Audi Has Four Interested Customers for LMGT3

Photo: Audi

Audi has four customer teams that have so far expressed interest in competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s LMGT3 class next year according to Head of Audi Sport customer racing Chris Reinke, who is hopeful the brand’s previous history in the WEC and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans will help secure a berth.

The German manufacturer, which was last present in the WEC in 2016, is one of a number of GT3 brands eyeing representation in the new-for-2024 class, which will replace GTE-Am in the world championship and in the French endurance classic.

While Hypercar manufacturers are understood to be given priority for LMGT3 entries, which are set to be limited to two cars per brand, Reinke believes Audi’s heritage in ACO-rules racing could also play a positive factor.

“As general as we have looked into LMDh regulations, into the LMGT3, we have great history at Le Mans, so therefore we would always look at logic to our strategic goals of the company to allow possibilities within racing to find a match,” Reinke told Sportscar365.

“At the moment that is the task with customer racing. At the end, our customers set our priorities, and at the moment it is high on the list of investors to understand how we can generate an entry out of the possibility that the ACO has defined.”

It’s estimated that LMGT3 will have between 12-16 cars, equating to 6 to 8 manufacturers, with BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and potentially Toyota through its Lexus brand all having priority over others such as Aston Martin, Ford, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Audi, which have all expressed interest.

“At the moment we postponed honest interest to the moment we knew how we could support that. I think we’re there now after the [ACO] announcement,” Reinke said.

“We’re at the moment calculating our side. We know investors (customers) are calculating their side. We await the final confirmation of the technical regulations soon.

“I believe then we will have enough facts on the table to decide, together with partners, if it’s a valuable thing.”

Reinke confirmed they have four customers that have expressed interest in joining the LMGT3 ranks.

“If they all keep it up, once the costs are clear… For sure, traveling [in] WEC is a different scale of financial venture than other continental series,” said the former head of Audi’s LMP1 program.

“It’s to be seen if they all keep the interest up once they really understand the full costs.”

While Hypercar manufacturers are known to be given priority, Reinke believes automakers that have previous history in the WEC or at Le Mans will also be considered over others that don’t have such heritage.

“For the moment, how I understand the regulations, to be verified and confirmed, I understand that being a manufacturer who played a significant role within the last ten years, I would expect that we can generate at least one entry,” he said.

“The rest will reflect on the variety of interest. If we get a second or not is how many people would like to come.

“For us, Le Mans was always to prove future technologies in racing, which have relevance for us as a manufacturer to underline our claim ‘Vorsprung durch Technik.’ This is why we went to Le Mans.

“Now we’re in a completely different perspective. Now you have the experiential product bit in there that’s a very much road car based race car that you can experience and participate yourself.

“But obviously it would pick up a glory-filled time [for] Audi there. I guess it would be exciting but completely different.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John