Thanks to a perfect strategy, an Audi R8 LMS ultra perfectly reliable, an excellent team work and four drivers having put a faultless performance, the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, with the Kumpen-Vanthoor-Bonanomi-Sandstrm quartet, has won the 24 Hours of Zolder for the second consecutive year. While Anthony Kumpen brings to six his personal record of wins in the race, Audi clinches its fourth success of the year in a 24-hour race, after the Nrburgring, Le Mans and Spa.
Even if Laurens Vanthoor had conquered the pole position for the Audi R8 LMS ultra, the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT knew that this edition of the 24 Hours of Zolder would be a complex race. The Limburgs track is rightly reputed for being extremely challenging for any car and the summer weather conditions, with high temperatures, added extra constraints.
Despite all the difficulties encountered before the race, and notably, technical rules that are not very favourable to our car, we managed to confirm last years success, and that makes us very happy , commented Team Principal Vincent Vosse.We proved on the track that we deserved to win. We had planned a strategy and we have stick to it, even when we were losing ground with respect to some of our rivals, especially the Prospeed Porsche, in the initial hours. Eventually, the strategy paid off, and I want to congratulate everybody for their contribution. It has not to be forgotten that our guys had just come back from the long journey to Moscow for the GT1 round and didnt have much rest. Congratulations also to our four drivers, who have been simply perfect.
While the Audi R8 LMS, this time in its ultra version, signed its second success in the Zolder one-day race, Anthony Kumpen climbed on the highest step of the podium for the sixth time, improving his personal record.I was happy to race again with the WRT team, following the Belcar title conquered in 2010, and I have been impressed by the professionalism of the outfit , admitted Anthony.One can see the level of experience gained by such a team and we have done an excellent work together. It was nice, also, to work again with my favourite engineer, Jorge Segers, with whom I have clinched my first five wins here, and to share the wheel with Laurens, another guy from Limburg that wins and does an excellent work.
The alluded Laurens Vanthoor also had a big smile on his face.Its an unbelievable feeling to win a race that has meant so much to me when I was a kid, and to win here, a few yards away from my home , he reckoned.Its hard for me to express my emotions now, I think I will need a couple of days to realize
The two Belgian drivers were of course the focus of everybodys attention, but both stressed the great work done by their team mates, Edward Sandstrm and Marco Bonanomi.Following my accident and the great disappointment at the Spa 24 Hours, the team has kept confidence in me, and I want to thank them for that , explained the Swede.To win here is the best revenge!The Italian, on his side, stressed the excellent team spirit.Its a pleasure to have been driving again for WRT this week , he acknowledged.After my podium finish at Le Mans, its very pleasant to win here. It seems that I have been lucky with endurance races this year!
For the Belgian Audi Club, this third success at the Zolder 24 Hours (Hemroulle-Verbergt-Tarrs had won with an Audi A4 quattro turbo back in 1999) is a great addition to Audis roll of honour in Belgium.Personally, it has been my first race since I took up my new duties and I must say it has been an intense experience , underlined Charles-Henri Bonnet, the new Secretary-General of the Club.I had the opportunity to get to know more closely all the team members, and this will remain a great memory. We are proud to see Audi win a fourth 24-hour race this year, after the Nrburgring, Le Mans and Spa. This gives me a lot of confidence for the future!
