“If you thought the atmosphere at #F1 was great, you aint seen nothing till you’ve been to the #24hrofnurburgring. Insane!” tweeted the young racing driver from Chennai, as he is at the biggest event of Endurance Racing, the 24 Hours of Nurburgring from the 17th to the 20th of May 2012.
The first free practice session at this year’s 24-hour race on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife went well reports the team Pro Handicap e.V. While the weather played spoil sport at the VLN Endurance Series race on the 14th and 15th last month, the team reports blue sky and sunshine this time around!
Aditya Patel’s team mates would be Oliver Rudolph and Team Director Wolfgang Müller himself.
Aditya Patel, Audi race talent said, “This is a huge opportunity and I am very excited to race in one of the biggest events in international motorsport. So far I have been racing in the sprint format, but this exposure to a high level endurance format will help to develop my skills as an all-round racer. I feel confident of finishing the race, because I know what Audi cars are capable of. Although there is a long way to go before I can compete with the best, I am thankful that Audi India and my sponsors have given me such a big chance to gain vital experience so early in my career.
Speaking on the association, Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India said, “Audi’s association with motorsport goes back a long way and our achievements on the racetrack reflect our passion for high quality engineering, technology and success. We believe in nurturing young talent and are confident that the capability of the Audi TTS and Aditya’s skill is a good combination to take on this challenge. The main objective for Aditya is to finish the race, which will lay a strong foundation for future success.”
The team has finished both sessions of Qualifying, clocking a consistent fast lap of 10:16.890
This year’s 24 Hours of Nurburgring also has a new format where the two Qualifying sessions will be succeeded by a ‘Top 40’ qualifying format where drivers will fight for the first 40 positions on the grid. These cars must have flashing lights installed (for better identification of the Top 40 competitors) behind the windscreen on the passenger’s side, says Wikipedia.
Catch the livestream of the event here
Now, we’re not sure what to be more envious about. That Aditya will be racing in a turbocharged Audi TTS in one of the most hallowed racing venues on earth for the better part of 24 hours, or that cheering him on will be the pretty 23 year old Carolin Fischer who will be Pro-Handicap e.V.’s Grid Girl for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring or officially ADAC Zurich 24h Rennen Nürburgring.
