Audi Locks in Factory-Supported N24 Lineups

Audi has confirmed that it will again provide factory support to three cars in the top SP9 category of the Nürburgring 24 which is taking place on Sept. 26-27.

Land Motorsport, Car Collection Motorsport and defending winner Phoenix Racing will each run a single Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo with factory drivers, as was the case in 2019.

Three of the four drivers who won last year’s race for Phoenix have returned for the upcoming edition, which is being held behind closed doors.

Frederic Vervisch, Dries Vanthoor and Frank Stippler are all back to defend their crown, while they will be joined by DTM points leader Nico Mueller who will effectively race in the seat taken up by Pierre Kaffer in 2019.

Car Collection’s lineup features Audi’s newest factory signing Mirko Bortolotti, who has already driven for the team in the Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie.

The Italian will partner DTM ace Robin Frijns, double N24 winner Christopher Haase and triple winner Markus Winkelhock.

Both Haase and Winkelhock drove for Audi Sport Team Car Collection last year, picking up a podium alongside Rene Rast and Marcel Fassler.

2017 winner Land Motorsport, competing as Audi Sport Team Land, will field a car for Rast, Kelvin van der Linde, Christopher Mies and Mattia Drudi.

Drudi, who joined the marque’s factory lineup in 2019, is new to the Land operation while his co-drivers all represented the team last year.

While Haase and Rast drove for Land and Car Collection last year, Audi’s announcement confirms that no drivers will be split between factory-backed teams this time around.

Audi Sport teams claimed two of the three 2019 podium spots as Phoenix won, while Car Collection finished third behind a Black Falcon Mercedes-AMG GT3.

The manufacturer streamlined its number of works-supported entries for the previous edition of the Nordschleife enduro after backing four cars in 2018 and six in 2017.