This week Audi Sport held their end of season presentations in Nackarsulm. As well as celebrating the 2014 season which saw the four rings take yet another victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the German manufacture also looked ahead to the 2015 season. It was there they made their announcement about who would be filling the seat, vacated by Tom Kristensen.In addition to the driver line-up announcement, Audi also announced that it will bring back the the proven Audi R18 e-tron quattro next year.
The Briton, Oliver Jarvis will take the seat and drive for Audi in LMP1 next year alongside Loic Duval and Lucas di Grassi for Audi in the WEC. Already in the last few years the 30 year old has proven his ability to drive in the top level in endurance racing, driving the #3 Audi at Le Mans on several occasions. His best finish at Le Mans being third overall in 2012 and 2013 for Audi. His strong showings at the endurance classic was enough to convince the powers that be at Audi that he is ready for the step up to a full WEC season.
With Jarvis’s promotion up to a full season drive, a seat has been left available for 2015’s third car. ADAC GT Masters driver Rene Rast has been chosen to take the seat. The 28 year-old German made his debut at Le Mans this year with Sébastien Loeb Racing. Rast helped bring the car home to a fourth place in finish in the LMP2 class. In 2014 he also managed to win the 24 Hours of the Nurbergring and the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in a GT3 specification Audi R8. Next year he will share the third Audi R18 with Filipe Albuquerque and Marco Bonanomi at the WEC rounds at Spa and Le Mans.
Source: Audi Motorsport Press Material