TEAM WRT TO DEFEND ITS GTWCE TITLES WITH A FIVE-CAR ENTRY

TEAM WRT TO DEFEND ITS GTWCE TITLES WITH A FIVE-CAR ENTRY

04/03/2022

Team WRT today revealed its driver line-ups for the 2022 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS. The Belgian squad will field a five-Audi R8 LMS entry in both the Endurance and Sprint Cups, aiming at retaining the five crowns conquered last year (Team and Drivers in the Overall and Sprint competitions, and the Team title in the Endurance Cup).

Team WRT Principal Vincent Vosse commented: “We are very happy to announce such a great driver line-up for the 2022 GTWCE season. Putting it together has required time and effort, but I am fully satisfied with the outcome and I would like to thank all partners for their support. It will be a season of challenges, as to retain five titles and field five cars is certainly demanding, but we are very excited to take up challenges of this kind. We will be present in three different classes and determined to do well in each of them while as per Team WRT’s tradition, we will have an interesting mix of experience and youth. Finally, I am happy to welcome to the WRT family some new faces but also pleased to retain long-standing friends.”

The line-ups will be as follows:

Endurance Cup

Car #30 : Benjamin Goethe (DE) – Thomas Neubauer (FR) – Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (FR) Silver
Car #31 : Diego Menchaca (MX) – Lewis Proctor (GB) – Finlay Hutchison (GB) Silver
Car #32 : Kelvin van der Linde (ZA) – Dries Vanthoor (BE) – Charles Weerts (BE) Pro
Car #33 : Ryuichiro Tomita (JP) – Arnold Robin (FR) – Maxime Robin (FR) Gold
Car #46 : Nico Müller (CH) – Frédéric Vervisch (BE) – Valentino Rossi (IT) Pro

Sprint Cup

Car #30 : Benjamin Goethe (DE) – Thomas Neubauer (FR) Silver
Car #31 : Finlay Hutchison (GB) – TBC Silver
Car #32 : Dries Vanthoor (BE) – Charles Weerts (BE) Pro
Car #33 : Christopher Mies (DE) – Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (FR) Pro
Car #46 : Frédéric Vervisch (BE) – Valentino Rossi (IT) Pro

As customary at Team WRT, the line-ups reflect a perfect mix of experience and young talent, with a number of new-comers to the squad.

In car #30, Benjamin Goethe, driving with Team WRT for a third season in a row, will be joined by France’s Thomas Neubauer (22), winner of the 2019 GTWCE Silver Cup. In the Endurance Cup, they will be associated with another French young gun, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (21), runner-up of the 2022 Dubai 24 Hours with Team WRT.

In car #31, we find three young but GT experienced drivers, with Britain’s Finlay Hutchison (22) to be paired in the Endurance Cup with Mexico’s Diego Menchaca (27) and Scottish Lewis Proctor (25).

Car #32 will see a stellar line-up of three Audi Sport drivers. Reigning GTWCE Overall and Sprint Cup champions, Dries Vanthoor (23) and Charles Weerts (21), will be reunited to defend their 2021 titles. Double ADAC GT champion Kelvin van der Linde (25) will join them in the Endurance Cup.

In car #33, Team WRT retains Japan’s Ryuichiro Tomita (33) for a third season. He will be associated, in the Endurance Cup, with French brothers Arnold and Maxime Robin (respectively, 37 and 22), both runner-ups at the 2022 Dubai 24 Hours with Team WRT. In the Sprint Cup, this car will be entrusted to Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (21) and another long-time member of the Team WRT family, Audi Sport driver, former GTWCE champion and reigning ADAC GT champion Christopher Mies (32).

Car #46 owes its number to the presence, eagerly expected by fans, of Valentino Rossi (43). The 9-time bike World Champion, certainly one of the greatest figures in modern sports, will start a new career in the élite of GT racing together with Audi Sport driver Frédéric Vervisch (35), who has numerous successes in GT and Touring car racing. In the Endurance Cup, the Italian and the Belgian will be joined by an Audi works driver with top credentials in GT and DTM, Switzerland’s Nico Müller (30).