Penalty for Porsche pole winner.

The Porsche #9 Bank Exim: Penalty for Matt Halliday for crossing the white line at the pit exit. 3 places down on the grid for the Saturday race, means start on P4.

WTCC: CHEVROLET AND BMW ON SAME WEIGHT

CHEVROLET AND BMW ON SAME WEIGHT

The Chevrolet Cruze and BMW 320 TC cars will run on the same weight at the Slovakia Ring, with the maximum compensation weight on board. The calculation based on the lap times set in the three previous events (Italy, Spain and Morocco) identified the Chevrolet as the reference model and allocated 40 extra kilos to the five cars ran by Chevrolet-RML and bamboo-engineering. However the time-gap between the Cruze and the BMW is only 0.3 seconds and therefore the German cars will be laden by the same 40kg compensation weight, meaning that they will be 20 kilos heavier than in the previous event. The SEAT León WTCC will receive 20 extra kilos (ten less compared to Marrakech), while the other cars - SEAT León TDi, SUNRED León 1.6T and Ford Focus S2000 – will benefit from a 20kg reduction of their minimum weights. Compensation weight Slovakia Ring + 40 kg : Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T, BMW 320 TC + 20 kg : SEAT León WTCC - 20 kg : Ford Focus S2000, SEAT León TDi, SUNRED León 1.6T Fabio Ravaioli/Media Delegate

ROUTE TO: SLOVAKIA RING

ROUTE TO: SLOVAKIA RING

The next event of the season takes place at the Slovakia Ring, that is located 40 km East of Bratislava, the Slovak Republic’s capital city. It is the first visit of an FIA World Championship to this modern racetrack nearly six-kilometre long that was inaugurated in 2009, which puts all the WTCC drivers on equal ground as none of them has ever raced here before. Tomáš Vranka executive director of the Slovakia Ring commented: “We are very proud to host the WTCC, one of the few motorsport world championships. It is a great opportunity for our racetrack to be introduced to the international racing community and I am confident that Slovak fans will attend numerously.” Fabio Ravaioli/Media delegate.

Porsche on Pole at FIA GT1 race-Zolder/Belgium

Porsche on Pole at FIA GT1 race-Zolder/Belgium

A gamble on slick tyres and a scintillating final session enabled the Exim Bank Team China Porsche 911 No.9 of Mike Parisy and Matt Halliday to grab pole position for today’s Qualifying Race amid changeable weather conditions in Zolder. Tyre choice became crucial as the session wore on and a dry line began to appear. The top 8 for the Qualifying shoot-out was split over tyre choice - wet or dry. The No.9 Porsche opted to start Q3 with slicks with Halliday at the wheel. The New Zealander reeled off a series of fastest laps to eventually top the charts with a time of 1:33.568. “The Porsche has been quite quick here, and the track suits us a little bit more than at the last circuit at Nogaro,” Halliday said. “Mike did a good job to get us through the early stages. The conditions made it pretty difficult to make the calls on tyres, and we had to be on our toes. You don’t get a lot of time to make decisions but I think we made the right calls on the set-up and the tyres and we just drove it like hell. “Everyone in the team helped make the decision, we all just decided at the last minute. It was a bit of a gamble. Sometimes you can take a gamble and it will go the wrong way but today it was definitely the right choice.” Co-driver Parisy said victory in this afternoon’s Qualifying Race was definitely on the cards. “Yes, we can be confident going into the race,” the Frenchman said. “A lot depends on the weather of course but we know the car is quick around this circuit and we are ready to win.” Just two tenths behind was the No.33 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT R8 LMS of Oliver Jarvis (GBR) and Frank Stippler after the German made a late leap up the order as the session closed. The No.25 Reiter Lamborghini of Peter Kox (NLD) and Darryl O’Young (CHN) was third in 1:33.936. In fourth was the best of the Mercedes – the No.37 ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport SLS AMG of Thomas Jager (DEU) and Nicky Pastorelli (NLD), the pole man in 2011. Next came the championship leaders – Laurens Vanthoor (BEL) and Stephane Ortelli (MON) in the No.32 Audi. BMW continued their improved performance at the second round with the No.18 Vita4One Z4 of Michael Bartels and Yelmer Buurman (NLD) in sixth. The biggest casualties of Q2 were the AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italias, despite being in the top three in yesterday’s Free Practice. The Ferrari No.3 of Toni Vilander (FIN) and Filip Salaquarda (CZE), quickest overall yesterday was ninth while the No.4 of Enzo Ide and Francesco Castellacci was on the bubble in 12th position with two minutes remaining but ultimately missed the cut. Vilander said: “These conditions are not best for us, a mix of wet and dry. Filip did a good push on the last lap but we missed by 800 hundredths the P8 we needed to get through. We just have to focus on the race and try and make up some places.” The struggle at Hexis Racing McLaren continues. The No.1 car of Frederic Makowiecki (FRA) and Stef Dusseldorp (NLD) made it through to Q2 but the No.2 of Gregoire Demoustier (FRA) and Alvaro Parente (PRT) failed to advance. It will start the race 10th. After just four laps, the MP4-12C struggled to 16th place. “It hasn’t been the easiest weekend for us,” Parente said. “We had some problems yesterday but we still managed to do some laps. The guys are working hard to solve today we had a turbo issue like yesterday.” The Valmon Racing Team Russia Aston Martin No.6 of Andreas Zuber (AUT) and Sergei Afanasiev (RUS), struggling with gearbox problems, failed to set a competitive lap. The No.10 Sunred Ford GT was also down the order and eliminated in Q1. Youtube: Live streaming and our feature series GT1-LIFE will be available on the GT World Youtube channel. http://www.youtube.com/gt1world Live .timing is also available right here on GT1World.com. The Qualifying Race is LIVE at 13:45 local (GMT +2) today. FIA GT1.

Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, rounds 1 and 2 in Hockenheim

Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, rounds 1 and 2 in Hockenheim

More than 20 cars to start
Stuttgart. With a packed grid of more than 20 vehicles, the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland takes off into its 23rd season in Hockenheim on 27 to 29 April. And it brings many new features. Two races per weekend, higher prize money and an amateur classification make Germany’s fastest one-marque race series even more attractive. The two Porsche Juniors Klaus Bachler and Michael Christensen contest their first race with the 450 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in Hockenheim. Fans can expect much more comprehensive and diverse reporting on television and the internet. One of the highlights of this season is the guest appearance as support to the 24 hour classic on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.

Amongst the drivers with title aspirations is Sean Edwards (Great Britain, Team Deutsche Post by tolimit), the 2011 vice-champion, and two of last year’s race winners Nicki Thiim (Denmark, Hermes Attempto Racing) and Jaap van Lagen (Netherlands, FE-Racing by Land Motorsport) as well as Norbert Siedler (Austria), who follows in the footsteps of Nick Tandy with the Konrad Motorsport squad. After winning the championship title of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland last year, the greatest success of his career, Tandy has made the switch to international GT racing. Kévin Estre is another driver who is good for a surprise in the Carrera Cup. Last year, the Frenchman clinched the Rookie of the Year title in the international Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

“I would love to start the new season how I finished the last one – with a win in Hockenheim,” says Sean Edwards. “The circuit is interesting and there is always a fantastic atmosphere in the Motodrom.”

The new Porsche Juniors Klaus Bachler and Michael Christensen prevailed in a selection process against other talented young drivers from around the world. The 20-year-old Austrian and the 21-year-old Dane compete for well known teams that they have chosen themselves. Bachler races for Deutsche Post by tolimit, Christensen for Konrad Motorsport. Aside from financial support, the new Juniors receive similar assistance to the Porsche works drivers, not least from the successful professional racer Sascha Maassen who has taken on the role as Junior coach.

Two sprint races instead of one each weekend – this gives drivers more track time and provides more action for drivers, teams and spectators alike. Race one on Saturday runs over approximately 60 kilometres, with Sunday’s race over an 80 kilometre distance remaining the same. A new incentive is now offered with the creation of a B-classification for amateur drivers with the highlight being its own podium ceremony. This new feature has attracted a young lady driver. Twenty-year-old Christina Nielsen from Denmark drives for Farnbacher Racing. Porsche increases the prize money for 2012 by around 100,000 Euro with the total that is paid out to teams and drivers now more than half a million Euro.

The media as well recognise the high value of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland with extensive coverage. On Monday after each race weekend, news channel N24 broadcasts a 30-minute “Porsche Carrera Cup Magazin” at 6.30 pm. Televising coverage of the race series, its participants and highlights of the weekend, the news series also takes a look behind the scenes of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. Sport1 also analyses the race action in the week after the race in a 30-minute report – and shows a large proportion of the races live or time delayed later on Sunday. Moreover, the races of the Carrera Cup Deutschland will be highlighted by various sports channels in Germany and neighbouring countries. On the official Porsche website (www.porsche.com), all races are broadcast live exclusively and in high quality – with editorial reports before the actual live-streaming, live-timing and commentary in Germany and English. As another service, viewers can watch the race either via a media centre or the Porsche channel on YouTube at any time and as often as desired.

All pilots contesting the Carrera Cup Deutschland compete with identical Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. The 450 hp GT race car is based on the lightweight road-legal 911 GT3 RS sports car. More 2,200 units of the various model generations have been delivered to motorsport customers around the world since 1998, making the GT3 Cup the top-selling race car in history. The vehicle is built in the Porsche plant at Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen before being set-up for racing in the Motorsport Centre at Weissach and prepared for delivery to customer teams.

The races 2012

28/29 April Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg
05/06 May Lausitzring
18/19 May Nürburgring (as support to the 24 hour race)
02/03 June Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria
30 June/01 July Norisring
18/19 August Nürburgring
25/26 August Circuit Park Zandvoort, Netherlands
15/16 September Motorsport Arena Oschersleben
20/21 October Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg


Communication Porsche AG
Motorsportpress
Oliver Hilger

Audi A5 DTM before its racing debut

Audi A5 DTM before its racing debut
• DTM season opens at Hockenheimring on April 29
• DTM debut of junior racer Adrien Tambay
• Audi with youngest driver line-up of the three manufacturers

Ingolstadt/Hockenheim, April 20, 2012 – Exactly nine months or 275 days after
its roll-out, the event where Audi Sport’s youngest baby will begin to run in
earnest is now coming up. On April 29, 2012, the new Audi A5 DTM will go into
its first race at the Hockenheimring.
Audi has already managed two impressive showings at season openers this year.
With the Audi R18 TDI, Audi Sport Team Joest won the opening round of the FIA
World Endurance Championship (WEC) in the middle of March. On the Easter
weekend, the WRT customer team was triumphant with the new Audi R8 LMS ultra
at the first race of the FIA GT1 World Championship.
Now, the eagerly awaited DTM season opener, which marks the beginning of a new
era for the popular touring car racing series, is following suit. For the first time since
2003, the DTM is racing with coupe cars. And for the first time in 20 years, the three
big German premium manufacturers – Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz – are
competing against each other again.
Despite several joint track tests – most recently at Valencia, Spain, and at the
Hockenheimring – the relative strengths have not really been determined so far.
Which of the competitors has done the best job of developing the new DTM vehicle
generation will only become obvious – at the earliest – in the first qualifying event
and 24 hours later at the first race covering a distance of nearly 175 kilometers
(both live on “Das Erste”).
Eight new cars in the field
Audi is fielding a total of eight newly assembled A5 DTM cars at Hockenheim. This
means that Audi Sport even before the first race of the year has won a minor race:
the race against time. Finishing all eight cars and the associated spare parts on time
was a major logistical feat that could only be accomplished by a huge effort on the
part of the whole Audi squad, the three partner teams, Audi Sport Team Abt
Sportsline, Audi Sport Team Phoenix and Audi Sport Team Rosberg, and the
suppliers.
DTM debut of Adrien Tambay
Adrien Tambay in particular can be pleased with the outcome, as it allows the 21-
year-old Frenchman to make his DTM debut as early as at the season opener at the
Hockenheimring – the track on which his father, Patrick Tambay, won the German
Formula 1 Grand Prix in 1982 at the wheel of a Ferrari.
The youngster is the only newcomer to the current Audi driver line-up which – with
an average age of 27 – is the youngest squad of the three manufacturers.
For the brand’s newly developed DTM cars, the Hockenheimring was a good track at
past events. The last three models won their maiden races there in 2007, 2008 and
2009. In 2010 and 2011, the technology in the DTM was frozen.
Quotes by the officials
Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): “The new DTM era with new
Technical Regulations and Germany’s three premium manufacturers united in a
championship event – that’s something the fans can really look forward to. We
developed attractive race cars that not only look superb and dynamic, but which are
quick as well and that can deliver a tremendous spectacle. Obviously, we’ll be doing
everything within our means to ensure that our new Audi A5 DTM leaves a
particularly good impression.”
Hans-Jürgen Abt (Team Director Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): “After a long
winter, we’re very much looking forward to the new DTM season. We actively
prepared for it and have tried to improve our structure and processes in any
situation in order to be well set for the big competition with Mercedes-Benz and
BMW. Those who know us are well aware of the fact that we’re always eager to
squeeze out the maximum in terms of performance. We really like the new Audi A5
DTM. I’m hoping for us to be at the far front with it after qualifying at Hockenheim.”
Ernst Moser (Team Director Audi Sport Team Phoenix): We haven’t had such a high
level of suspense in the DTM in years. Nobody knows where they stand before the
first race. As a team, we’re highly motivated but can’t really tell yet whether we’re
good enough as a whole. We’ve been making every effort to gel with our new driver
package to keep from having any kind of ‘friction losses’. I think that’ll allow us to
show what we showed last year too: that we’re among the front runners.”
Arno Zensen (Team Director Audi Sport Team Rosberg): “Everyone in Audi Sport
Team Rosberg is looking forward to the first race with the new Audi A5 DTM – a car
that’s not just great in terms of looks. We augmented our staff in the winter and
were involved in the development work with the A5 right from the beginning. That
gives us completely different prerequisites than we had in previous years. And our
two uncut diamonds, Filipe (Albuquerque) and Edo (Mortara), received some fine
polishing in their first DTM season.”
Facts and quotes by the Audi drivers
Filipe Albuquerque (26/P), TV Movie Audi A5 DTM #22 (Audi Sport Team
Rosberg)
• Took German lessons at the Audi Academy in Ingolstadt during the winter
• Is fully concentrating on the DTM in 2012
“I’m expecting an even fiercer competition than before. A manufacturer and
additional drivers have joined the series. That’s good for the fans but also for us
drivers. On position 14, you’re no longer at the rear of the grid but right in the
middle. Naturally, the air is getting even thinner. To be the best, absolutely
everything’s got to a fit to a T. But that’s how we’ve come to know the DTM – and
that’s what people value in the DTM.”
Mattias Ekström (33/S), Red Bull Audi A5 DTM #3 (Audi Sport Team Abt
Sportsline)
• Won the 2007 and 2008 season openers
• Finished last year’s race as the runner-up
“After working so long on developing a new car it’s nice to finally drive races and to
see how quick it is. It’s become tradition for the new DTM season to start at
Hockenheim but this year the race will surely be special because in BMW a new
manufacturer has joined the series. The DTM fans have been waiting for this
moment for a long time.”
Rahel Frey (26/CH), E-POSTBRIEF Audi A5 DTM #17, Audi Sport Team Abt)
• Is tackling her second DTM season
• Switched from Phoenix to Abt in winter

“I’m really excited about the new season – finally – starting. I worked hard during
the winter and thoroughly prepared myself, both mentally and physically. I finally
want to see the results of my work – and also where I stand. I want to further
improve compared with last year. I’ve got the opportunity to do so in Audi Sport
Team Abt Sportsline. I feel really well received there.”
Miguel Molina (23/E), Red Bull Audi A5 DTM #10 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix)
• Clinched two pole positions at the last three DTM races of the 2011 season
• Took his first DTM podium at the 2011 finale at Hockenheim
“The first race of the year is always special. For me, this is now the third DTM season
opener – and each one took place at Hockenheim. I’m looking forward to it, even
though it’ll be tough. I want to be as competitive as I was in the final races last year.
With three manufacturers in the field, it’ll be a fantastic championship – and
Hockenheim is just the beginning.”
Edoardo Mortara (25/I/F), Playboy Audi A5 DTM #21 (Audi Sport Team Rosberg)
• Was the best rookie in the DTM last year
• Has a new vehicle engineer – Erich Baumgärtner
“Alongside Audi and Mercedes-Benz, BMW is joining the field as a new
manufacturer. This means the beginning of a new era in the DTM, which looks very
positive. I’m happy to be part of it. It’ll be interesting for us and also for the fans. I
think that with the new cars the DTM will be even more spectacular than before. I’m
hoping that 2012 will be a great season for Audi, the DTM and the spectators.”
Mike Rockenfeller (28/D), Schaeffler Audi A5 DTM #9 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix)
• Returned to Audi Sport Team Phoenix, for which he competed as early as in
2010
• Was the quickest Audi driver in track tests at Hockenheim
“The excitement about the new DTM season coming up is huge because a large
number of new factors are involved. That makes it very interesting. Obviously, the
biggest question mark is where we stand compared with the competition.
Personally, I’ve been doing fine with the new Audi A5 DTM and am pleased with the
tests. I’m motivated and eager to see where we stand. I’d like to win the season
opener!”
Timo Scheider (33/D), AUTO TEST Audi A5 DTM #4 (Audi Sport Team Abt
Sportsline)
• In 2008, won the final race at the Hockenheimring
• Has a new vehicle engineer for the third consecutive time
“After 2000, being part of the beginning of a new era for the second time is
fantastic – especially at Hockenheim, the most emotional place in my DTM career
because that’s where I won both of my titles. These feelings will always be there.
Being part of the field on the DTM’s revival for Audi is really special. We’re in for a
great future in the DTM.”
Adrien Tambay (F/21), Audi ultra A5 DTM #18 (Audi Sport Team Abt)
• Prevailed in an Audi evaluation of young drivers
• Is contesting his first DTM race at Hockenheim
“When you’re a rookie it’s always difficult to talk about expectations – particularly in
a highly competitive series such as the DTM. Obviously, I’ve set goals for myself. I
want to do my job as best I can, make no mistakes and finish the race – because for
me it’s mainly about gathering experience. I’m eager to see what kind of result I’ll
be able to score.”
The Audi drivers in the 2012 DTM
Filipe Albuquerque (P): * Jun 13, 1985 in Coimbra (P); residence: Coimbra (P);
single; height: 1.74 m; weight: 64 kg; Audi driver since 2011; DTM races: 10; pole
positions: 0; victories: 0 (best result: 2nd place); fastest laps: 0; points: 9; DTM
titles: 0; best result, DTM season opener Hockenheim: 17
Mattias Ekström (S): * Jul 14, 1978 in Falun (S); residence: Salenstein (CH); single
(partner Heidi), one son (Mats); height: 1.83 m; weight: 77 kg; Audi driver since
1999; DTM races: 114; pole positions: 18; victories: 17; fastest laps: 12; points:
534; DTM titles: 2 (2004, 2007); best result, DTM season opener Hockenheim: 1
Rahel Frey (CH): * Feb 23, 1986 in Niederbipp (CH); residence: Aedermannsdorf
(CH); single; height: 1.63 m; weight: 50 kg; Audi driver since 2011; DTM races: 10;
pole positions: 0; victories: 0 (best result: 12th place); fastest laps: 0; points: 0;
DTM titles: 0; best result, DTM season opener Hockenheim: 15
Miguel Molina (E): * Feb 17, 1989 in Girona (E); residence: Lloret de Mar (E); single;
height: 1.75 m; weight: 62 kg; Audi driver since 2010; DTM races: 21; pole
positions: 2; victories: 0 (best result: 3rd place); fastest laps: 1; points: 26; DTM
titles: 0; best result, DTM season opener Hockenheim: 8
Edoardo Mortara (I/F): * Jan 12, 1987 in Geneva (CH); residence: Geneva (CH);
single; height: 1.82 m; weight: 75 kg; Audi driver since 2011; DTM races: 10; pole
positions: 0; victories: 0 (best result: 3rd place); fastest laps: 0; points: 21; DTM
titles: 0; best result, DTM season opener Hockenheim: 14
Mike Rockenfeller (D): * Oct 31, 1983 in Neuwied (D); residence: Altnau (CH); single
(partner Susanne); height: 1.75 m; weight: 67 kg; Audi driver since 2007; DTM
races: 51; pole positions: 1; victories: 1; fastest laps: 2; points: 74; DTM titles: 0;
best result, DTM season opener Hockenheim: 5
Timo Scheider (D): * Nov 10, 1978 in Lahnstein (D); residence: Lochau (A); single
(partner Jessica), one son (Loris); height: 1.78 m; weight: 74 kg; Audi driver since
2006; DTM races: 119; pole positions: 9; victories: 6; fastest laps: 8; points: 354;
DTM titles: 2 (2008, 2009); best result, DTM season opener Hockenheim: 2
Adrien Tambay (F): * Feb 25, 1991 in Paris (F); residence: Aix-en-Provence (F);
single; height: 1.81 m; weight: 69 kg; Audi driver since 2012; DTM races: 0; pole
positions: 0; victories: 0; fastest laps: 0; points: 0; DTM titles: 0; best result, DTM
season opener Hockenheim: –
Audi DTM statistics
Champion’s titles: 8 (in 15 years)
Victories: 61 (in 194 races)
Pole positions: 64 (in 159 qualifying sessions)
Fastest laps: 53 (in 194 races)
All winners of the season openers since 2000
2000 Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz), Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz)
2001 Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz)
2002 Laurent Aiello (Abt-Audi)
2003 Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz)
2004 Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz)
2005 Jean Alesi (Mercedes-Benz)
2006 Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz)
2007 Mattias Ekström (Audi)
2008 Mattias Ekström (Audi)
2009 Tom Kristensen (Audi)
2010 Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz)
2011 Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz)
2011 flashback: Mattias Ekström with strong performance
For many fans, Mattias Ekström was the hero of the 2011 DTM season opener. Only
73 days after he broke his left wrist in a sporting accident, the Swede clinched
second place and thus a podium finish for Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline. Ekström
even took the lead after making a good start but was overtaken by Bruno Spengler
off-track on the outside in turn 1. After a defect on the rear suspension, Ekström
managed to save his race in a photo finish, barely beating Ralf Schumacher, who
made a mistake on the last lap and was almost outrun by Timo Scheider too. The
two-time DTM champion missed the podium by merely 0.671 seconds.
Track info
Track length: 4.574 km
Race distance: 38 laps = 173.812 km
DTM track record in qualifying: Mattias Ekström (Audi), 1m 32.244s = 178.509
km/h (Oct 25, 2008)
DTM track record in the race: Paul Di Resta (Mercedes-Benz), 1m 33.576s = 175.968
km/h (Oct 26, 2008)
Pole position 2011: Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz), 1m 34.270s = 174.673 km/h
Fastest lap 2011: Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz), 1m 35.230s = 172.912 km/h
Turnout 2011: 58,000 (throughout the weekend)
TV live rating 2011: 1.17 million / 9.6% market share (source: ARD)
Mattias Ekström about the Hockenheimring: “The season opener at Hockenheim is
always a very special event for us drivers because everything is new – from the
Hospitality through to team-wear. The first race shows the relative powers in the
new season. This year will be particularly thrilling because of the new vehicles and
the third manufacturer. The atmosphere at Hockenheim is always great – the fans
are just dying to finally see all the cars in action. Usually, we’ve got nice spring
weather at the season opener. In addition, Hockenheim is a great track for the first
race. It has a good rhythm and a nice mix. Unfortunately, there’s just one good place
for overtaking, in front of the hairpin, unless your immediate rival makes a mistake.”

Timetable
Friday, April 27
09:45–10:15 Roll-out
10:15–10:20 Starting practice
13:20–15:00 Free practice 1
Saturday, April 28
09:10–10:50 Free practice 2
13:40–14:50 Qualifying
Sunday, April 29
10:20–10:50 Warm-up
14:00 Race
TV schedule (“Das Erste” live)
Saturday, April 28
13:35–15:00 Qualifying
Sunday, April 29
13:40–15:30 Race

Audi Sport.

FIA WEC: Programme for the week of the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps

Programme for the week of the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
As with the Sebring 12 hours, the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, will take place on a Saturday. On the 5th May 2012 Championship contenders will be joined by other teams and drivers using the event as a final rehearsal ahead of the 24 Heures du Mans in June, or to add a second car to their line up, as with Pescarolo Team and Signatech-Nissan.

The week begins with the traditional scrutineering process Wednesday 2nd May from 8:30 to 20:00 and Thursday 3rd May from 8:00 to 10:00.

Two free practice sessions of one hour and a half each are scheduled on Thursday at 11:45, then to 16h25, giving the teams and drivers time to set up their cars for the tricky Belgian Ardennes circuit.

A third and final free practice session of one hour on Friday 4th May at 10:00, will give competitors a final chance to adjust settings before the twenty minutes of class qualification on Friday afternoon. The LMGTE Pro and Am classes and open the proceedings at 15:10 before giving way to LMP1 and LMP2 at 15:40.

Competitors have a warm-up of twenty minutes on Saturday 5th May beginning at 10:05 before moving on to the pre-grid activities including an autograph session to be held in the pit lane from 12:00 to 13:00, which is open to all spectators. The green flag will drop at 14:30 for the 6 hours of racing.

Spectators can watch two other races as a curtain raiser for the FIA World Endurance Championship. On Saturday morning the second round of the Radical Masters will take place at 9:00 and the Speed Series at 10:45, which features prototypes that serve as a springboard for future stars of the FIA WEC.


Discovering Sp-Francorchamps
Away from main roads and waterways the relatively small (10,000 inhabitants), town of Spa did not have much of a chance of becoming famous. However, this was changed by the commercial exploitation of mineral water sources and the racetrack founded in 1921.

The area in mainly French speaking southern Belgium has had its heyday in the 18th century thanks to the 'spas' that attracted royalty from across Europe, like the Czar Peter the Great. A spectacular fire destroyed the splendour of the city centre in 1807.

However, the name of Spa has passed into the English language where the word "spa" now applies to any health and beauty resort, with hot springs or mineral water.

Known for its water source since Roman times, it was not until the early 20th century that industrial exploitation of spring water began in the region, the same year as the commencement of construction of the circuit in which a turn is named for iron-rich carbonated water sources, Pouhon.

Spa Francorchamps is internationally known because its name is attached to the first official name of the circuit. The city, originally Francorchamps, is only the name of a district of the town of Stavelot (another turn of the circuit) from the merger of several villages in the late 70s. But mother nature has endowed the Francorchamps with a valley whose mere mention sends shivers down the spine of all race drivers: Eau Rouge.

On the 5th May 2012, in the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, cars and drivers will be tested to the limit by the famous Raidillon - Eau Rouge combination, taken flat-out.
Jeff Carter/Media Delegate.