Having won a hat-trick of Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS titles in the Endurance Cup over the last three years, Barwell Motorsport is now set to embark on its first ever full-season programme in both the Sprint and Endurance Cups. The British team claimed the Endurance championship crowns in the Am Cup in both 2018 and 19, and was then victorious in the Silver Cup last year, but for this season it will enter a solo Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo in the Pro-Am Cup in both Sprint and Endurance series.
Barwell’s first foray into the Sprint championship will be spearheaded by Portuguese driving duo, Miguel Ramos and Henrique Chaves. Whilst 23-year-old Chaves is new to the team, Ramos has been a Barwell driver on and off since 2016 and was part of the successful Blancpain GT Series Endurance cup squad of ’18, when he claimed Am Cup wins at both Monza and Silverstone alongside long-time Barwell drivers Adrian Amstutz and Leo Machitski.
Continuing that theme, it will be a combination of Amstutz and Machitski (who were the Am Cup Champions in ’18 and ’19) who will join full-season drivers Ramos and Chaves for the Endurance events this year. Adrian will return to the fold after taking a sabbatical in 2020, and the Swiss driver will take in the Monza, Nurburgring and Barcelona 3-Hour races as well as the Paul Ricard 6-Hours.
Leo meanwhile enjoyed a successful #GTWorldChEu campaign last year, claiming third in the Pro-Am standings and scoring a spectacular Pro-Am victory in the Total 24 Hours of Spa along the way. Whilst the Russian will switch his full-season focus to British GT in 2021, he is making a return to the #spa24h to join up with Miguel and Henrique and try to make it two Pro-Am wins in a row at the Ardennes classic. The fourth driver for the Total 24 Hours of Spa has yet to be decided, but it is highly likely to be one of the Pros from Barwell or Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s current roster.
The team will commence its pre-season preparations at the Official #GTWorldChEu test at Paul Ricard on March 25-26, before the race season starts with the Endurance Cup Monza 3-Hours on April 17-18.
Mark Lemmer, Barwell Motorsport Team Principal: “Going for a #GTWorldChEu overall class title and competing in Sprint is something the team has been wanting to do for a few years now. And we know with Miguel and Henrique on board for the full season we should be challenging for Pro-Am victories from round one, with our fantastic Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo.”
Miguel Ramos: “Great team, great team mates. I’m sure we will challenge for victory in the overall Pro-Am category. I’m really looking forward to starting the season!”
Henrique Chaves: “I’m really pleased to be joining Barwell Motorsport for the upcoming 2021 season. The team has a very good record in the past few years, which shows quality and ambition, so I’m very excited to start working with them and to pursue race wins and titles. I’m also very happy to keep racing alongside Miguel and also to join with Adrian, Leo and Barwell Motorsport, so we all can achieve great success this year!”
Adrian Amstutz: “It feels great to be returning to my racing ‘family’ at Barwell for another season. I missed racing when I was out of the cockpit last year and I am really keen to get back in the beautiful Huracan. And I’m sure with Miguel and Henrique on board I will have a great chance of more success !”
Leo Machitski: “I just love the Total 24 Hours of Spa and having won there in two classes it’s a race that’s very special to me. So when the opportunity came up to go back again this year with my old buddie Miguel Ramos I jumped at the chance! I know how good the Barwell Lambo will be there and so I’ve got a great chance of making it two Pro-Am wins in a row.”
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@pressrelease Barwell Motorsport