As in the previous year, Audi will be the best-represented manufacturer on the grid for the 2017 ADAC GT Masters. Among the ten Audi R8 LMS cars, there will be two entered by reigning champions Montaplast by Land-Motorsport.

The ADAC GT Masters has been won by Audi drivers on three previous occasions: Christian Abt in 2009, René Rast and Kelvin van der Linde in 2014, and Connor De Phillippi and Christopher Mies in 2016. The two champions from last year will obviously be keen to defend their title. Fellow Montaplast by Land-Motorsport drivers Jeffrey Schmidt and Christopher Haase will share the cockpit of the second car entered by the team.

South Africa's Kelvin van der Linde (Aust Motorsport) is another former title holder driving an R8 LMS. The outfit owned and managed by Frank Aust has also promoted Dennis Marschall, runner-up in the 2016 Audi Sport TT Cup, to the senior series. Another Audi customer team, Yaco Racing with a driver line-up of Rahel Frey and Philip Geipel, have already established their winners' credentials in the ADAC GT Masters with two race victories.

No fewer than three teams have given a vote of confidence to the brand by entering the Audi R8 LMS in the Super Sports Car League for the first time. Audi Sport racing academy are giving the junior duo Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Ricardo Feller a chance to prove themselves, while in their second car, they are relying on the pairing of Elia Erhart and Christopher Höher. BWT Mücke Motorsport have recruited Markus Winkelhock and Frank Stippler, two established Audi Sport drivers who have already notched up plenty of victories in endurance racing. Marc and Dennis Busch also bring experience of endurance racing to the team. The twins from Bensheim have previously celebrated wins in the general classification on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring and are now taking up the challenge of the ADAC GT Masters on behalf of their family team, Twin Busch Motorsport.

"In a field of 32 cars, Audi is the best represented of all seven participating brands," says Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. "The R8 LMS accounts for almost a third of the grid. We are expecting the title fight to be every bit as tough as last year, and we will be interested to see how the juniors and series newcomers in our customer teams measure up to the more established drivers."

Source: Audi