Ahead of the Castellet pre-season test, Team WRT adds an ace to its 2016 driver line-up: Stevens-Rast!

Ahead of the Castellet pre-season test, Team WRT adds an ace to its 2016 driver line-up: Stevens-Rast!

09/03/2016

The Brit and the German to contest both the Endurance and Sprint Cups of the Blancpain GT Series

The Blancpain GT Series season unofficially starts this Wednesday and Thursday with the traditional two-day testing session at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Southern France. The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT is ready to hit the track with the five Audis R8 LMS presented ten days ago and has a big nice surprise to announce. The Belgian squad will enter in both the Endurance and the Sprint Cups an additional car, entrusted to a stellar duo: Will Stevens and René Rast.

The 24-year-old British driver will be making his debut at the top of GT racing and joins straight from Formula 1, while the German (29), a winner of the Spa and Nürburgring 24 Hours, certainly needs no presentation in the GT scene and starts its third year of continued cooperation with the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT.

The new pair will take part to all events of the Blancpain GT Series, except Brands Hatch (Sprint) and the Nürburgring (Endurance), because of their FIA-WEC commitments.

Commenting the news, Team Principal Vincent Vosse declared: “I am really very happy to be able to announce this deal. I have been following Will’s career for a while and really wanted to have him with us. It wasn’t possible last year, as he got the opportunity to be in Formula 1, but I am happy that we are able to do it now. I am equally happy to have René with us on a full-season basis for a third consecutive year. We all know how fast he is and he is simply the kind of driver that you want to have with you and not against you! This pair is a great addition to our line-up and I want to thank our partners who made it possible.”

Will Stevens commented: “The opportunity to work with WRT and combine Blancpain and WEC campaigns was a very easy decision for me. I am very grateful to Vincent for this opportunity and am really looking forward to working with him, the team and René. Their respective track records are fantastic and I’m confident our combined partnership will bring success. I am delighted with the way my 2016 plans have come together and will add further to my long-term career options.”

René Rast stated: “I am sincerely happy to be able to enjoy a full Blancpain programme also this season, and it is a great pleasure to do it again with the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT. We know each other well and we do good work together! I am also very happy to be associated with Will, who comes from F.1 and is very fast. I am sure we will enjoy the experience!”