Aaron Scott and John Dhillon will campaign an AF Corse Ferrari 468 in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship this season, while the team expand to a two car operation for the full season.
AF Corse – Ferrari’s de facto works team in GT racing – made their British GT debut last season with Scott and Dhillon as their only driver pairing for the full season, though the team added further cars both of the three-hour Silverstone race in May and the two hour event later in the season at Brands Hatch.
For Scott and Dhillon it will be their fourth season together in the series; “I’m really looking forward to the new season in British GT and for John and I it’s great to have the continuity of working again with AF Corse who are undoubtedly one of the best teams in the business. It’s also good to have 2 cars in the team and, with a strong driver pairing as our team mates, I’m sure we can look forward to a good season together in British GT!”
However, for 2014 the will field a second entry for the full season with drivers Richard Lyons and Pasin Lathouras to share driving duties.
Thai-born Lathouras comes to British GT after a championship winning season in the Asia Pacific Ferrari Challenge. The 20-year-old, who moved to GT racing two seasons ago, has also contested races in the Italian GT Sprint series and the Merdeka 12 Hour race at Sepang with AF Corse.
For Lyons the season marks a return to racing in the UK after more than a decade racing in Japan in both the Formula Nippon and Super GT series, winning both series in 2004. His Super GT seasons have included eight wins in the GT500 class, the premier class in the series – the pinnacle of GT racing in the country.
“I am extremely excited and honoured that I will be back racing in Britain for the prestigious British GT Championship with AF Corse,” said Lyons. “Most of the circuits I have raced on in the past with great results and look forwards to succeeding with the Ferrari 458 GT3. My team mate, does not have experience racing on these circuits but has been very successful and super fast in the Asian series. I think we can have a great partnership with AF Corse and look forwards to the season ahead”.
“This is the career break I have dreamt of for so long,” added Lathouras, “to come to Europe where all the best sports car drivers in the world race. Im delighted that Richard Lyons will be my team mate, he’s very experienced, fast, reliable and a proven winner, I hope to be able to learn a lot from him and I hope to contribute to the partnership. But also, realistically, I now have a huge opportunity, a fast team, a fast car and a fast teammate, so now I have to work harder than I have ever done to deliver and pay back the faith that so many people have placed in me”.
The team will field a third car for the Spa-Francorchamps and Silverstone rounds of the championship for Charlie Hollings and Jacques Duyver.
The Avon Tyres British GT Championship season begins with a pair of hour long races at Oulton Park on Easter weekend.
