Bortolotti to Make Audi Debut in 24H Dubai

Recent Audi signing Mirko Bortolotti will make his debut with the German manufacturer in next month’s Hankook 24 Hours of Dubai as part of a two-car lineup for Team WRT.

The 2017 Blancpain GT Series drivers’ champion and two-time Rolex 24 at Daytona class winner joined Audi as a works driver from Lamborghini earlier this month.

Bortolotti will share an Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo with Rolf Ineichen, Mark Ineichen and fellow factory driver Kelvin van der Linde.

The Ineichen brothers – who won Dubai together in 2014 – are also set to race with Audi and WRT for the first time having been frequent Lamborghini competitors in recent years.

WRT’s other car will be driven by Audi works members Dries Vanthoor and Christopher Mies, along with Michael Vergers and Mohammed Saud Fahad al Saud.

“I’m very excited to start a new chapter of my professional career as an Audi Sport driver and I can’t wait to drive for Team WRT at the Hankook 24 Hours of Dubai 2020,” said Bortolotti.

“Debuting for Audi with such an experienced and successful team is a great honor and opportunity for me. I’d like to thank Team WRT and Audi Sport for their trust.

“Together with my fantastic teammates, we will work hard to make it a good one.”

Next month’s Dubai 24 takes place on Jan. 10-11 to kick off the 24H Series Continents championship that also visits Barcelona and Circuit of The Americas.

It will mark the second time in five editions that WRT has entered more than one Audi GT3 car for Dubai.

Its last multi-car outing in the race came in 2017, the year after its first overall victory, and included 2020 competitors Bin Saud Al Saud and Vergers in the driver lineup.

“We will have a very short break at Christmas, but basically we never stop and we are already actively preparing 2020, fully motivated to be back stronger and fitter,” said team principal Vincent Vosse.

“Dubai will be a great rehearsal ahead of the start of the different championships and we are delighted to go there with very strong line-ups.

“We are happy to welcome some new faces, including Mirko, Rolf and Mark who have been some of our toughest rivals in recent years.

“We won at Dubai in the year of our debut and we will certainly aim at adding a second success in January.”