Motorsport News
FIA GT3: One-Two Lead for Audi R8 LMS in European Championship
By source: Audi Sport, photos: DPPI
Oct 5, 2009, 08:50

Despite a serious accident Christopher Haase and Christopher Mies defended the lead of the standings in the FIA GT3 European Championship at Le Castellet (France). Like several other drivers, Mies became the victim of a sudden rain shower that resulted in the early end of the first race on the fourth lap. Mies suffered a concussion. The Audi R8 LMS of Team Phoenix Racing was so heavily damaged in the incident that the two Germans were not able to start anymore on Sunday. In the second race Nicolas Armindo and Cesar Campanico in the Audi R8 LMS of Team Rosberg clinched second place and thus gave Audi a one-two lead in the overall standings.

QUOTES:

Cesar Campanico - #32 Team Rosberg Audi R8 LMS “I did a good start, we had a problem because the power is not great. I was 5th and I saw Thomas (Mutsch) coming too quick so I decided to let him past as I knew the race would be decided in the second part. So I tried to keep the pace and handed the car to Nicolas in 6th. I did my best.” Nicolas Armindo - #32 Team Rosberg Audi R8 LMS “I tried to pass Rodrigues because I was a little bit quicker but in the end is was a little bit too difficult to do it because he closed the door. Both cars were stopped on the track and we both lost time. I overtook other cars at this corner and when they saw I was there they give the place. In the end I lost and he went away because I had to restart the engine. I caught up again, we had a good fight with Luca (Ludwig). I overtook Rodrigues at the same place and it was clean this time. In the end we finished second. I am not so happy because if I could’ve avoided the contact I would have. The car was quick, Cesar (Campanico) did a good job, he didn’t burn the tyres too much, so in the end I could drive well thanks to him.”

RESULTS & POINT SCORES:

Le Castellet (F), October 3, FIA GT3 European Championship round 9 1 Accary/Rodrigues (Aston Martin) 2 laps in 4m 23.174s 2 Klingmann/Matzke (BMW) + 3.906s 3 Quaife/van Dongen (Ferrari) + 6.284s 4 Enjalbert/Scheier (Morgan) + 6.447s 5 Ludwig/Sourd (Corvette) + 7.644s ... 8 Mies/Haase (Audi R8 LMS) + 10.795s 17 Deletraz/la Marca (Audi R8 LMS) + 18.176s 28 Navratil/Bonifacio (Audi R8 LMS) - 1 lap Le Castellet (F), October 4, FIA GT3 European Championship round 10 1 Mutsch/Salles (Ford) 27 laps in 1h 00m48.118s 2 Campanico/Armindo (Audi R8 LMS) + 14.487s 3 Sourd/Ludwig (Corvette) + 15.652s 4 Makowiecki/Rodrigues (Aston Martin) + 16.685s 5 Stuck/Lunardi (Porsche) + 29.922s ... 7 Bonifacio/Navratil (Audi R8 LMS) + 46.003s 9 Deletraz/la Marca (Audi R8 LMS) + 59.657s Standings after 10 of 12 rounds: 1 Mies/Haase, 40.5 points; 2 Armindo/Campanico, 37; 3 Accary/Rodrigues, 34; 4 Makowiecki/Rodrigues, 31; 5 Nygaard/Gruber, 24. Next race: Zolder (B), October 24

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