Brilliant FIA GT1 video from Belgian Audi club WRT

By Johan Laubscher

The Belgian W Racing Team, also known as Belgian Audi Club Team Team WRT have become known to make some excellent videos documenting their motorsport activities. Last year they brought us breathtaking videos from the Spa 24 Hours, their debut in the Malaysian 12 Hour race at Sepang and many other races.

Last weekend saw WRT's debut in the FIA GT1 World Championship with the perfect result. The team scored a 1-2 finish in both the weekend’s races. Now this calls for celebration and a nice way to celebrate it with their fans is with another race video from WRT.


Here it is: An exciting fifteen minute video compilation which encompasses this brilliant WRT triumph.

Enjoy the video bellow:

The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT dominate the opening weekend of FIA GT1

More Information:

WRT youtube channel

Belgian Audi Club official website

WRT official website

WRT official Facebook

FIA GT1 World Championship official website

Cover photo by Jean-Baptiste Lassaux from www.autorennsport.ch 

 

Belgian Audi Club WRT 1-2 victory at Nogaro's FIA GT1 main race

By Tarek Ramchani

The Belgian Audi Club WRT dominated today's main race at Nogaro, round 1 of the 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship. Another perfect 1-2 victory for the brand new Audi R8 LMS ultra.

Great sunny weather for the championship race with the two Belgian run Audi cars starting from position one and two as they finished in yesterday's qualifying race. Right from the start, the two Audis faced strong competition from the #3 AF Corse Ferrari with Toni Vliander driving. The Finnish driver was able to pass the #33 Audi of Frank Stippler and put great pressure on the leading #32 R8 of Stephane Ortelli. The three leading cars pulled away for the rest of the pack with a great gap over the chasing group. Minutes later and a drive through penalty hit the Ferrari, Toni Vilander had jumped the start. This made it a lot easier for the Audi squad leading and waiting for the pit window to complete the mandatory pit stops. The #32 pitted first with Stephane Ortelli out handing the car to Laurens Vanthoor. A lap later it was the turn of the sister #33 with Frank Stippler letting in Oliver Jarvis. The #33 car was able to rejoin the track right in front of the #32. No team orders at Belgian Audi Club WRT and a great battle for the lead started between Jarvis and Vanthoor. The young Belgian did pass the British Audi works driver at the hairpin but Jarvis succeeded to retake the lead. A few laps later and Vanthoor again made it to the lead, while behind Markus Winkelhoc with his All-Inkl AMG SLS started hunting the two Audis. The Mercedes was clearly faster in the closing stages of the race, but that was too late, the Audis crossed the finishing line victorious. The same #32 of Stepahne Ortelli and Laurens Vanthoor made it a double after yesterday's win. Yet again their team mates Oliver Jarvis and Frank Stippler finished in the second spot.

The 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship season has started really well for Belgian Audi Club WRT. Double victories in both races at Nogaro and the championship points lead in both the teams and drivers’ standings. The next round will be at Circuit Zolder in Belgium, the home round for team WRT.

Watch the full champiosnhip race here:

Photo Credits: Markus Berns and SRO www.gt1world.com

Belgian Audi Club WRT domination at Nogaro FIA GT1 Qualifying Race

By Tarek Ramchani

The Belgian Audi Club WRT had the perfect start to its 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship campaign. A great 1-2 victory in the Qualifying Race at Nogaro.

The two Belgian run privateer Audi R8 LMS ultra cars started from positions two and three, after a strong qualifying session yesterday. A rainy race and right from the start the two Audi cars battled with the pole sitting Ferrari 458 GT3. The #32 car with Laurens Vanthoor faced strong attacks from the chasing cars but he resisted well, being either in second or third during his stint. Right behind Vanthoor the sister #33 R8 suffered a little bit in hands of Oliver Jarvis, but was always in the lead pack. Later a real threat appeared in the form of the Reiter Engineering run Lamborghini Gallardo LP600 with GT ace Tomas Enge driving. The Czech was able to pass the entire leading pack and pull away far ahead. The Audi cars were in second and fourth before the mandatory pit stops. The pit window opened and the seventeen cars jumped in for drivers and tire changes. The WRT crew did an amazing job with very fast pit stops which was enough so send both cars to third and fourth. Shortly after the pit stops the two cars overtook the Hexis McLaren and started chasing the leading Lamborghini. Ortelli was able to put in very fast lap times to pass the Reiter car, and quickly afterward Frank Stippler passed as well. The two Audis held their position of 1 and 2 until the end of the race. A perfect debut for the Belgian team in world class GT racing.

The Qualifying Race is setting the starting grid from tomorrow's main Championship Race. Audi has locked out the front row of the grid and with the very fast pace in both the qualifying sessions and qualifying race, Team WRT and their Audi R8 LMS ultra will be the big favorites for race victory tomorrow.

Race results:

1 - #32 Belgian Audi Club WRT - Audi R8 LMS ultra

2 - #33 Belgian Audi Club WRT - Audi R8 LMS ultra

3 - #24 Reiter Engineering - Lamborghini Gallardo LP600

4 - #2 Hexis Racing - McLaren MP4-12C GT3

5 - #3 AF Corse - Ferrari 458 GT3

Watch the full qualifying race here:

WRT team manager Vincent Vosse speaks to Endurance-Info: "Proud to represent Audi in World GT1"

By Endurance-Info

With two successful seasons in GT, the Belgian Audi Club will again be present on several fronts this year, with the GT1 World Championship, the Blancpain Endurance Series, the 24 Hours of Nürburgring and a new campaign under the GT Tour banner Audi Team France for the tandem Ortelli / Hallyday. The team of René Verbist, Yves and Vincent Vosse Weerts are to be counted among the favorites in World GT1, the two Audi R8 LMS ultra cars being driven by Ortelli / Vanthoor and Stippler / Jarvis. Before the kick off this season which promises to once again be well-stocked, Vincent Vosse’s winter period was very busy: "Every year the winter was rather long. We had to make choices and find the necessary funds to mount the different programs. We always say that we must be very careful about the third season because it has a lot of dangers. The first two seasons we have contributed so much that we could quickly be disappointed. The team continues to grow. This is our pride to represent Audi in GT1 World Championship. I think we were not the only team to compete for this championship application. I am very pleased with both crews. "

The weekends will once again be fully charged: "This year we organized it a little differently, especially for the GT Tour. The whole team will not make as many meetings as last year and we know there is still work. To prepare ourselves better, we have implemented a team-building to strengthen cohesion. In most teams, only the drivers are present, while we brought the whole team. We lived together for three days with varied activities. We had set goals and always improved. "

In less than a week, the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT will be hard at work in Monza for the opening of the Blancpain Endurance Series where the goal is to keep the title: "The championship promises to be even more extraordinary than last year. This is the major GT endurance series. I have known Stephane Ratel since 1996 and the time at OPI. To make something work, it takes passion. If Stephane returned home quietly every night at 18 o'clock, it would be pointless. There is all the passion and desire behind his work. He listens and moves to take care of his work. He and his dedication is the success of the championship, which will highlight once again the 24 Hours of Spa. The 2012 edition promises to be magical. It was unthinkable that the GT3 class cannot be fully expressed at Spa. "Like last year where the team of Vincent Vosse had won the race in the hands of Greg Franchi, Mathias Ekström and Timo Scheider, the entity will be the team Audi Sport Team WRT in the Belgian Ardennes. Whether it is Blancpain Endurance series or GT1 World series, Audi's support is the same, with two engineers present within the team. The customer service competition from Audi takes on each track with a mobile workshop where teams, including Belgian Audi Club Team WRT can stock up on spare parts.

More informations:
WRT official website
WRT official Facebook
Endurance-Info

Vincent Vosse team manager of Belgian Audi Club Team WRT