Audi India’s Aditya Patel aims to fight back in Thailand at 2018 Blancpain GT Series

INDIAinF1 Desk May 10, 2018

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Aditya Patel (left) and Mitch Gilbert set for Thai challenge.

Buriram (Thailand), 10 May 2018: Audi India’s race talent, Aditya Patel along with Malaysian Audi Sport driver Mitch Gilbert aim to fight back this weekend in Buriram, Thailand, after their 2018 Blancpain GT Series campaign got off to a rough start in Sepang last month.

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 Aditya Patel and Mitch Gilbert to drive more cautiously to stay in the race.

Piloting their Audi R8 LMS GT3, the duo had a less than the ideal weekend at Round 1 in Sepang where a broken radiator hose while running in a fine 3rd place in the first race cost them a podium and some valuable points. The second race also proved to be tough for the team as they found it hard to extract the potential from the car in the blistering heat of Sepang, scoring only a single point from the weekend.

Buriram is known for its extremely hot conditions during this time of year and with 30 cars on the grid, it is expected to provide some intense racing. Once again, the grid is represented by automotive brands including Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, McLaren etc.

“Sepang was quite a mixed weekend for us. Qualifying didn’t exactly go our way, but the car felt really good in the cooler conditions in the race 1. Unfortunately, I had to retire from 3rd place due to a mechanical failure. The race 2 proved to be an extremely tough as the track temperatures went up by nearly 30 degrees compared to race 1 which made it tough to fight.

“This weekend, we aim to bounce back and hopefully bring our championship fight back on track,” said Aditya who is also sponsored by 2go activewear and Jubilant Motorworks.

With a few changes to the car, the team is confident of a good fight back and aims to get back on the podium and back in championship contention this weekend. Race 1 will be at 1pm IST on Saturday and Race 2 will be at 11.30 am on Sunday.