Audi Confirms Bathurst 12H Lineups Including Pro Crew

Audi Sport has announced its driver lineups for next month’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour including a single factory-driven car in the top Pro category.

Mattia Drudi, Christopher Haase and Patric Niederhauser will bid for overall honors at the Australian enduro, sharing the No. 74 Audi Sport Team MPC Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II which is being run by prominent regional team Melbourne Performance Centre.

That lineup will compete in Pro against the two factory-driven BMW M4 GT3s from Team WRT, as well as a similarly-stacked Porsche 911 GT3 R from Manthey EMA and four Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evos.

Three more Audi Sport factory drivers are engaged in other classes for the Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli season-opener.

Ricardo Feller and Christopher Mies join two-time Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS champion Yasser Shahin in the No. 777 Audi, which is entered into Pro-Am under The Bend Motorsport Park Team MPC banner.

Frederic Vervisch, meanwhile, has been assigned to the No. 55 Schumacher Motorsport/Premier Racing entry alongside Brad Schumacher and James Golding.

Australian Supercars driver Lee Holdsworth headlines the Hallmarc Team MPC entry along with Marc Cini and Dean Fiore.

Last year’s Am class victor Supabarn Team MPC is back on the grid, with Jonathan Webb joining the returning James Koundouris, Theo Koundouris and Dave Russell.

Andrew Fawcet, Daniel Gaunt and Dylan O’Keeffe complete the Myland Team IMS crew.

The only incomplete Audi entry for Bathurst is the No. 65 Melbourne Performance Centre car, which includes Fraser Ross, Liam Talbot and a third driver who is to be confirmed.

Last May, Ross and Talbot teamed up with Supercars race winner Chaz Mostert who put the No. 65 car on pole position.

“For our local MPC partners, the race is a first-class sporting challenge just as it is for us,” said Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing.

“Already traditionally, MPC is represented at Bathurst with a strong, competitive base of customers. Audi Sport customer racing complements the privateer lineup with six Audi Sport drivers split across three race cars.”

Audi Sport is aiming to take its fourth overall Bathurst win and its first since 2018.

Reinke told Sportscar365 at last weekend’s Hankook 24H Dubai that the manufacturer will take its IGTC participation in a “race-by-race manner” this year.