Audi has selected a new strategy for the 2012 24-hour race at the Nürburgring (May 19/20). After three consecutive class victories the factory line-up this year is concentrated on Audi Sport Team Phoenix that will be putting two Audi R8 LMS ultra cars with seven seasoned endurance racers on the grid. In addition, four customer teams are relying on Audi’s updated GT3 sports car at Germany’s major endurance race.

FIA GT1 World Championship
San Luis, Argentina
November 4th-6th, 2011

After a year-long break from GT1 24-year old Christopher Haase competed in the final race of the 2011 FIA GT1 World Championship season in San Luis, Argentina. He shared a Lamborghini Murcielago 670 R-SV (team: DKR www-discount.de) with Manuel Lauck (28, GER) and secured a podium finish.

“It was great to be back in a GT1 car and I felt comfortable with the car and the surroundings immediately,” a happy Christopher Haase said after his guest stint for the GT1 team.

It quickly became clear during the first free practice session on Friday. At the end of the session there was a real battle for the fastest lap times with Christopher Haase pushing the Lauck/Haase duo forward by setting the fastest time.

After a few modifications in the setup the pilots finished the pre-qualifying session in P4 as the best Lamborghini in the field.

FIA GT3 European Championship
Zandvoort, The Netherlands
October 14th – 16th, 2011
2009 FIA GT3 European Champion Christopher Haase (24) competed in the final race of the season of that racing series in Zandvoort (NLD) this weekend, supporting Belgian Enzo Ide (20) as a guest pilot in an Audi R8 LMS for Belgian Audi Club Team WRT.

Haase used the first free practice session to get to know the track which was no problem and the duo reached P10. In the second free practice session on Friday Ide/Haase simulated Saturday’s qualifying session, placing the Audi in P6.

Enzo Ide and Christopher Haase began the two qualifying sessions with small modifications in the setup. 20-year old Ide had bad luck at the beginning of his stint. After a touch in the outlap the Belgian ran into the gravel, making a qualifying lap impossible. Haase took over for the second qualifying session and placed the WRT Audi in the pole position. “I had a perfect car in the qualifying. I have not had such a great car in a qualifying session for quite a while. The team work very hard to succeed, it was very obvious when I worked with them. It is a great feeling being in the pole position,” said a happy Haase.