Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse will be back on the British GT Championship grid for 2016 in a rather unfamiliar car, as the team gets set to campaign a McLaren 650S GT3.
Rather different than the trusty BMW Z4 GT3 that has served them well for a number of years, the McLaren comes with the Woking outfit’s customer support team – Garage 59 – and a familiar factory face behind the wheel.
That’s because Rob Bell, he of Asian Le Mans Series title winning fame, will be the lead driver in the entry with Ecurie Ecosse regular Alasdair McCaig taking on the British GT Championship for the first time in a number of seasons.
Bell said: “It is great to have the chance to race back on home soil. Since joining McLaren GT as a Factory Driver in 2011 I have had the opportunity to race at some of the world’s most iconic circuits like Monza, the Nurburgring, Sepang and Spa, to name a few. But it is always special to race on my old stomping grounds with the support of the British fans, which are the best in the world. The British GT championship has been growing in stature over the past few years, and this season looks set to be one of the toughest yet for the team, the 650S GT3, and myself but I am confident that all parties are fully up to the challenge.”
The move to the 650S means Ecurie Ecosse will be leaving behind Barwell Motorsport, the team that has ran the Scottish team’s entries for several seasons.
McCaig thanked Barwell for their support but is looking forward to becoming a McLaren customer team: “As this exciting chapter begins for Ecurie Ecosse, it brings our partnership with Barwell Motorsport to a close and I would like to take this opportunity to wish them all the best for the season ahead. Barwell laid the foundations for my GT racing knowledge and I owe that to Mark Lemmer and his fantastic team. I would also like to thank Black Bull Whiskey and the John Clark Motor Group for their continued support for the 2016 season. As for the year ahead, I’m looking forward to driving alongside Rob who has a wealth of experience and I am sure we will be challenging for top results from the first round.”