Bentley Motorsport will be doubling its efforts to secure success at this year’s Total 24 Hours of Spa (25-28 July), with four second-generation Continental GT3s competing for places on the podium. Joining the Bentley Motorsport team to pilot the additional cars are a new complement of Bentley Boys, with some exceptional talent drafted from within the wider Bentley racing family of customer teams bolstered by new recruits to the brand. Callum Macleod (GB) and Seb Morris (GB), both of whom have competed in the previous generation Continental GT3 for Team Parker Racing, will be joined by Rodrigo Baptista (BR), who also possesses Bentley GT3 experience behind the wheel for Bentley Team K-PAX Racing in the USA. These three talented Bentley racers will then be joined by newcomers Alex Buncombe (GB), Lucas Ordonez (ES) and Markus Palttala (FI), who will be making their endurance racing debuts for Bentley in the second additional car. Both cars that opened the season at the Bathurst 12 Hour will participate at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Steven Kane (GB), Jordan Pepper (ZA) and Jules Gounon (FR) will compete in Car #107 while the sister #108 car will be driven by experienced Bentley racers Andy Soucek (ES) and Maxime Soulet (BE). Leaving Bentley Motorsport ahead of the start of the Blancpain GT Series season is Vincent Abril (MC), who has decided to explore new opportunities as his career enters its next phase. Commenting on the expanded driver roster, Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush, says:
“I am delighted that we’ve been able to fill the majority of our driver slots for Spa so soon, with a wealth of experienced endurance racers. Callum, Seb and Rodrigo have all driven superbly for their respective Bentley customer teams, and as usual we always look within our wider family first when selecting new drivers for the most important races. Alex, Lucas and Markus bring a new dimension to the team, and all have proven ability in the key GT3 races. We will be looking to provide seat time with the new car to all of them in the coming weeks and months as we prepare for Spa, while we also make our selection for the last place in the 12-strong driver line-up. “At the same time, all at Bentley Motorsport wish Vincent Abril luck and success for the next part of his career. Vince has been a model Bentley Boy, and a great example of our process of moving talented drivers through our customer racing programme. He has developed into a thoroughly well-rounded driver with significant pace, and we look forward to battling with him on the racetrack.” Hosting both the Blancpain GT Series and the Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli, the 24 Hours of Spa is a key focus for the world’s most sought-after luxury car brand as it celebrates its centenary. In honour of this special anniversary, the Continental GT3s will be numbered #107, #108, #109 and #110 – a symbolic 100 added to their numbers.
[if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]