The outcome was not what the team was hoping for. The Audi R8 LMS GT3 had the pace but a
mechanical issue cost the team what could have been a podium finish in race 1. Higher
temperatures in race 2 proved too harsh, causing both Mitch Gilbert and Aditya Patel to drive more
cautiously to stay in the race.
“As you can see from what happened last year, one point was all it took to determine the
Championship. So this weekend may not have been the best for us but we always look at the
positives and that one point is still very important in the Championship fight, which is still a long way
to go,” said Cornelius Ee, Director of OD Racing Team WRT.
The team struggled all weekend with pace and qualified 6th and 11th respectively during the
sessions but as Saturday progressed, things started to look up when Patel took the Audi R8 LMS
GT3 from a 6th place start up to 3rd just 15-minutes into the race. Then disaster struck when a hose
broke, ending the team’s race.
Gilbert started race 2 from 11th on the grid and was caught up in the fighting pack right from the
start. He fought hard but the brakes were wearing down too fast causing him to be extra cautious as
he tried to break away from the group. He kept his head down and maintained a good pace to hand
over the car to Aditya Patel in 12th. A clean pit-stop session and steady pace allowed Patel to make
up two places for the team to finish the race in 10th.
It is still early days for OD Racing Team WRT in their journey to the 2018 Blancpain GT Series Asia
Championship and the team remains positive as they prepare for the next race weekend.
Source : Audi India
