- Continental GT3 race programme expands around the world
- Works, Works-supported and customer teams for 2015
- Bentley Team M-Sport confirms 2015 driver line-up
- First race of the season will be the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour
(Crewe, 8th January 2015) Bentley Motorsport announces its full schedule of races around the world for 2015 after a successful debut season for the racing version of Bentley’s iconic Continental GT grand tourer, the Continental GT3. Building on the success of the 2014 season, which saw the Continental GT3 win three races on two continents and finish second overall in the Blancpain Endurance Series, for 2015 the programme expands to cover six race series over four continents.
Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush, comments:
“2015 promises to be a very exciting year for Bentley Motorsport, as we grow our programme through customer teams to see the Continental GT3 facing fresh challenges at new tracks across the globe. This year will see the most extensive campaign of racing in Bentley’s illustrious history, as we continue to use the Continental GT to build on our racing heritage.
2015 sees the brand’s Works team, Bentley Team M-Sport, return to the Blancpain Endurance Series. In addition, Bentley is also taking on three of the world’s premiere sports car endurance events. The Bentley Motorsport season will begin with the two Continental GT3s of Bentley Team M-Sport tackling Mount Panorama in the Bathurst 12 Hour on Sunday 8th February. Later in the year, Bentley will also enter arguably the world’s most gruelling endurance race – the ADAC Zurich 24h Race at the Nürburgring – an event for which preparations began earlier in 2014 when Bentley took part in two VLN series test races. The year will close with one final endurance race, the Gulf 12 Hours at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.
Alongside the Works team, Bentley announces additional partner teams to race the Continental GT3 in key regions, as Works-supported entries:
Following a race-winning half-season in 2014, Bentley Team Dyson Racing will contest the full Pirelli World Challenge season in the U.S.A.
In Europe, Bentley Team HTP will use five Continental GT3s to race in the Blancpain Sprint Series, Blancpain Endurance Series and ADAC GT Masters championship
In Asia, Bentley Team Absolute will compete in the GT Asia series
The Works and Works-supported teams are complemented by customer teams, who will extend the racing activities of the Continental GT3 even further, including events such as the Dubai 24 Hours and the Australian GT series. Bentley’s customer racers have already had success with the Continental GT3, including a win in the NGK Racing Series in Dubai.
The 2015 Bentley Boys
Bentley Team M-Sport also announces its driver line-up for the 2015 season. After scoring victories at Silverstone and Paul Ricard, and finishing second in the Blancpain Endurance Series in 2014, car #7 retains the all-British trio of Guy Smith, Andy Meyrick and Steven Kane. The three Bentley Boys are looking forward to a second complete season with the team, and to working together again. Andy Meyrick comments:
“It was an honour to race for Bentley last year and I’m thrilled that Guy, Steven and I will be together again in the Continental GT3 this year. 2014 was the car’s debut season and so second place in the championship was a real achievement, but that clearly leaves us room to go one better and that’s our target for the Continental GT3 this year.”
Car #8 sees an all-new and truly European team of drivers for 2015. Joining Bentley Team M-Sport are Spanish racer Andy Soucek, German GT3-specialist Maximilian Buhk and Belgian Maxime Soulet. All three have raced in the Blancpain Endurance Series before, showing prodigious speed and racecraft and making them natural choices to join Bentley Motorsport for 2015. New Bentley Boy Andy Soucek comments:
“It feels fantastic to join Bentley, a company with such a long and prestigious connection with motorsport. Racing for this team will be very special to me and I’m excited to take on the challenge. I drove the Continental GT3 for the first time at Portimao recently, and was really impressed with its performance. I’m looking forward to getting the season underway.”
Bentley’s progress throughout the season can be followed at www.bentleymedia.com or via the @BentleyComms Twitter feed.
2015 Race Schedules in Full
Premiere Endurance Events:
- Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, 6th-8th February
- ADAC Zurich 24h Race, Nürburgring, 16th-17th May
- Gulf 12 Hours, Abu Dhabi, 13th December
Blancpain Endurance Series (Bentley Team M-Sport, Bentley Team HTP):
- Monza, Italy: 11th-12th April
- Silverstone, UK: 23rd-24th May
- Paul Ricard, France: 19th-20th June
- Spa 24 Hours, Belgium: 23th-26th July
- Nürburgring, Germany: 19th-20th September
Blancpain Sprint Series (Bentley Team HTP):
- Nogaro Coupes de Pâques, France: 18th-19th March
- Brands Hatch, UK: 9th-10th May
- Zolder, Belgium: 5th-7th June
- Moscow City, Russia: 3rd-5th July
- Algarve, Portugal: 4th-6th September
- Misano, Italy: 2nd-4th October
- Baku World Challenge, Azerbaijan: 24th-25th October
ADAC GT Masters (Bentley Team HTP):
- Oschersleben, Germany: 24th-26th April
- Red Bull Ring, Austria: 5th-7th June
- Spa, Belgium: 19th-21st June
- Lausitzring, Germany: 3rd-5th July
- Nürburgring, Germany: 14th-16th August
- Sachsenring, Germany: 28th-30th August
- Zandvoort, Netherlands: 18th-20th September
- Hockenheim, Germany: 2nd-4th October
Pirelli World Challenge (Bentley Team Dyson Racing):
- Circuit of the Americas, Texas: 6th-8th March
- St. Petersburg, Florida: 27th-29th March
- Long Beach, California: 17th-19th April
- Barber Motorsports Park, Alabama: 24-26th April
- Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Ontario: 15th-17th May
- Road America, Wisconsin: 26th-28th June
- Mid-Ohio, Ohio: 31st July-2nd August
- Miller Motorsports Park, Utah: 21st-23rd August
- Sonoma Raceway, California: 28th-30th August
- Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, California: 11th-13th Septemberd
GT Asia (Bentley Team Absolute)
- Yeongam, Korea: 15th-17th May
- Okayama, Japan: 26th-28th June
- Fuji, Japan: 17th-19th July
- Sepang, Malaysia: 14th-16th August
- Shanghai, China: 25th-27th September
- Buriram Chang, Thailand: 23rd-25th October
- Macau: 13th-15th November
