(pic is just a bit of fun - do not know what car/livery will look like at this stage)
Racecar customer moves up from Carrera cup to some GT action with this delectable Ferrari 458 GT3.
We did a mini site for Charles last year and have also done the the Pilgrim Foods site - where Charles works as a Commercial Manager:
PR below:Team Scuderia Vittoria has confirmed a full season entry in the GT3 class of the British GT Championship for its Ferrari 458, with both of its drivers making their debuts in the series.24 year old Charles Bateman comes to the series fresh from four seasons of Porsche Carrera Cup action – most recently with Dave Bartrum’s Motorbase outfit – and before that he raced Caterhams. While at Motorbase, he worked with Mike Pickup; and it was the former PK Sport boss who put Bateman in touch with his own former driver, Piers Masarati – now Vittoria’s Team Manager.“My four years of Carrera Cup have given me a good grounding in sportscars,” said Bateman, “but now seems the right time for a change - a new team, a new car, and a new challenge''.
“What attracted me most was the team’s ambition. I believe the 458 will prove to be a step-up from its predecessors and will be able to take on the likes of the Mercedes SLS on an equal footing. Michelotto make good, strong cars, which means they finish races.''“Although we’ve only met recently, my co-driver Mike (Lyons) and I are getting along very well and have the same ambition, so we should make a strong pairing.''
“I want to be able to fight for the championship in the first year, so when I compared the package that Piers brought to the table with the others we were offered, it was clear that this was the strongest.” For Scuderia Vittoria Team Manager Piers Masarati, the pieces are falling into place nicely ahead of the team’s first season of competition.“We’re delighted to have Charles on board for our first season in the Championship,” he said. “We spoke to a number of drivers, but held out as long as we dared before doing deals in order to make the right choice; and I believe we have. Charles is a very good driver - if you qualify in the top eight in Carrera Cup you are a good driver''“We’ll have a nice, tight, focussed team, with the GT3 car, and we’ll be developing the drivers throughout the year,” continued Masarati.''“We expect to take delivery of the 458 in early-mid April. We’ll then have a short test programme before heading back to the UK in time for the first British GT race at Oulton Park''.“It’ll be a hectic start for our new team, but we’ve got the right people in place to cope with the pressure.” The first race of the season will be at Oulton Park in Cheshire on Easter Monday, 25th April. Charles' sponsors, Pilgrim Foodservice and Henderson Insurance Brokers Ltd, have confirmed they will be supporting this new challenge.
Click here for the Official Pilgrim Foods web site - designed and built by Racecar
Click here for the Official Charles Bateman web site - designed and built by Racecar
