McLaren Automotive is to strengthen the commitment to racing in the UK’s premier GT series, the British GT Championship, in 2018 with the confirmation of an extension to the relationship which will see a Sports Series model as the Safety Car at each of the seven race weekends. McLaren will also have a strong presence throughout the grid, with four customer teams entering a total of seven cars across the GT3 and GT4 classes
Three McLaren Factory Drivers, including two of the recent additions to the line-up, will also be present on the grid, as Ben Barnicoat and Joe Osborne campaign the 570S GT4 with customer teams Track-Club and Tolman Motorsport respectively. Meanwhile, fellow Factory Driver Rob Bell returns to the cockpit of the 650S GT3, as Balfe Motorsport makes its long-awaited return to the British series.
The 21-year-old driver, who raced the 650S GT3 throughout the 2017 season, joins Adam Balon as track-club embarks on a second season with the 570S GT4 in the championship. The pair will be looking to make a strong start early on in the 2018 campaign, just as the team did last season by taking victory at the opening round before also winning the series’ blue riband Silverstone 500.
The 2018 British GT Championship is set to begin at the end of March on the traditional Easter Bank Holiday weekend at Oulton Park, running from 31 March to 2 April. The series then goes on to tour the country, racing at some of the UK’s most iconic tracks, including Brands Hatch, Rockingham Motor Speedway, Snetterton, Donington Park and Silverstone.
It will also make its traditional away trip across the channel to race at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit in the picturesque Ardennes Forest in Belgium.
More information about Ben's 2018 seaosn schedule will be announced in due course.