my new teammate, and I will be able to focus exclusively on my driving. I was short of mileage at the firstround and know I can do much better. My experience is mostly with single-seaters andsportscars, which are very different from a GT. I know, for instance, I have to get betteracquainted with the ABS and anti-skidding systems. But the more I drive the Audi R8, themore I like it. With regard to WRT, it is a very professional outfit and I am impressed to seehow good the relationship between Audi Sport and its customer teams is. All this tells me thatI have really done the good choice.”
While the success in Portimão has been duly celebrated, everybody at the Belgian Audi ClubTeam WRT is keeping his head cool. «The win in Portugal has to be credited, in the firstplace, to a good race strategy and to our drivers », tells Team-manger Vincent Vosse. «Interms of pure performance, we were one second per lap behind and we would have not beenon the podium except for that safety-car period. Since then, the FIA has reviewed thebalance of performance and it should now be less unfavorable to the Audi R8 LMS. We willsee whether it will be enough... For the rest, I am delighted to welcome Tobias Neuser as anew member of our team. We will support him the best we can and I am sure he will be aperfect team mate for Didier André. »
Qualifying in Silverstone will be on Saturday morning, while the first race will start at 13:30hours. Race 2 on Sunday will start at 11:45 hours (all in UK time).
