The team that seemed certain to field Audi in the WEC from next season will reopen negotiations with other manufacturers if necessary.
This is confirmed by WRT boss Vincent Vosse. His statement follows Audi’s announcement this week announcing the suspension of the program.
“From what I’ve read in the press it looks like we won’t be racing Audi in the WEC next year,” Vosse told Motorsport.com. “However, we still have the desire and the ability to run an LMDh program.
“If what I have read is true, we will start discussions with other manufacturers soon.”
Vosse then highlighted the qualities of the WRT team after winning LMP2 titles in both the WEC and the European Le Mans Series in the first racing season with prototypes in 2021.
“The results and successes we achieved last year we have not achieved with Audi. In light of this, I think we deserve to race with a manufacturer at the highest levels ”.
According to rumors, the WRT team had reached an agreement to manage the Audi LMDhs in the Hypercar class from 2023 and to support this thesis there was the announcement of an official driver of the House like Rene Rast next to Robin Frijns at the wheel. of the Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 in the WEC.
# 41 Realteam By WRT Oreca 07 – Gibson: Rui Andrade, Ferdinand Habsburg-Lothringen, Norman Nato
Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images
Vosse has not given any confirmation, but has highlighted how there have been discussions with a brand with which WRT has collected numerous successes in GT3 since 2010. The team boss has however highlighted how these negotiations have interrupted talks with other interested manufacturers to run in the Hypercar.
“If Audi doesn’t make an LMDh, it would be nice to be able to continue our discussions with other manufacturers.”
Vosse’s comment seems to further confirm the decision of the House of the four rings to stop the LMDh project. Audi, however, has only confirmed the pause of development of the car at the moment.
“We are taking a two or three month break on the project,” a spokesperson told Motorsport.com. The company could probably divert resources into the rally-raid project with the RS Q e-tron SUV.
A second possibility is that this decision may be linked to the brand’s desire to enter Formula 1 in 2026.
WRT will defend the WEC and Le Mans titles with two Orecas instead of one. Frijns and Rast will share the cockpit with Sean Gelael, while Ferdinand Habsburg will be team mate with Norman Nato and Rui Andrade. WRT will also field a third car at Le Mans, while not defending the title in ELMS.
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