Audi Sport customer racing will be showcasing four one-off designs at the Spa 24 Hours. The individual designs of the Audi R8 LMS pay homage to a major anniversary on the famous Ardennes circuit whose racing history began in 1921. Common to all four cars is the stylized number 100 for Spa's racing century. This number overlays the red rhombus of Audi Sport on the race car roof. The design of this area symbolizes the gift in the style of a banderole.
Audi Sport Team Attempto, which missed last year's victory by only 4.6 seconds, is fielding the number 66 R8 LMS in Belgium's national colors this year. Black, yellow and red dominate the bodywork of the race car driven by Mattia Drudi, Dennis Marschall and Christopher Mies. This is complemented by a green hue. Graffiti-like spray patterns and flowing gradients give the car its unmistakable character. The surface of number 25 of Audi Sport Team Saintéloc contrasts with this: It is strictly geometric. The car from the 2017 winning team, this time driven by Christopher Haase, Patric Niederhauser and Markus Winkelhock, takes up the design ideas of Victor Servranckx. With his abstract works, the Belgian was a major graphic artist in his country in the first half of the 20th century. The red, yellow, green and blue patterns represent Servranckx's formal language. The constructivist logo of the Spa race track on the doors of the R8 LMS fits perfectly into this design.
Audi Sport Team WRT, winner of the 24-hour race in 2011 and 2014, is bringing two more expressive themed cars to the grid. The GT3 sports car driven by Kelvin van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts represents the "Art nouveau" era. It coincides with the turn of the 19th to the 20th century. The pattern on the R8 LMS of number 32 picks up design elements of the fashion of the time. It originated in textile centers such as Antwerp, Belgium, among others. Audi Sport combines this design with lines depicting the course of the Spa circuit. The sister car of Robin Frijns, Dennis Lind and Nico Muller represents a theme that has inspired many people from childhood: the red and yellow patterns of number 37 reflect the lush and sweeping color and drawing style of comic strips.
In addition to the nine GT3 race cars in the 24-hour race, Audi expects eight R8 LMS GT4 cars in the GT4 European Series at Spa. At the halfway point of the season, the customer teams Saint Racing and Fullmotorsport are leading their categories there with the production-based race cars. In addition, four Audi RS 3 LMS cars will be competing in the TCR Europe. Defending champion Comtoyou Racing is currently second in the team standings.
