ADAC GT Masters: Audi teams 2013 season review

By Johan Laubscher

The 2013 ADAC GT Masters provided another excellent season of GT racing in Germany. Three Audi R8 LMS ultra teams competed regularly during the year.

Six Audi R8 LMS ultra cars were part of the regular grid. Prosperia C.ABT Racing fielded three cars and they were joined by the two car team from MS Racing and a single car from YACO Racing. Phoenix Racing also joined the series with one Audi R8 LMS ultra for a single appearance at the season finale. It was a season of ups and downs for the Audi teams, but the highlight was certainly at the final round, when Prosperia C.ABT Racing were crowned as the 2013 ADAC GT Masters teams’ champions.

The season review has been compiled from the 2013 Audi Motorsport Blog Weekend Round Up posts. Each round has been added as was seen in the individual Weekend Round Up posts during 2013, which can be accessed via the links throughout the review below:

Oschersleben hosted the first round of the ADAC GT Masters this weekend. Six Audi R8 LMS ultra cars, all in 2013 specification, have been entered this year. Three cars from Prosperia C.ABT Racing, two from MS Racing and one from YACO Racing. The Audi cars suffered during qualifying, but during the wet first race the #27 of Rast / Mies was able to come through and win the first race of the season. Four Audis finished within the top ten in race one. The second race took place in dry conditions and the top placed, and only Audi in the top ten, finished in sixth place.

Taken from: Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (27-28/04/2013)

Round two of the ADAC GT Masters took place at Spa in Belgium this weekend. The six regular Audi R8 LMS ultra entries took part in the event, entered by MS RACING, Prosperia C.ABT Racing and YACO Racing. Qualifying again proved to be difficult as only one R8 LMS ultra placed within the top ten in both sessions. Race one saw two Audis finish in fifth and sixth, both from Prosperia C.ABT Racing. Race two had a similar result with only one Audi in the top ten, achieving seventh place. The second race also had a very bad crash for Rene Rast, we wish Rene a speedy recovery and best wishes.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (11-12/05/2013)

The ADAC GT Masters was at the Sachsenring this weekend. A number of driver changes had occurred within the three Audi teams, but it remained five Audi R8 LMS ultra entries: three from Prosperia C.ABT Racing, two from MS Racing and one from YACO Racing. A BOP adjustment had been made in favour of the Audis ahead of this event, and the renewed performance paid dividends this weekend. Pole position went to Rene Rast and Christopher Mies in the #27 R8 LMS ultra, followed by the other Audis also placing well. The Rast / Mies duo made it a lights to flag victory as they took their second win of the season, leading home four Audi R8 LMS ultra cars within the top ten. There were again four Audis within the top ten in race two, lead by Rast / Mies on the podium in third. These results have elevated Rast and Mies into the lead of the championship points standings.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (8-9/06/2013)

The ADAC GT Masters resumed for the fourth round held at the Nürburgring. Six Audi R8 LMS ultra cars were entered from three different teams, with a podium finish highlighting the weekend’s results. Qualifying for the first race only had one Audi within the top ten, the #28 R8 LMS ultra in sixth place, followed by all of the Audis inside of the top twenty. The grid for the second race saw no Audis inside of the top ten, but the three Prosperia C.ABT Racing were together in positions twelve to fourteen, with the #28 leading #26 and #27. Race one ended with an excellent podium result for Prosperia C.ABT Racing. The #28 of Winkelhock and Jöns capitalised on their top ten starting position and finished the race on the podium in second position. The top ten was rounded out by the #27 Audi in tenth. Race two saw the Audis hovering outside of the top ten during the first half of the race and ultimately two penetrated the top ten by the finish. The leading Audi was the #1 MS Racing R8 of Sebastian Asch and Florian Stoll who finished eighth. The second Audi inside the top ten was the #28 in ninth. Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (3-4/08/2013)

The ADAC GT Masters back-to-back weekend was in Austria at the Red Bull Ring for round five, following the Nürburgring last weekend. All six regular Audi R8 LMS ultra entries were entered from Prosperia C.ABT Racing, MS Racing and YACO Racing. Only one Audi placed within the top ten during qualifying for the two races, both times being the #27 Audi R8 LMS ultra in eighth place. Race one concluded with two Prosperia cars inside the top ten, the #27 finishing sixth ahead of the #28 in seventh. It became a Déjà vu weekend for the #27 of Rast and Mies as they qualified eighth for both races and finished sixth in both races as well. They were again the highest placed Audi during race two followed by the #26 Audi in tenth.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (10-11/08/2013)

EuroSpeedway Lausitz played host to round six of the ADAC GT Masters. Six Audi R8 LMS ultra cars were entered from Prosperia C.ABT Racing, MS Racing and YACO Racing. Qualifying for race one saw three Audis within the top ten, lead by the #27 Audi in second. The grid for race two had two Audis in the top ten, lead by the #28 Audi in sixth. Race one saw three Audis within the top ten, lead by the #28 Audi in fifth. The second race again saw the #28 as the leading Audi, as they finished third on the podium. They were followed by the #27 Audi in sixth, two Audis within the top ten.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (31/08-1/09/2013)

The ADAC GT Masters was in Slovakia this weekend, hosting round seven at the Slovakia Ring. All six regular Audi R8 LMS ultra entries were entered from Prosperia C.ABT Racing, MS Racing and YACO Racing. The highest Audi in the first qualifying session was the #27 in fifth leading three Audis inside of the top ten. The second qualifying session turned into a 1-2-3 for the Prosperia C ABT team as their cars finished in the order of #28, #26 and #27. During race one the #28 Audi from Prosperia C.ABT Racing made it onto the podium by taking second position. All three of the team’s Audis were inside of the top ten, as the #28 finished second, the #27 fifth and the #26 in eighth. The second race saw one Audi on the podium, as the #27 finished in second place, ahead of their teammates in fifth and sixth. Four Audis finished within the top ten, as the #100 MS Racing Audi completed the set in ninth.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (14-15/09/2013)

The finale of the ADAC GT Masters season was held at Hockenheim. The championship came down to the final round. Seven Audi R8 LMS ultra cars were entered. Three cars from Prosperia C.ABT Racing, two from MS Racing, one from YACO Racing and an additional guest entry from Phoenix Racing. Prosperia C.Abt Racing arrived as the leaders in the team’s standings and their #27 Audi driver crew, Christopher Mies and Rene Rast, were in the running for the driver’s title. Qualifying saw Rast and Mies as the leading Audi during both sessions, taking third on the gird for race one and fifth for race two. Race one turned into a very difficult race for Prosperia C.Abt Racing, as all three cars failed to finish. Rahel Frey suffered a massive crash and roll in the #26 Prosperia R8 LMS ultra, but fortunately she has been reported as unharmed. The best placed Audi during race one was the #1 MS Racing Audi R8 LMS ultra in eighth, the only Audi within the top ten. The second and final race ended with the Audis bouncing back. Four Audis finished within the top ten, as the #27 and #28 Prosperia Audis finished second and third, ahead of the #1 and #100 MS Racing Audis in fifth and seventh. The final results concluded with Prosperia C.Abt Racing being crowned as the team’s champions for the 2013 ADAC GT Masters season. 

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (28-29/09/2013)

Photo credit: ADAC GT Masters