and features DDP drivers and Pure McLaren GT Series alumni
Nine McLaren Customer Racing entries set to contest Intelligent Money British GT Championship’s flagship Silverstone 500 race
Four 720S GT3 and five 570S GT4 cars join grid of more than 30 cars for three-hour endurance race
McLaren Automotive Driver Development Programme (DDP) drivers set for second competitive event in 2021 schedule
Entry list also includes Pure McLaren GT Series alumni Mia Flewitt and Brendan Iribe
McLaren Customer Racing teams have their sights set on success this weekend (June 26/27), with nine entries on a grid of 31 cars for the Intelligent Money British GT Championship’s flagship race, the Silverstone 500. The McLaren entry – the most for any manufacturer represented in the event - for the three-hour race includes four 720S GT3 cars fighting for overall victory and five 570S GT4 cars, two of which are for the McLaren Automotive Driver Development Programme (DDP) drivers.
When the race gets underway after a rolling start led by the McLaren GT Official Safety Car, the field will be split into GT3 and GT4 classes, with the former group including the 720S GT3, which has been a title challenger in British GT from its debut in 2019. Balfe Motorsport’s father-and-son pairing Stewart and Lewis Proctor – the latter a DDP graduate - will be aiming to build on a solid start at the opening Brands Hatch round in which they scored a top ten finish and joining them will be Enduro Motorsport’s Morgan Tillbrook and Marcus Clutton. There will also be a season debut from Team Rocket RJN’s McLaren Factory Driver Euan Hankey and double Pure McLaren GT Series champion Mia Flewitt, who make their GT3 bow as a driver pairing after winning the GT4 Pro-Am title last year. In addition, Inception Racing will be entering a car for fellow Pure McLaren GT Series alumni Brendan Iribe alongside Ollie Millroy after the duo enjoyed an impressive run at the same race last year.
The 570S GT4 claimed a podium finish at Brands Hatch, with McLaren DDP graduate Jordan Collard and James Kell for Team Rocket RJN. The outfit also debuted the current DDP line-up at round one, with a points finish for Australia’s Harry Hayek and Britain’s Katie Milner. Team-mates Alain Valente from Switzerland and Moroccan Michael Benyahia are aiming for a strong run at Silverstone after technical issues meant they were unable to take the start last time out.
“It was a fantastic feeling to be back racing again at Brands Hatch after a year away. It was also great to score points in my first ever GT race around a track I thoroughly enjoyed driving. I’m itching to get back out this weekend for round two of the British GT Championship at Silverstone and can’t thank McLaren enough for the amazing opportunity to represent them.”
Harry Hayek, McLaren DDP Driver
“It was an amazing weekend at Brands Hatch; both Harry and I learned so much during the course of the weekend we and are so grateful to McLaren for the opportunity to represent them. We didn’t quite get the result we were hoping for, but we managed to get some points on the table and come away with lots of areas to work on before Round two. We are confident that Silverstone will be a stronger track for the 570S GT4”
Katie Milner, McLaren DDP Driver
“Brands Hatch didn’t work out for us, but everyone at Team Rocket RJN and McLaren Automotive put in a huge effort and good progress in testing at Silverstone has made us very positive for this race. We can't wait to drive our McLaren 570S GT4 around Silverstone.”
Alain Valente, McLaren DDP Driver
"Unfortunately, it just wasn’t our weekend at Brands Hatch but on the positive side, round two of the GT British Championship is just around the corner. Eyes on the prize at Silverstone!"
Michael Benyahia, McLaren DDP Driver
Completing the 570S GT4 line-up will be Fox Motorsport’s Nick Halstead and Jamie Stanley, who scored a podium finish in the GT4 Pro-Am category at Brands Hatch, and Balfe Motorsport’s Ashley Marshall and Jack Brown.
Image: Balfe Motorsport 720S GT3
