Team WRT confirms driver line-ups for multi-car 2022 programme with Audi

Team WRT confirms driver line-ups for multi-car 2022 programme with Audi

Team WRT will launch a major assault on this year's Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS as it seeks to retain the championships it won in 2021.

The leading Audi team scored five overall titles from a possible six last term and is clearly bidding for even more in 2022, with a five-car Sprint Cup programme and four entries in the Endurance Cup confirmed for the upcoming campaign.

The flagship #32 car remains unchanged from last term. Reigning overall champions Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts will once again run a full season, when they could secure an unprecedented third Sprint Cup crown in succession, with fellow Audi factory ave Kelvin van der Linde joining them for the Endurance Cup. 

The big news of the off-season was the addition of MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi to the WRT stable. It has now been confirmed that the Italian will share his #46 Team WRT Audi with Frédéric Vervisch at all 10 rounds, with Nico Müller completing the trio at Endurance Cup events. Both drivers have previously competed for WRT, with Müller a regular at the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa.   

The #30 Audi will run a full-season schedule in the Silver Cup. Benjamin Goethe returns for a third season with Team WRT, while Thomas Neubauer will join him for the full campaign and Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer completes the trio at Endurance Cup rounds. The #31 will also contest the Silver Cup with series returnee Diego Menchaca,  British GT graduate Lewis Proctor and the experienced Finlay Hutchison competing at Endurance rounds. The latter will be joined by a to-be-confirmed partner in Sprint.

The #33 will run a split programme. At Endurance events, it will compete int the new Gold Cup class with the returning Ryuichiro Tomita joined by French brothers Arnold and Maxime Robin. In the Sprint Cup it will become a Pro entry, with the aforementioned Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer joined by Audi Sport factory ace Chris Mies. 

Team WRT is the most successful operation in Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS history with an unparalleled 28 overall teams' and drivers' titles. The Belgian outfit has been particularly dominant in the Sprint Cup and is also a perennial contender for victory at the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa. The squad will attend the official Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS test days at Circuit Paul Ricard on 7-8 March, while the season begins at Imola on 1-3 April.