Motorsport Newsletter 44/2012: Marchy Lee triumphs in Audi R8 LMS Cup
November 15, 2012 by Audi
• Mortara takes double victory and Lee becomes first Cup Champion • Honor for Marcel Fassler in Switzerland
• Miguel Molina and Marc Gené attend vehicle handover to Real Madrid
Under the eyes of Olympic fencing gold medalist Britta Heidemann, Marchy Lee became the first title winner of the Audi R8 LMS Cup at Shanghai, China. After scoring a two-fold victory in the Cup, Edoardo Mortara is traveling to Macau with lots of tailwind. Title decision at the finale: At Shanghai, Marchy Lee celebrated the title win in the Audi R8 LMS Cup. In the presence of former Olympic epee fencing gold medalist Britta Heidemann the Audi driver from Hong Kong only needed two second places in the two final races at the Shanghai International Circuit to crown himself the first title winner in the Audi R8 LMS Cup. The overall runner-up was Adderly Fong, who finished both sessions in third place. Edoardo Mortara, who completed a Formula One test last week, celebrated a commanding two-fold victory on his guest run in the Cup. With that, the Audi factory driver managed a successful dress rehearsal for the GT race in Macau next weekend where Mortara in the Audi R8 LMS ultra is aiming to clinch his fourth consecutive victory at the Guia Circuit. Reward for World Champion's title: Marcel Fassler was one of eleven sportsmen honored in his native country, Switzerland, at the International Sports Night on Friday. At the annual Charity Gala in Davos, the Le Mans winner and this year's FIA WEC World Champion from Audi was presented with the Sports Night Crystal Trophy for exceptional achievements. Golfing for a good cause: Rahel Frey and her Audi team-mates Mattias Ekström and Mike Rockenfeller visited a golf tournament in Germany's Allgau region on Monday. Harry Unflath, Head of Marketing of Abt Sportsline, had organized the traditional meeting for the tee-off at the Sonnenalp golf club. The proceeds of 'Harry's Golf Cup' will be donated to charity. Car racers meet soccer players: The two Spanish Audi factory drivers Miguel Molina and Marc Gené met with the players of Real Madrid. On Thursday, the soccer players and the club's management received the new models from their exclusive vehicle partner, Audi. At the Jarama circuit near Madrid the soccer pros enjoyed their fast laps in sporty production vehicles and in the Audi R8 LMS ultra GT3 sports car as passengers of the two Audi factory drivers. Award ceremony in Berlin: On Wednesday, Auto Bild magazine and the Sunday paper Bild am Sonntag honored the winners of the 2012 Golden Steering Wheel. The Audi A3 won the accolade in the compact car class. Audi factory driver Mattias Ekström was a member of the judging panel and guest in Berlin. At the event, Prof. Dr. Ferdinand K. Piëch, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Volkswagen Group, received the Golden Steering Wheel for as much as the second time in recognition of his lifetime achievements in the German automobile industry.
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Visit with the World Champion: Right in time for the title win in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), Audi's partner Michelin took a peek behind the scenes. A team from 'Road Stories by Michelin' paid a visit to Benoît Tréluyer at his home in Gordes. The resulting multimedia portrait presents the Le Mans winner in a very personal light and can be watched on the internet on the Michelin website. 24 hours on the joystick: A very special endurance race will be contested next weekend by the two Audi drivers Frank Biela and Markus Winkelhock and Ralf Jüttner, the Technical Director of Audi Sport Team Joest. The three will be competing in the Hamburg 24 Hours, a 24-hour race for slot cars. A total of six teams with four drivers each – two with an Audi R8 – will be running at TuTech Innovation GmbH in the Channel Hamburg district. Frank Biela has won the crazy race as many as three times in the past. A word from ... Edoardo Mortara This year, you're aiming to win Macau for the fourth time in succession and the second time with Audi. With your successes at the Audi R8 LMS Cup at Shanghai this weekend you superbly managed the dress rehearsal. Taking a double victory at the Audi R8 LMS Cup season finale is an outstanding result. I felt very comfortable in the Audi R8 LMS throughout the weekend and am traveling to Macau with a lot of self-confidence. What are the hallmarks of the Audi R8 LMS ultra? Even last year I was surprised about the Audi R8 LMS's agility. It felt superbly in the narrow streets of Macau. Now I'm excited to see what the current evolution, the R8 LMS ultra, will be like. The grid positions are particularly important at this city street race. How are you preparing yourself? Qualifying is no big issue for me because I've been familiar with the circuit for years. If I manage to catch a free lap everything should be okay. In the race, the conditions are completely different. There's a long straight on which quite a bit is possible. Immediate rivals can catch up and overtake pretty well in the slipstream. I'm hoping to be able to win again. 34 entrants have been registered. Who do you think will be your strongest rivals? There are definitely a number of drivers who won't be easy to beat. This year I'm expecting even fiercer battles than twelve months ago. I'm meeting with Lucas di Grassi and Romain Dumas, for example, or Alexandre Imperatori, with whom I ran at the Zhuhai 6 Hours in an Audi R8 LMS. Keita Sawa and Danny Watts should not be underestimated either. Coming up next week Nov 17 Fuji (J), Fuji Sprint Cup Super GT Nov 18 Macau (CN), round 6, GT Asia Nov 18 Campo Grande (BR), round 6, Brazilian GT Championship
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