Marc Basseng and Christopher Mies – well known amongst others from the VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring – have won the 12 Hour Race in Bathurst, Australia, with their Audi R8 LMS entered by the Audi race experience Team Joest, together with Carryl O’Young from China. Audi thus scored the greatest possible success at the first race of the 2011 season and the first participation since the reorganisation of the customers sport department.
The pretty daunting, 6.213 kilometres long circuit at the Mount Panorama with its many uphill and downhill sections was a great challenge for all the drivers. In addition, the contrary weather conditions in particular in the first part of the race resulted in a lot of changes in the race lead. The advance ahead of the second placed sister car with Australian national drivers finally was only 0.7 seconds. “Unbelievable! That was my first victory with Audi in an endurance race of 12 hours race duration”, said a happy Basseng. “The car was perfect. Such a tight decision within the team – crazy how close this was. I am simply happy.”
