Riot Engine has been providing comprehensive coverage of motorsport events all over the world and our loyal readers might have heard of the VLN Endurance Series in Germany. The VLN series has been mentioned elsewhere on our website where the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 will be racing in its debut season. This was also the stage for the racing debut of the Aston Martin V12 Zagato.
Thanks to Audi India, this prestigious event will now be the proving ground for one of India’s best, Aditya Patel. Audi has signed a 3 year contract with Patel. Audi has secured a seat for Patel with the team Pro-Handicap e.V., in the challenging VLN endurance series in Germany. This series will provide him with much needed exposure to international racing and he will become the first Indian to race in the 24 hours of Nürburgring says Audi India.
Pro-handicap e.V is a highly experienced team and is renowned for the reliability of their car, the Audi TT (sport model), having completed the 24 hours of Nürburgring all 7 times that they have entered. Aditya has already successfully tested with them on the 21st of March, and will now participate in his first 4 hour endurance race on the 14th of April.
Commenting on the association, Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India said, “Audi has a rich history in international motorsport and has produced many greats over the years. The talent pool of race car drivers in India is growing rapidly and we plan to develop young racers by providing them with the right opportunities to make a career in international motorsport. Aditya is a talented racer and our support to him is a testament to that vision.”
Aditya’s motorsport career began at an early age with the JK Tyre National Racing Championship in 2001 when he was 14. Long term sponsors for the young lad include JK Tyre, MAS Holdings and Petra Energy. He’s also proved his mettle in VW Polo R Cup and the VW Scirocco R Cup in Germany, where he finished 5th overall, in 2011.
Audi India and JK Tyre along with other long term sponsors are dedicated to defining a concrete development path for Aditya. This will provide him access to various international racing platforms in Audi performance models ranging from the newly (in India) launched Audi TT to the super sports car, the Audi R8.