The inside line on Audi's factory stars

AUDI SPORT'S remarkable contribution to the LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour will continue this year following confirmation of the factory stars headed to the Mountain this February. 

Audi have won Australia's International Enduro on three occasions, more than any other brand, and a fourth remains very much a possibility this year.

They've also scored pole position on four occasions - an event record - including last year thanks to Chaz Mostert's late-session heroics.

Audi's German HQ will send a squad of six works drivers to Bathurst this year.

Three, Mattia Drudi, Christopher Haase and Patric Niederhauser, will share the Professional Class Audi entry, entered by Melbourne Performance Centre and running under the Audi Sport banner.

Among them, Haase is one of the most experienced International drivers in 12-Hour history, amassing six starts since his debut in 2015.

The 35-year-old German hasn't had the best luck at Bathurst - his best finish was ninth, in 2015, and has three non-finishes to his credit - but his enormous experience and raw speed will be an asset.

22-year-old Drudi, from Italy, made his sole Bathurst start in 2020 when he shared one of the factory MPC-run Audi's with Kelvin van der Linde and Markus Winkelhock. They finished 18th, after a series of setbacks, however were the quickest car on track for much of the race.

Niederhauser will make his Bathurst debut this year, however the 31-year-old Swiss ace isn't exactly lacking in Audi R8 experience.

He won the 2019 ADAC GT Masters Championship for the brand and finished runner-up in the 2021 Intercontinental GT Challenge standings for the Sainteloc team.

Audi drivers on debut at Bathurst have tended to perform rather well: five drivers have won the race on their first attempt, with Christopher Mies, Darryl O'Young and Marc Basseng claiming the 2011 race, while two of the three drivers in Team WRT's winner - Dries Vanthoor and Stuart Leonard - were making their respective debuts.

Meanwhile, Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Champion Yasser Shahin will be joined by two absolute stars in the form of Christopher Mies and Ricardo Feller.

The trio will share The Bend Motorsport Park-backed R8 which heads into the race as one of the key contenders in the Bausele Watches Pro-Am class.

Mies' needs little introduction to Australian GT3 fans: He's a two-time winner of the race and this year will make his 11th start - he's already the most experienced international in 12-Hour history.

He and Shahin have raced together - including in last year's GT World Challenge finale in Adelaide - and he is, of course, the quickest ever person to lap Mount Panorama in a GT3 car.

Feller was strong on his debut at Mount Panorama last year, driving with Shahin in the #777 The Bend Audi to finish a solid seventh. A year's experience will ensure the 22-year-old from Switzerland will be quickly on the money again this year.

Finally - last but very much not least - is the addition of 36-year-old Belgium superstar Frederic Vervisch to the fascinating Fuchs Lubricants Racing entry, run by PremiAir Racing.

Vervisch will make his fourth 12-Hour start this year and though his results at the race have been mixed - his best finish of 27th is hardly representative of his pace - he carries with him a strong Endurance racing CV that includes two wins at the Nurburgring 24 Hours in 2022 and in 2019.

Fred V will join Bathurstian Brad Schumacher and Supercars / S5000 star James Golding aboard the squad's Pro-Am R8 in another strong class contender.

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