The field of up to 22 identical Audi R8 LMS Cup cars will race across Asia's finest tracks with Rounds 1 & 2 set for this weekend.
From Zhuhai, the Cup heads to the Korea International Circuit in South Korea, prior to making its debut in Chinese Taipei at the Penbay International Circuit this summer. From there, the Cup travels to Malaysia in August prior to marking another first for the series with two race weekends in support of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
At Fuji from October 10th - 11th and at the Audi R8 LMS Cup season finale in Shanghai from October 31st - November 1st, fans of the brand with the Four Rings will have a chance to see the Audi motorsport family unite, with the Cup and the Audi Sport WEC team racing alongside each other.
Highlights from the Audi R8 LMS Cup will be broadcast on sports channels across Asia, including Fox Sports and Star Sports. In 2014, Audi R8 LMS Cup broadcasts reached more than 30 million households. Live streaming will again be available this season at www.audir8lmscup.com.
Defending Audi R8 LMS Cup champion and former F1 driver Alex Yoong of Malaysia returns for 2015, and will go up against the likes of Hong Kong's Marchy Lee, the 2012 champion, Swiss GT specialist Rahel Frey, and Chinese racing star Franky Cheng Congfu. Cheng will race with the new FAW-VW Audi Racing Team from Audi's joint venture in China.
This year, the new race weekend format will feature one rolling start (Race 1) and one standing start (Race 2). Among the new enhancements to the Audi R8 LMS Cup car is a new launch control technology to assist the drivers from standing starts; a lighter clutch for a more agile response; a recessed rear wing for greater aerodynamic downforce; and a modified brake system for optimized braking force distribution.
Tactics and strategy are as crucial as ever. This season, drivers will be permitted two sets of tyres during qualifying and two sets for the weekend's double-header. The push-to-pass system - introduced in 2014 and a first for a GT3 series - again brings a unique tactical element to the Cup by giving drivers temporary power boosts. The number of push-to-pass boosts is limited, and makes for exciting maneuvers throughout the field.
