Shane van Gisbergen will return as a McLaren factory GT driver for the 2016 motorsport season.
The Bathurst 12 Hour winner will continue to work with the McLaren 650S GT3 in European competition.
Van Gisbergen will race for a customer team in selected races, most likely the Blancpain Endurance Series which he won two races in last year. In 2015 he also competed in the Australian GT Championship, winning the Highlands 101 in November.
‘I am really pleased to confirm that Shane will race in a McLaren again in 2016 after such a strong debut season,” said McLaren GT managing director Andrew Kirkaldy. “He has proved himself as one of the quickest drivers on any grid since joining us last year, and his record of results speaks for itself.”
“The Blancpain Endurance Series is one of the toughest on the calendar, so to compete so competitively, and take two victories is a huge result. The recent performance in Bathurst with Tekno Autosports reinforced what we already knew about him, and underlined the level of talent and ability he has, and we are looking forward to getting back out on track this season and seeing what more we can achieve.’
Van Gisbergen’s GT3 commitments will run alongside a full Australian V8 Supercars campaign with Triple Eight Race Engineering, which begins in March.
‘It is an awesome opportunity to be a McLaren GT Factory Driver again this season,” said Van Gisbergen. “2015 was a great year for me with race wins in the Blancpain Endurance Series and Australian GT. The 650S GT3 has been improving every time I drive it, and I am looking forward to 2016 and hoping again for an enjoyable and successful year of racing.’
