OTOMOTIVE: WRT Phenomenal 2011 Season With Audi

By Tarek Ramchani :

The W Racing Team, a Belgian Audi racing team in only its second year of existence completed a very successful 2011. Entering no less than four different series all over Europe. Despite spreading its efforts across four different championships, they were ultra competitive in each series. They were fighting for all four titles and collected many great victories and championship titles by the end of 2011. Along with being competitive in the various championships the team also won two major 24 hour races overall.

WRT entered the new Blancpain Endurance Series as Belgian Audi Club Team WRT with two factory backed Audi R8 LMS. Factory drivers Filipe Albuquerque and Marcel Fassler also joined the team for the five race season. For round three of the series, the prestigious Spa 24 Hours, the team received full factory support from Audi. Racing under the name Audi Sport Team WRT, the Belgians won the race overall. The first ever victory for Audi at the 24 Hours of Spa, with drivers Mattias Ekstrom, Timo Scheider and Greg Franchi. Greg Franchi also won the drivers title during the finale at Silverstone along with WRT winning the teams standing. A great result for this young team.

The team also competed in the FIA GT3 European Championship. Again entering two cars they and a season of highs and lows. The Belgians scored three race victories. By seasons end both drivers Greg Franchi and Enzo Ide were fighting for the driver’s title at Zandvoort. Enzo Ide finished third in the overall drivers standing after taking victory in the final race of the season. The final results could have been much better had it not been for a lot of bad luck during the 2011 FIA GT3 season. Along with bad luck for WRT the thieving bad Balance of Performance hit the Audi R8 LMS very hard in the European championship, limiting the capabilities of this thoroughbred race car.

WRT competing in France was a feather in the cap of the young team, in only their second year of competition WRT was approached to field a factory car on behalf of another European Audi importer, Audi France. WRT would enter a car in the French FFSA GT Tour under the name Team Audi France with drivers Stephane Ortelli and David Hallyday as the factory entry for Audi France in the series. It was a very strong 2011 season for the team who fought for the title all the way to the finale at Paul Ricard. Despite race victories and many podium spots the team was victim to a lot of bad luck. As at Albi they retired with 8 minutes to go while leading. Or at Paul Ricard the finale, where the Safety Car dropped them from leading the race to a lap down. In the end they claimed the runner up position in the points behind the Pro GT Porsche team.

Along with WRT’s various European competition they also entered their home series, the Belcar Endurance Championship. With two cars for the full season, with drivers Enzo Ide, Francois Virbist, Xavier Maassen and Bert Longin. WRT achieved some good results including a maiden overall win in the premiere event of the series, the Zolder 24 Hours race with all four drivers in one car. However that was not enough to battle for the title against the ProSpeed Porsche team.

During 2011 WRT also ventured outside of Europe for the first time. WRT was approached to run the factory backed two car effort at the Sepang 12 Hours. The team did very well and was extremely competitive, but yet again it would be a case of bad luck befalling the Belgian team. With only minute remaining in the race, a puncture hit the leading Audi and robbed the team of overall victory, eventually finishing second behind the winning AMG Mercedes. To emphasize the bad luck, this puncture to the leading R8 LMS was the only puncture for any car in the entire event and it happened within the final minutes of the event. Despite the bad luck, the WRT team once again showed both its pace and class.

2011 was only the second year of competition for the young new WRT team. It was a great one as the team is moving up to world class level competition. Belgian Audi Club WRT will represent Audi in the FIA GT World Championship with two brand new Audi R8 LMS ultra.

Motorsport is full of “what could have been”, if it had not been for tremendously bad luck during the year, WRT could have made it a clean sweep in 2011. However this was not to be, but one thing is for sure, the team always showed its class and did notch up many great victories and championship titles. 2012 can only bring further improvement and success to this world class motorsport team.