GT Racing stalwarts W Racing Team are set to join DTM in 2019 as an Audi customer team as the series opens up to non-factory teams.
The team are well known in the sports car world for racing their Audi R8 LMS cars since 2009 and have won multiple races and championship titles around the world, including 24-hour races at the Nürburgring, Spa, Zolder, Dubai, and the 12-hour races at Sepang and Bathurst.
In 2016 the team made their first foray in to tin-top racing as they entered TCR under the Leopard Racing banner.
Credit: Jean Michel Le Meur/DPPI
The announcement from Audi today confirms that team will be entering DTM with a pair of Audi RS 5 DTM cars.
“Together with the ITR, we have been working hard over the past few months to reopen the DTM for customer teams,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass.
“We are pleased to present the first customer team of the new DTM era. I know Vincent Vosse and his team very well from Super Touring and the many years we worked together in GT racing.
“I know how strong the WRT team is. I am convinced that WRT also has the potential to establish itself in the DTM.”
While drivers are still to be announced, the team do already have a history with current Audi DTM drivers Robin Frijns, Nico Müller and René Rast.
Credit: Craig Robertson
“Moving up the ranks to the DTM was a dream for us,” says team director Vincent Vosse. “As part of the Audi family, we have followed the DTM with interest. This has always been a very strong platform.
“The time to get started was never better than it is now: in 2019, the new 2.0-liter turbo engines will be used for the first time.
“All of the teams will be starting from scratch with the new engines. We will get the same equipment as the factory teams. That makes the DTM so interesting for us and certainly also in the future for other teams.”
