After four races on four continents, the 2018 Intercontinental GT Challenge has been decided. In a spectacular eight-hour race, the Audi Sport Team Land with drivers Christopher Haase, Kelvin van der Linde and Christopher Mies (D/ZA/D) swept to victory after 306 laps. Over the entire race distance, a battle for the lead raged on the legendary race track. The number 29 Audi R8 LMS took off from pole position but was thrown down the field by two drive-through penalties. A decisive move was made at the six-hour mark when the team made clever use of a safety car phase to snatch the lead. Earning 25 points for the win and 18 points for second place thanks to Audi Sport Team WRT drivers Robin Frijns/Dries Vanthoor/Markus Winkelhock (NL/B/D), Audi Sport customer racing yielded the best possible result and managed to turn the points deficit into an advantage in the manufacturers’ classification. In the IGTC, the two best-placed vehicles of a brand are eligible for points. The third Audi R8 LMS shared by Stuart Leonard, Sheldon van der Linde and Alex Riberas (GB/ZA/E) finished in fifth place.
