M-Sport and Sparco will join forces this month as Bentley Team M-Sport’s Jules Gounon, Jordan Pepper and Maxime Soulet race for the Intercontinental GT Challenge crown at the final round of the season – the Kyalami 9 Hours in South Africa.
It’s been a tough year for world motorsport, but thanks to a celebrated victory at Australia’s Bathurst 12 Hours and a string of competitive performances with Bentley’s customer racing teams, the trio are just three points shy of the top spot and in with a chance of securing the drivers’ title.
The top-placed Bentley will be joined by fellow Bentley Boys Alex Buncombe, Seb Morris and Oliver Jarvis in a second Continental GT3 and both cars will be confident of a strong result – building on the team’s race-leading pace at the event last year.
Teaming up with Sparco and their official dealer in South Africa – MS Technic – the team will also sport a striking new livery in celebration of their long-term partnership with the Italian firm.
M-Sport and Sparco have long shared a successful connection with a passion for motorsport underlying both companies. Achieving worldwide success, countless drivers and technicians have benefitted from Sparco’s signature style and quality but this is the first time the two companies have officially joined forces to promote the race team.
M-Sport’s trademark flag is incorporated throughout the design and the South African flag is proudly displayed alongside – endorsing Sparco’s official presence in South Africa whilst also creating a special feature for local hero Pepper who will be racing on home soil in Kyalami.
The two Continental GT3s will be identified by yellow and green highlights running throughout the bodywork, and Sparco’s famous logo will adorn on the sides, bonnet, roof and rear spoiler.
All six drivers will also sport new, state-of-the-art Sparco racesuits – mirroring the new livery with M‑Sport’s signature flag and the same flashes of yellow and green. And on Tuesday 8 December, the drivers will visit the Sparco Shop in Johannesburg – spending time with the partners before the race.
M-Sport Race Team Manager, Matthew Wilson, said:
“The race team has become an important part of our business, and it’s a proud moment to see the two Bentley Continental GT3s carrying a special M-Sport livery at what could be a landmark event for Bentley Motorsport.
“It’s been a tough year for the sport, but we’ve all pulled together and thanks to the win in Bathurst and some fantastic performances alongside our customer teams, Jules, Jordan and Maxime are just three points shy at the head of the drivers’ standings and in with a real chance of securing the title.
“It’s also great to have Sparco onboard for what could be a momentous event for us next month. We’ve long enjoyed a close and successful relationship with Sparco who share our passion and enthusiasm for motorsport. Designing and developing some of the most technically advanced products on the market, they’ve been integral to our success across all forms of motorsport and I’m very happy to welcome them onboard the race team.”
Sparco CEO, Claudio Pastoris, said:
“For many years we have been very proud of being an M-Sport partner and expressively wanted to celebrate this collaboration in South Africa – where in 2020 we decided to reinforce our presence with an official single-brand Sparco shop.
“Sparco is a global brand and the partnership with MS Technic is strategic in Africa and we therefore took the opportunity to be consistently present at Kyalami 9 Hours – to support the team and local hero Jordan Pepper.”
Bentley works driver, Jordan Pepper, said:
“The goal is to end the season in the same way we started it when we took the race win at Bathurst with M-Sport. The win would secure us the biggest title in global GT3 racing – the Intercontinental GT Challenge drivers’ championship – and to do so on my home soil would be a dream come true.
“After a difficult year for everyone, it’ll be great to be back with M-Sport and get the full 2020 Bentley works team driver line-up reunited. The M-Sport and Sparco livery looks really cool and I’m extremely proud to have the South African flag on the side of our Bentleys. Let’s show what we can do together!”
