Audi confirms all-star Bathurst 12 Hour cast

20 Jan 2023

Star drivers commit to Audi for Bathurst 12 Hour

3 mins by James Pavey

2023

...

Audi Sport has confirmed a strong squad of international talent set to represent the brand at the LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour this February.

The marque will send six works drivers to be spread across three cars at the event – two entered by Audi Sport Customer Racing Australia and one by the Fuchs-backed PremiAir Racing entry.

Mattia Drudi, Christopher Haase and Patric Niederhauser will share the Professional Class Audi entry, entered by Melbourne Performance Centre.

Drudi has a single 12-Hour start to his credit, in 2020, while Haase will make his seventh start for Audi when he returns this year, having only missed the 2022 race since his 2015 Bathurst debut.

31-year-old Swiss driver Niederhauser makes his Bathurst debut this year but comes with a long track record of success in Audi’s GT programs, including 2nd in the 2021 Intercontinental GT Challenge drivers’ standings.

Meanwhile, Ricardo Feller, who made his 12-Hour debut last year, and two-time race winner Christopher Mies will team with two-time GT World Challenge Australia champion Yasser Shahin in the brand’s Bausele Pro-Am class entry.

Backed by The Bend Motorsport Park, Shahin’s local miles and the experience of Mies and Feller – who raced with Shahin in 2022 – make them a strong contender for the Pro-Am trophy.

Meanwhile, Frédéric Vervisch will join the Fuchs PremiAir Racing squad alongside James Golding and Bathurstian, Brad Schumacher.

The 36-year-old Belgian is one of the most accomplished Audi GT drivers, with two Spa 24 Hour victories to his credit among other successes.

“For our local MPC partners, the race is a first-class sporting challenge just as it is for us,” says 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 are the most successful brand in LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour history, with three victories (2011, 2012 and 2018) in the GT3 era.

Joining the works-supported driver entries will be Team Supabarn MPC – winner of the Am classification at Bathurst a year ago – is back on the grid with brothers James and Theo Koundouris and Dave Russell and Jonathan Webb, as is Hallmarc Team MPC with Marc Cini/Dean Fiore/Lee Holdsworth.

Two additional GT3 race cars from Audi for Andrew Fawcet/Daniel Gaunt/Dylan O’Keeffe (Myland Team IMS) and Liam Talbot/Fraser Ross (Team MPC) complete the line-up of a total of seven Audi R8 LMS.

The Melbourne Performance Centre is overseeing the entries with the support of Steve McLaughlan’s Jamec Racing.

The number of entries in this international competition once again emphasises the importance of the four rings in Australian GT racing.

Audi Sport Team MPC

Audi R8 LMS #74 Mattia Drudi/Christopher Haase/Patric Niederhauser

The Bend Motorsport Park Team MPC

Audi R8 LMS #777 Ricardo Feller/Christopher Mies/Yasser Shahin

Fuchs Lubricants Racing run by Schumacher Motorsport/Premier Racing

Audi R8 LMS #55 James Golding/Brad Schumacher/Frédéric Vervisch

Hallmarc Team MPC

Audi R8 LMS #9 Marc Cini/Dean Fiore/Lee Holdsworth

Myland Team IMS

Audi R8 LMS #10 Andrew Fawcet/Daniel Gaunt/Dylan O’Keeffe