The Gulf Racing UK team will return for a second assault on the Blancpain Endurance Series with highly competitive driver line-ups confirmed for the 2013 season.
After a promising 2012, the UK-based GT team will again run two McLaren 12C GT3s, and will be targetingoverall victories with a newly-formed Pro entry as Rob Bell is joined by fellow McLaren GT factory driver AdamCarroll and the young Belgian Nico Verdonck. The team will also continue to run a Pro-Am entry, with anexperienced and competitive driver line-up of the teams co-owner Mike Wainwright rejoined by pro-driverAndy Meyrick, who raced for the team at selected rounds last year.
McLaren GT works driver and double Le Mans Series champion Rob Bell remains with the team following astrong 2012 season which saw a string of impressive performances. He will lead the charge in the No. 9 car,and is confident going into the new season: We showed good pace throughout last year, and had a strong endto the season. The car was consistent and competitive, and I am excited by the new line-up we have, so itshould be an interesting year
As part of his role as a factory driver with McLaren GT, Bell has also been involved with the developmentprogramme for the 12C GT3 during the off-season, and feels that significant improvements have been made:The 12C GT3 had some really impressive results throughout the year, and became the car to beat during thelatter half of the year, despite being in its debut season. We have worked hard to move things forward, and the2013 upgrades look to have made an even more well-balanced, competitive package.
Adam Carroll was recently announced as a works driver with McLaren GT, and he joins Gulf Racing UK havingshowed impressive pace in the select rounds of the Blancpain Endurance Series he competed in last year. TheNorthern Irishman made the move from a successful early career in single-seaters, and is looking forward tocontesting the full Blancpain calendar: It is great to be involved with McLaren GT, and to join such an iconicteam as Gulf Racing UK for 2013. The blue and orange liveried cars have such a fantastic heritage inmotorsport, and its a real honour to now be part of that. I had a taste of what the Blancpain Endurance Serieswas like last year, and I loved it, so I am really looking forward to getting back out on track, and competing inthe full calendar with the 12C GT3.
Nico Verdonck moves to join the Gulf Racing UK team having contested the 2012 Blancpain Endurance Seriesin a 12C GT3. It was clear last year that the McLaren is a competitive and reliable car, and I am happy to beback behind the wheel of the 12C GT3, and looking forward to trying the revised 2013 car. I am also delightedto be driving for Gulf Racing as It will also be a very special experience to race in the iconic Gulf livery becauseof its great motor racing heritage.
Commenting on his teammates for the season, Verdonck add: Its great to be given the opportunity to drivefor Gulf Racing and to race beside two other top class Pro drivers from McLaren GT. I am sure that ourcombined experience and speed will enable us to extract the maximum performance from the 12C GT3. I feel,we have all the ingredients to perform strongly and challenge for victories and the championship. I cant waitto get back behind the wheel and I am looking forward to the first race in Monza
Swiss-based British driver Mike Wainwright contested the 2012 season alongside Rob Bell, and is confidentthat the new driver line-ups will be a force to be reckoned with this season: With the addition of the Pro Carmy new Pro driver will be Andy Meyrick. Andy raced with us last year at Spa and already knows the team well.My approach is unlikely to change, with an aim being to continue to gain experience and hopefully somesuccesses. I am sure Andy, and all the Pro drivers, will add significant value in this area. I am also confident thatthe Pro driver line up is of level to achieve wins and the championship, and that is our number one goal as ateam this year. All new drivers bring quality experience, past successes and importantly a team ethic which isfundamental to our approach
Our test programme continues this week in Aragon. On the development side, the car has had extensiveimprovements through knowledge gained last year, which we hope makes the car more competitive, and formyself, even easier to drive.
Mike will share the driving throughout the season with ex-Aston Martin works driver Andy Meyrick, who racedat select races with the team during the 2012 season. It's great to be back with Gulf Racing for the full 2013season. I have known the team for a few seasons now and made my race debut with them alongside Rob andMike at last years Spa 24hr. I feel totally at home within the team and believe that we can have a strongseason. Mike is a great team mate incredibly ambitious and focused to improve this season, and I am surethat he will become one of the strongest Am drivers on the grid.
Meyrick continued: Gulf Racing has some extremely ambitious plans for the future and it is certainly anexciting time for the team. In terms of the 2013 season everybody at the team are aware of how competitivethe Blancpain series is , however I am sure that we will have a competitive package. From the moment theMcLaren 12C GT3 first raced it was clear to see that it was a fast racing car. Since then, McLaren GT hasevidently worked extremely hard to make the 12C an exceptional car both for amateur and professional driversin terms of speed and also reliability. It's an added bonus to have such a car in the iconic Gulf Racing colours,which are always a fan favourite.
Gulf Racing UK Team co-owner Roald Goethe, who will campaign the Gulf Racing Aston Martin Vantage run byAston Martin Racing during 2013, is proud of the work that the team has put in over the winter months as theyprepare to complete the move from its current home in Bookham, Surrey to a new dedicated facility in MiltonKeynes before the start of the season. The new purpose-built 10,000 sq ft facility will offer full driver training,including a state-of-the-art 360-degree simulator, gym and physio suite.
We have been very busy behind-the-scenes since the last race in Navarra, with new personnel joining andpreparations for moving to our new home. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dave Price for all of hishard work and dedication to the team over the years, and welcome Matt Beers into the fold as our new teammanager. Matt brings a wealth of experience with him, gained through LMP and GT racing, and I am confidenthe will enhance the team further, and help us build on what we have already put in place to secure success thisyear.
Commenting on his recent appointment as team manager for Gulf Racing UK, Matt Beers explained: Workingfor Gulf Racing UK is an exciting opportunity for me to help build on what has already been established as astrong team foundation. There is a lot of potential in the team and this season we plan to start realising that.The commitment to the Blancpain Endurance Series and running competitive Pro and Am entries is testamentto that underlying plan as it is so competitive, and a tough environment to prove yourself but we want thatchallenge.
The team also has some exciting plans and ambitions moving forward, and it is great to be part of that andhelp to make it happen. We are looking to add to an already great heritage as the Gulf Racing legacy is quitesomething and so we have to work hard to do it justice. That really is the key for me putting in the extra effort to do something special the people in the team are ready and willing to do that.
Gulf Racing UK will continue pre-season preparations with a rigorous testing programme with the 12C GT3 inthe lead up to the season opener at Monza, Italy over the weekend 12-14 April 2013.
