• Champion Audi Sport driver takes Audi's new R8 V10 plus through its paces at Phillip Island
• The R8 V10 plus is the fastest Audi production car ever built
• Winkelhock is the fastest man on the Nurburgring Nordscliefe in the Audi R8 e-tron

Factory Audi Sport driver, Markus Winkelhock, flew to Australia for the launch of the new Audi R8 at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit last week.

Although he had previously been to Melbourne as a test driver for the Spyker Formula One team, Winkelhock had never visited the picturesque and high-speed Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit. But after just a few laps, he was right at home behind the wheel of the new Audi R8 V10 plus.

Winkelhock shared his varied experiences of the Audi R8 with media, before taking them for some thrilling hot laps in the new top-of-the-range model, the 404kW Audi R8 V10 plus. Accelerating from rest to 100km/h in a mere 3.5 seconds, the R8 V10 plus is the fastest production Audi has ever built.

Winkelhock was a member of the team who claimed victory in last year's 2012 Nurburgring 24 Hour race in the R8 LMS ultra. In June 2012, Winkelhock piloted the Audi R8 e-tron around the Nürburgring Nordschleife to set a world record for electric production vehicles: 8:09.099 minutes. Capping off a stellar 2012, he was also voted ‚Race Driver of the Year' in the sportscar category by Auto Bild motorsport magazine.

To watch Markus Winkelhock in action in the new Audi R8 V10 plus around the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, visit Audi Australia's Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/AudiAustralia