WRT at Spa with Ortelli and Biela

Last year it was the big surprise at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. For its first participation in the event, the Audi R8 LMS, which belonged to the G2 category, finished on the third step of the podium behind a Corvette C6.R and a Maserati MC 12, both GT1 cars.
This year we should find several R8 LMS on the Ardenne slide on July 31. And among them, three will be entered by the WRT (W Racing Team) created by Yves Weerts, René Verbist and Vincent Vosse last off-season.

If the final crews are not yet known, the Belgian team has revealed the identity of eleven of its twelve drivers.

“We know seven of the eight drivers who will share the first two cars, those officially supported by Total, Audi Import and the Belgian Audi Club, explains team manager Vincent Vosse. The crews have not yet been defined, but it should be done before the test day on July 7. »

Only the quartet of a car can currently be announced. On the latter, we will find the Frenchman David Tuchbant (WRT driver in FFSA GT3), his compatriot Jean-Luc Blanchemain and the Belgians Christian Kelders and Frédéric Bouvy (double winner in 1999 and 2000).

On the other two cars, however, the distribution is not yet known. Unsurprisingly, Belgians will be present in large numbers. Thus, Kurt Mollekens (winner last year), Grégory Franchi, Stéphane Lémeret (the latter being part of the team in FFSA GT3), François Verbist and Vincent Vosse (winner in 2002), who is making his return behind the wheel, will also be Of the game.
At their side, two pilots whose fame is well established. Five-time winner of 24 Hours of Le Mans, Franck Biela will try to add a new double clock to a track record that is, to say the least, extensive. It should be noted that the German, always very close to Audi, was responsible for the development of the R8 LMS. As for Stéphane Ortelli, winner of the Le Mans classic in 1998 and driver of the R8 LMS Oreca in FFSA GT3, he will try to win this event for the second time. The Monegasque won in 2003, to everyone's surprise, at the wheel of a Porsche of the N-GT category, which could not, on paper, win.

By fielding drivers of this level, W Racing Team is clearly displaying its ambitions at home. See you on July 31.