Mikkelsen, Speed get Audi TT Cup starts

Volkswagen World Rally Championship frontrunner Andreas Mikkelsen and ex-Formula 1 driver Scott Speed will contest the Audi Sport TT Cup opener at Hockenheim this weekend.

The outing in Audi's one-make series on the DTM support bill will be only Mikkelsen's second circuit racing event.

"I did a Golf Cup race in Poland a few years ago," Mikkelsen told Autosport. "I enjoyed it, but I remember losing time at the start - that's something I have to work on this week.

"I'm actually really looking forward to racing the Audi, it's a good car and I'm sure the competition will be close, but as well as that, it'll be cool to be racing on a proper Formula 1 track."

Mikkelsen has just completed a session of driver coaching with his management company that involved some sportscar work at the Ascari track.

"This was a coincidence," he added. "I didn't know the race was coming, but being on the asphalt will definitely help me a little bit. Put it this way, the circuit in Spain is a little more like Hockenheim than Rally Argentina!

"As well as racing with the other drivers, I'm interested to take a look at the race car as well and see how the physics of what we have to do in Germany differ from when I'm competing on an asphalt rally. It's going to be a cool weekend."

Speed competes for Andretti Autosport's works VW program in Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship,winning the 2015 title. His most recent circuit racing campaign was with the Andretti team's Formula E arm last year.

Originally on Autosport.com