Attempto Switches to Audi for Full-Season Entry

Attempto Racing will return to the Blancpain GT Series in 2018 having made the switch to Audi machinery from Lamborghini.

The German outfit contested last year’s championship with a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 and was expected to continue with the Italian marque, following its inclusion on the 26-car Endurance Cup Pro class entry list last month.

However, the team announced on Wednesday that it has purchased a pair of Audi R8 LMS GT3s that it will enter into the Pro category of both the Endurance and Sprint Cups.

Brothers Pieter and Steijn Schothorst will join forces with Audi factory driver and Nürburgring 24 winner Kelvin van der Linde for the five-race Endurance campaign.

In the Sprint Cup, the Schothorsts will be placed in separate cars, with Steijn confirmed alongside van der Linde and Pieter with Audi works asset Pierre Kaffer.

Steijn raced full-time in the GP3 Series last season, but also made sporadic appearances in the Blancpain GT enduros with Strakka Racing.

Pieter contested the entire 2017 Sprint Cup with the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT squad, following on from his Renault Sport Trophy title the year before.

Kaffer, meanwhile, will be making his Sprint Cup debut this season, while van der Linde is set for his first full-length Blancpain GT campaign.

“I’m delighted with this important step for our team,” said team owner Arkin Aka.

“With the support from Audi and Audi Sport drivers Van der Linde and Kaffer, next to Attempto drivers Pieter and Steijn Schothorst, we’ll have a very strong lineup.

“I know Pieter as a very driven and talented driver with whom we’ve shown great speed in the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany 2014.

“I’ve got to know Steijn when he drove the 2018 Dubai 24 Hours for us in January this year and straight away I was impressed by his speed and professionalism.

“I’m confident we can be competitive in what is by far the strongest GT championship in the world.”