A pair of works team Bentley Team M-Sport Continental GT3s to contest the final race of 2016Vincent Abril steps up to the Bentley Boy line-up for the first time
The Bentley Continental GT3 makes its Sepang 12 Hours debut this weekend (12 December) as its two Bentley Team M-Sport works cars enter their final race of 2015 with sights set on the overall podium.
In the #7 Continental GT3, Vincent Abril will join the Bentley Boys for the first time, as he steps up into the works team from the customer teams programme. The 20-year old from Monaco, co-winner of the 2015 Blancpain Sprint Series drivers’ title, joins his 2016 team-mates Guy Smith (GB) and Steven Kane (GB).
The driver line-up in the #8 Continental GT3 remains unchanged from the Blancpain Endurance Series, with Andy Soucek (ES), Maximilian Buhk (DE) and Maxime Soulet (BE) continuing to race together.
“Sepang 12 Hours gives us the opportunity to race in a region that is very important for Bentley,” explained Brian Gush, Director of Motorsport at Bentley. “In addition, it allows us to continue racing in the winter season and is good preparation for Bathurst 12 Hours in February.
“We’ve had a successful 2015 season, finishing the Blancpain Endurance Series in second place, so our driver line-up remains much unchanged. However, we look forward to welcoming Vince [Abril] into the works team ahead of the 2016 season and will be aiming for the podium with both of our entries in the Sepang 12 Hours.”
Fans will also see the Bentley Continental GT V8 S road car - from which the GT3 racer is derived - on duty this weekend at the Sepang International Circuit as Bentley provides the safety car for the event.
“It will be fantastic to see the road car and race cars side-by-side at the circuit and we’re looking forward to supporting the event this year” added Gush.
The Sepang 12 Hours is the latest event to be adopted by the SRO, the organisation responsible for the resurgence of GT3 racing around the world, and from next year will be the final race of the inaugural Intercontinental GT Cup.
The 2015 Sepang 12 Hours starts at 12:00 local time on Saturday 12 December. Follow and support the team on Twitter using @BentleyRacing.
Driver Quotes
Vincent Abril, car #7: “Making my race debut for the Bentley Motorsport works team is a dream come true. The Continental GT3 is an incredible car and I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel. Hopefully, we can continue our success from the Blancpain Sprint Series this weekend in Sepang.”
Andy Soucek, car #8: “The end of the Blancpain Endurance Series seems a long time ago but we’ve had some very successful testing in the last few weeks that leaves us very confident in our car over long distances. The Sepang 12 Hours is quickly becoming one of the major GT3 endurance events, and it gives us the opportunity to race outside of the main motorsport season.”
