Bamber Makes Surprise Macau Return With Audi

Earl Bamber will make a surprise return to the FIA GT World Cup on the streets of Macau next month, joining Joel Eriksson in a two-car Audi Sport Asia assault.

Cadillac FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship star Bamber last contested the Guia Circuit fixture in 2023, at the wheel of a D2 Racing Team Porsche, and finished on the podium in 2019 for the same brand.

The 36-year-old New Zealander will be hunting for a first Macau win on Nov. 19-22 driving an Absolute Racing-run Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II.

Alongside him in the Audi stable is Eriksson, who made only his second Macau appearance last year and was the Ingolstadt marque’s top finisher in fifth place.

As per last year, Eriksson’s entry will be prepared by Phantom Global Racing.

“We believe we have assembled our strongest possible line-up to compete for a fifth GT Cup crown for Audi on the legendary downtown streets of Macau,” said head of Audi Sport customer racing Asia Alexander Blackie.

“With multiple 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Earl Bamber, we have a driver who has unfinished business at the Guia Circuit. He can count himself unlucky on a couple of occasions not to have won the event, and he possesses the talent to finally bring it home.

“Meanwhile Joel Eriksson was absolutely superb in the Audi R8 LMS last year and is hungry to build on that showing. We can’t wait to get started at this year’s Macau Grand Prix.”

Audi’s last victory in the FIA GT World Cup came back in 2016 with Laurens Vanthoor.