Andy Soucek has signed to compete in a full season of the 2013 Blancpain Endurance Series with the ART Grand Prix McLaren in 2013. The Spanish racer made his Blancpain Endurance Series debut at last year’s season finale in Navarra with Boutsen-Ginion and after a test at Magny Cours last week he has announced his deal in partnership with Hyperion Energy. Andy spoke to us this morning about the deal and the season ahead.
“It is a great deal for me to be with such an established and professional team like ART Grand Prix,” he said. “In fact it is perfect because I will be working with an engineer called Gaetan Jego who has been with the team almost since the start and who I know well. I am convinced we will have a very competitive season.”
Andy is looking forward to forming a formidable driving team and believes that his partners will constitute a real threat for their rivals this season, saying: “I don’t know who my team mates will be this season yet but it should be announced shortly. For sure it will be a good level of driver and we will form a nice partnership within the team so we can fight for race wins and the title. That is the aim of Frederic (Vasseur) and the whole team this season.”
Soucek is relishing getting his hands on the McLaren MP4-12C once again, especially as new developments for the 2013 season are sure to enhance the McLaren package.
“There are up grades on aero, damping and some electronics so there will be a general development at our disposal so there has been some great work at the McLaren factory and lots of testing. My feeling is that I am in the best team, with the best car available, so I could not be happier. We did a test at Magny Cours last week. It was just a shakedown really and it was a good opportunity for me to get back in a good rhythm so that we can get to Paul Ricard next week and be in good shape.”
The thriving Blancpain Endurance Series has seen a number of big name driver announcements in recent weeks and Soucek, who tested for the Williams F1 team in 2009 was mightily impressed with the series on his one-off appearance last autumn.
“The quality has gone up another level for 2013 with lots of great former single-seater racers that have moved in to GT racing. I have competed against a lot of the guys in my single seaters and it will be tough for anyone to win the series. The Blancpain Endurance Series has proved itself to be the top level GT3 competition and from my first race at Navarra last October I could see it was well organised and highly professional but at the same time had a nice friendly and open paddock. I can’t wait to get started for a full season with ART Grand Prix and the McLaren MP4-12C.”