Audi: Patric Niederhauser turns professional
REWARD FOR GT TITLE Two newcomers join Audi Sport's squad of GT drivers in 2020 - one is Patric Niederhauser. The driver from Bern won the ADAC GT Masters in 2019. The contract with Rahel Frey continues. Audi's GT driver squad already comprised ten drivers, now Italian Mirko Bortolotti and Patric Niederhauser from Berne complete the [...]
Audi's GT driver squad already comprised ten drivers, now the Italian Mirko Bortolotti and Patric Niederhauser from Bern complete the team. The 29-year-old from Trentino has already won several titles, most recently with Lamborghini. With Bortolotti as the strong man at Grasser Racing, Rolf Ineichen from Lucerne won the 2019 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring in the GTD class.
Career milestone
Patric Niederhauser's performance in the ADAC GT Masters during the past season earned him plaudits. Together with South African Kelvin van der Linde, who already belongs to Audi Sport, "Nidi" became the first Swiss ever to capture the title. In HCB-Rutronik Racing's Audi R8 LMS, the duo celebrated three victories and four further podium finishes and captured the crown with a points tally never before achieved and a record lead over the runners-up.
Professional at last
Niederhauser himself always qualified in the top 4 with one exception - bad timing in changeable weather at the Sachsenring. This speed is now paying off in that the former GP3 junior from Jenzer Motorsport no longer has to pay to race.
Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing: "A warm welcome to both drivers. They are a perfect addition to our squad. Mirko has already been a professional driver for many years, for Patric the promotion to professional represents a nice reward for the title success in Germany. We are sure that Mirko and Patric are a great fit for us, both humanly and athletically."
Rahel Frey still with us
Previous factory drivers in GT racing include Rahel Frey, who continues to be trusted. The Solothurn native has already won six GT3 races in her career and acted as a mentor in the Audi Sport Seyffarth R8 LMS Cup, among other things.
In the 2020 season, Audi Sport customer racing will contest strategic races in the Intercontinental GT Challenge including the Spa 24 Hours, the Nürburgring 24 Hours and the FIA GT World Cup in Macau. In addition, the Audi Sport drivers will compete in national as well as international programs of the numerous customer teams.
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