[WEC24]WEC: René Rast – New Signing w/ Audi Sport Team Joest | n7thGear™ Motorsport News

[WEC24]WEC: René Rast – New Signing w/ Audi Sport Team Joest Mar 5, 2015 20:28:49 GMT -6

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Post by n7thGear™ on Mar 5, 2015 20:28:49 GMT -6

Ingolstadt, GERMANY – When Audi announced the up-and-coming racer René Rast as a new LMP driver in December 2014 a dream came true for him. Hailing from Westphalia, Rast is a German talent to have managed the leap into the top category of sports car racing. Alongside André Lotterer, he is the only other German in Audi Sport Team Joest.

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“Having been accepted into the LMP driver line-up was a dream for me,” beamed the driver from Minden. “Every racer pursues the aim of being able to compete for a manufacturer in a major motorsport program.”

Rast has already experienced a few champagne showers on the podium as a driver of Audi’s GT race cars. The 2014 season was particularly successful for him. Together with his team-mates he won the Nürburgring 24 Hours with Phoenix Racing and the Spa 24 Hours with the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT – the two most important GT endurance races.

But the German was not only able to rely on the fortes of the Audi R8 LMS ultra on the distance twice around the clock. Last year also saw him take the title in the ADAC GT Masters, one of the best GT3 racing series worldwide, in Team Prosperia C. Abt Racing. Besides his driving skills, he displayed valuable personal traits there as well. His team-mate Kelvin van der Linde from South Africa was only 17 years old at the beginning of the season and obviously very much appreciated the support and tips he received from his fellow campaigner.

“We’re only successful as a team – that goes for both GT and LMP racing,” says Rast, who is going to contest the Spa 6 Hours and the Le Mans 24 Hours in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). He will be sharing the cockpit of the #9 Audi R18 e-tron quattro with Filipe Albuquerque (P) and Marco Bonanomi (I) – two drivers he already knows well from Audi’s GT programs.

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#Ambitions

"My new team is supporting me superbly"
Interview with Audi Sport Team Joest's newcomer René Rast.

Could you have imagined a year ago that you’d be making your debut in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro in 2015?
I’d been dreaming about such a cockpit and battling to get it for a long time but only a very small number of race drivers in the world are given this opportunity. Being one of those to have achieved this is a great honor and pleasure for me, particularly as I don’t have a lot of experience yet in sports prototypes and only drove an LMP2 in 2014 on making my debut at Le Mans. However, without this learning curve it would have been impossible to climb into an LMP1. That’s really a major step because the Audi R18 e-tron quattro is arguably the most complex and best race car in existence – a dream car!

And what was the response to your promotion?
I received a lot of messages and calls. The response was positive across the board. Many people told me that, following my successes, I deserve the place in Audi Sport Team Joest. That was nice to hear.

You’ll be complementing the WEC driver squad in the Spa 6 Hours and the Le Mans 24 Hours in the third Audi R18 e-tron quattro. How are the preparations going?
I drove the Audi R18 e-tron quattro at the end of 2014. That’s been my only stint in the LMP1 so far but there’s a lot more planned before my first start as an Audi factory driver in the Spa 6 Hours in May. My new team is supporting me superbly and I’m excited about the coming season – especially the Le Mans 24 Hours. I’m not setting myself any unrealistically high goals. Obviously, a place on the podium would be tremendous and should be our aim.

You were racing as a GT driver for a whole decade. Is this chapter in your career definitely over now?
I’m going to stay in GT racing. We’re still going to define what that will look like in detail.

source: Audi Sport Team Joest

René Rast tweeted:

Audi Sport Team Joest Rene Rast+motorsport news+endurance racing+Team Joest Audi Sport

Endurance race reporter Sam Smith spoke to new Audi Sport Team Joest driver Rene Rast today as he prepared for a full day of testing at Sebring in the No.9 Audi R18 e-tron Quattro on Thurday.

Audi is conducting several days of running with all three of their crews getting a full day of testing in the 2015 spec R18 e-tron Quattro.

Courtesy Audi Sport via Twitter

How much running have you had in the R18 e-tron Quattro so far, Rene?

“I did four days at Aragon in Spain about a month ago. Now I have some good time in the car here at Sebring, but I know the track from a race I did here in 2011 in a Porsche RSR but obviously this will be my first time here in an LMP1 car.

“We’ll be doing some endurance testing this week, getting lots of mileage on the car and also to get me in to a good rhythm with some long runs. Marcel (Fassler), Benoit (Treluyer) and Andre (Lotterer) have gone already and today the No.8 car has been testing.

“Tomorrow it is our turn. Then after that we go to Paul Ricard for the official test and then Silverstone for the first FIA WEC race. I will be there to look and learn. Then after that we have another big endurance test in April, and then it will be Spa and my first race.”

Was your first Le Mans 24 Hours with Sebastien Loeb Racing last year a deliberate strategy in readiness for this year with Audi?

“No not at all. It was completely incidental and nothing to do with Audi. I knew that if I wanted to do LMP1 then I needed to gain some experience with prototype cars.

“I think without any LMP experience it is very difficult to get a drive and a chance. It was a big help for me to get the LMP1 deal last year and I learned a lot at Le Mans last year, it was very good for me.”

Technically you have to familiarise [sic] and process a lot of new information this year?

“Yes, this is one of the most difficult things for me to get familiar with. On the Audi R8 there are maybe two buttons on the steering wheel but in the R18 you have to adjust and be familiar with many things. There is so much technology even in the car as it is so complex at first.

“My teammates and of course the engineers are really trying to help me all the time which is good but I am feeling quite comfortable already.”

What are your aims and objectives for your first season in LMP1 this year?

“The most important thing for me is to learn as much as possible but of course I am highly competitive so I want to do well with my teammates. We have one of the best cars in the field, especially at Le Mans.

“When you look back at how many times Audi has been successful there it gives you a very good feeling. Honestly, it would be like a dream come true to be on the podium in my first year in LMP1. That is my little dream for the No.9 car this year.”

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[WEC24]WEC: René Rast – New Signing w/ Audi Sport Team Joest

Post by n7thGear™ on Mar 5, 2015 20:28:49 GMT -6

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