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Motorsport
Motorsport
Sport
Jamie Klein

Motoyama SUPER GT Audi gets Evo II upgrade for 2022

The team, a joint venture between ex-Toyota GT500 squad Team LeMans and three-time SUPER GT champion Satoshi Motoyama, is going into its second season competing in the GT300 class in 2022, with Motoyama once again pairing up with youngster Yoshiaki Katayama.

It will be the only team running Audi machinery this year following the withdrawal of the Hitotsuyama Racing squad.

However, it will have the benefit of running the latest version of the R8 LMS GT3, unveiled last summer featuring revised aerodynamics - notably including a new rear wing - a new air intake for better torque delivery and four-way adjustable dampers.

Motoyama is hoping the Evo II upgrades, and a reshuffling of personnel within the team, will lead to better results after a disappointing 2021 campaign that yielded no points and a best finish of 12th at Suzuka.

"Last year was the team's first season, so we had a lot of trouble, and we struggled with the Audi's peculiar set-up," said Motoyama. "But this year we've overhauled the team system and we have already been testing with the improved Evo II parts.

"We're keenly aware that GT300 is a fiercely contested class and even scoring points is no easy task, but with our new freshly-liveried car, and also for the benefit of those who are supporting me, we are planning on going racing 'Motoyama-style', with full confidence."

#6 Team LeMans Audi R8 LMS (Photo by: Masahide Kamio)

Sometime All-Japan Formula 3 race winner Katayama added: "Last year was my first year in SUPER GT, and with the help of Motoyama's advice I was able to learn a lot. 

"I feel like I've improved my performance during this off-season, so I'll do my best to get out of Q1 regularly and race aggressively, aiming to finish in the upper positions."

While the driver line-up remains unchanged, the #6 Audi will have a new chief engineer this year in the form of Ryouichi Kondo, who worked with the Hitotsuyama squad last year.

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