After BMW, Audi has also announced its driver squad for the 2022 season: Among them are 16 drivers who belong to Audi’s customer sport pool this year. Then there are René Rast, who is returning to the DTM after leaving Formula E, and Nico Müller, two drivers who still have real works contracts.
But there is also a surprising newcomer in the customer sport pool: Audi has secured the services of 21-year-old Ricardo Feller – and thus one of the greatest GT3 talents. The reigning champion of the ADAC GT Masters, in which Mercedes-AMG had also shown interest, was only presented by Abt this week for the third DTM Audi.
In addition to the 21-year-old Swiss, touring car champion Luca Engster and Belgian WTCR Trophy winner Gilles Magnus also join the squad.
Rockenfeller and Frey will no longer be there in 2022
Ex-DTM champion Mike Rockenfeller and his former colleague Rahel Frey are no longer there. Rockenfeller, whose contract expired at the end of the season, had already announced his departure from Audi Sport after 15 years during the course of the Hockenheim DTM weekend and in doing so expressed criticism of the recent developments at his long-term employer.
In 2022, the 38-year-old will start with the Action Express Cadillac in the four long-distance classics of the IMSA SportsCar Championship and thus return to prototype racing. Frey, who joined the Audi squad eleven years ago and initially completed two DTM years, had already been in the WEC with a Ferrari women’s team in 2021 and recently had little scope for Audi engagements.
Apart from that, the squad remains unchanged: Abt’s GT3 specialist Kelvin van der Linde, ADAC GT Masters champion Christopher Mies, the German endurance specialists Christopher Haase, Markus Winkelhock, Frank Stippler and Pierre Kaffer as well as the Belgians Dries Vanthoor and Frederic Vervisch.
Reinke: “We have rejuvenated our squad again”
“We have rejuvenated our line-up and are well prepared for all challenges in GT3 racing as well as in WTCR touring car racing,” says Audi’s Head of Customer Sport, Chris Reinke, describing the squad’s approach.
“From young talents to absolute veterans, we have a promising mix of international drivers, especially in the customer programs, but also for all tasks in strategic assignments.”
On behalf of his employer, Reinke thanks Rockenfeller and Frey, who is one of the most successful drivers in GT3 racing with six individual victories in the Audi R8 LMS, for their many years of commitment. “They were excellent ambassadors and shaped the image of our brand worldwide”. We wish both of them “a lot of success in their future careers”.
Audi customer sport driver pool 2022: Nathanael Berthon (FRA), Mattia Drudi (ITA), Luca Engstler (GER), Ricardo Feller (SUI), Christopher Haase (GER), Pierre Kaffer (GER), Kelvin van der Linde (RSA), Gilles Magnus (BEL), Dennis Marschall (GER), Christopher Mies (GER), Patric Niederhauser (SUI), Frank Stippler (GER), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), Frederic Vervisch (BEL), Charles Weerts (BEL), Markus Winkelhock (GER)
Audi works driver 2022: Nico Müller (SUI), Rene Rast (GER)
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