Audi customers celebrate championship titles in Europe, France and Canada
Another title success in France: Saintéloc Racing has again won the French GT Championship FFSA GT4 France with the Audi R8 LMS GT4 after Pro-Am Championship successes in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Frenchman Erwan Bastard and his Israeli-American teammate Roee Meyuhas secured the Silver Cup early with two overall victories at Lédenon in the fifth of six events. The race series only awards class titles and not overall titles. On the winding mountain-and-valley track in the south of France, Bastard/Meyuhas won the first race with a three-tenths of a second advantage over a Toyota after their leading brand colleague Gaël Castelli from CSA Racing had to pit his Audi during the driver change with damage to the cooling system. In the second race, the two up-and-coming drivers from Saintéloc Racing scored their fourth victory of the season from pole position. With a four-tenths of a second lead over a team of Alpine drivers, the outcome of the race in the GT4 series, which has an excellent field of 36 participants, was once again extremely close. After a total of seven podium finishes and ten top five results in ten races, their lead in the Silver Cup standings is unassailable. But they are not only successful in France. Bastard/Meyuhas also contest the GT4 European Series with Saintéloc Racing and Audi. Before the finale at the beginning of October, they are in second place in the standings after a race to catch up.
Second place in Great Britain: Steller Motorsport was again among the top teams in the GT4 class at the sixth British GT event. Richard Williams in the Steller Motorsport Audi R8 LMS GT4 had started from pole position at Brands Hatch and was leading the field, but two safety car phases up to the driver change repeatedly wiped out his advantage. Without success ballast and due to the shorter mandatory minimum pit stop time, a Pro-Am driver team from Aston Martin took the lead at the driver change. Steller Motorsport, however, was not admitting defeat. Sennan Fielding, who had taken over the car from Williams, reduced his deficit from 20 to just 5.2 seconds at the finish. Following their second place at Brands Hatch, the Audi privateer duo is also in second place in the GT4 drivers standings before the finale.
On the podium for the fourth time: Thiago Vivacqua achieved his fourth podium result in his debut season in the DTM Trophy on the fifth race weekend. The Brazilian from the Heide-Motorsport team had started Saturday’s race on the Spa circuit in fifth place. On lap five, Vivacqua in the Audi R8 LMS GT4 caught championship leader Tim Heinemann in the battle for fourth place. On the twelfth and final lap, the South American overtook the Aston Martin of Nick Hancke to collect 15 points for position three. In the championship, Vivacqua is fourth best out of 20 competitors with two events still to go.
First podium in Sweden: Team Eken Motorsport managed its first podium finish of the season in GT4 Scandinavia. Nicklas Johansson/Tommy Lindroth finished second in the Audi R8 LMS GT4 in the first race on the fourth race weekend at Anderstorp.
