In 2016, the Audi R8 LMS Cup season marks the fifth anniversary of the first-ever one-makes series for the brand, and it also saw the debut of the next generation Audi R8 LMS GT3 car, which made its first appearance in Asia at the iconic Macau Grand Prix in late 2015.
The Audi R8 LMS Cup released a six-stop, 12-race calendar that starts and finishes in Shanghai, and will see the championship visit five international stops, including it’s first in Thailand.
The 2016 began with a double-header at China’s Formula One facility in Shanghai, with the world’s largest Audi market hosting the season opener on May 21-22.
Two months later, the race is on to master a brand new challenge when the Audi R8 LMS Cup teams and drivers take on the impressive Chang International Circuit in Buriram as the series makes its Thailand debut on July 23-24.
From Thailand, the championship heads to Sepang, the venue for the Malaysian Grand Prix for rounds 5 and 6, before a return to Korea International Circuit on September 24- 25, ahead of the season’s penultimate event set for October in Taiwan at the Penbay International Circuit, a popular stop on the 2015 program.
Bringing the 2016 season to a fittingly impressive conclusion, the Audi R8 LMS Cup once again joins the Audi Sport motorsport family when Rounds 11 and 12 are held in support of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Held in Shanghai on November 4-5, the Cup’s fifth season comes full circle as the competition goes down to the wire and the 2016 champion is crowned.
In addition to the new GT3 car, for the first time the Cup will feature three service partners, with KC Motor Group and Phoenix Racing Asia joining Absolute Racing, which has worked with the Cup since its inaugural season in 2012.
2016 Calendar
Official Test / May 3-4 / Shanghai International Circuit, China Rounds 1&2 / May 21-22 / Shanghai International Circuit, China Rounds 3&4 / July 23-24 / Chang International Circuit, Thailand Rounds 5&6 / August 13-14 / Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia Rounds 7&8 / September 24-25 / Korea International Circuit, Korea Rounds 9&10 / October 15-16 / Penbay International Circuit, Chinese Taipei Rounds 11&12 / November 4-5 / Shanghai International Circuit, China