Audi R8 LMS grabs fourth victory in five calendar years, after 2012, 2014 and 2015. Audi Sport Team Land (Land Motorsport) celebrated victory in the Eifel.
The team from Niederdreisbach was the dominant squad during the race, despite a setback before in the penultimate hour of competition. The team led for 125 race laps, about 3,172 kilometers, when a sensor problem occurred on the car. The attempts to completely solve the problem during two pit stops were unsuccessful. Despite this, the number 29 Audi R8 LMS moved back up to second place. Shortly before the end of the race, Audi Sport Team Land was the first front-running team to change to rain tires.
Kelvin van der Linde regained the lead on the wet track. Together with his teammates, Christopher Mies (D), Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Markus Winkelhock (D), the South African won the 45th edition of this endurance race.
ROWE Racing BMW M6 GT3 with teammates Markus Palttala, Nick Catsburg, Alexander Sims and Richard Westbrook grabbed No 2.
Audi Sport Team WRT had to be satisfied with third place in the end. Phoenix Racing, with another Audi R8 LMS, delivered another result within the top twenty finishers, following a comeback drive. After damage suffered due to an accident, the team fell back to as low as 79th place.
“With temperatures of more than 25 degrees Celsius and a rain shower in the final phase, we have experienced one of the toughest, fastest and most dramatic races in history,” said Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. Having driven 158 laps, the winners completed only one lap fewer than the record distance covered by Audi in 2014. “Audi was the dominant brand, leading the race for 143 laps – corresponding to 90 percent of the race. My utmost congratulations go to all of the customers, team members and drivers, who have made this result possible. This success was achieved in dramatic fashion, and it will certainly go down in the motorsport history books.”
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