Blancpain 2018 – Silverstone Preview

The worlds most competitive GT series continues basking in the UK’s summer sunshine, from Brands Hatch to Silverstone this time the 2018 Blancpain Endurance Cup.

In the 2018 Blancpain Endurance Cup, WRT Audi lead the way so far this season carrying their momentum through all rounds so far from Zolder to Brands Hatch and a race win in Monza in the first Endurance race of the season.
Strakka took second in the race at Monza and will be coming home to Silverstone just a stones throw away from their base hoping for a good race. A place they know well from all their experiences within the Le Mans series and WEC, shifting to Blancpain and GT3 is a big change but racing is still racing and the track knowledge they have here is valuable to any endurance race.

Another Mercedes team looking for a strong outing is Black Falcon, fresh from the 24 hours of the Nurburgring where the team almost achieved the win but with another final twist in the race the win slipped from their grasps. Coming home second in a 24 hour race around the ‘Green Hell’ is still something that can give you a lot of momentum into your season and change it all around for the squad.

Last years overall winners of this race and the title GRT Lamborghini sit in 3rd place when returning to Silverstone, Just one race win for the squad this within the Hands of Mirko Bortolotti and Christian Engelhart and for the endurance races see’s the same lineup from last year returning with Andrea Caldarelli, this squad must be looking at turning the tides and scoring a big win at this race to get their endurance campaign going and lay down their title chances.

A new car change a lot within a team and it has done just that for Attempto racing. Usually found running mid pack with Porsches and more recently Lamborghini’s but for 2018 the team have switched to an Audi R8 LMS and with that has come some contending speed, already claimed one race win this season how many more are this squad going to notch up before the season is done?

Home favourites have to be recognised as a force for this race, Bentley return home with the first race for their Brand New Continental GT3. Monza wasn’t their race with damage and not the pace they hoped but with no sprint races for the new car this season the endurance races are the only times this car can pick up points.
Household name, and Bentley works driver returns home with the squad for one last time, it was announced mid week that he would step down from the team into a more ambassadorial role with the marque. Smith has been with Bentley since 2001 when he joined for their Le Mans effort, 2 years later he raced and won the Le Mans 24 hours of 2003, a historic win and certainly etching him as a true Bentley Boy.
Fear not though the original style of Bentley Continental GT3 is still represented this weekend by Team Parker racing who contest the Pro-AM Cup, they came home in 2nd place in Monza in their Debut in the series and this being their home race and a circuit they have a lot of experience with, i’m sure the team are looking for another good result.