Lance Stroll to make surprise GT appearance during...

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Method 1 driver Lance Stroll will reap the benefits of an surprising break within the Method 1 calendar to contest his maiden GT race.

The Canadian is called on the entry record for the opening spherical of the GT World Problem Europe at Paul Ricard on 11-12 April.

Stroll will drive an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 entered by Comtoyou Racing, sharing the driving duties with former Manor grand prix driver Roberto Merhi and Method 3 race winner Mari Boya.

The 27-year-old has prior expertise in sportscar racing, having taken half in two editions of the Daytona 24 Hours within the mid-2010s earlier than prioritising his commitments with Williams after which Aston Martin in Method 1.

Nevertheless, each these Daytona outings got here in prototype equipment quite than a production-based GT racer. Stroll made his debut on the IMSA SportsCar Championship basic in a Ford-powered Riley DP in 2016, earlier than switching to Jackie Chan RC Racing’s Oreca 07.

Nicolas Baert, Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3

Photograph by: Markus Toppmöller

GT World Problem Europe is among the many main sportscar racing championships globally and is run by Stephane Ratel’s SRO organisation. Ratel was instrumental in creation of the GT3 platform, along with the FIA, with greater than 1000 vehicles being constructed to the principles to this point.

The collection options a mixture of endurance and dash occasions, break up into the Endurance Cup and Dash Cup. The Paul Ricard opener will observe the endurance format, with a single six-hour race scheduled for Sunday of the race weekend.

Stroll’s GT look comes within the wake of renewed curiosity amongst F1 drivers in sportscar racing. Most notably, four-time world champion Max Verstappen has more and more ventured into this self-discipline within the final 12 months, with the Nordschleife-based NLS even adjusting its schedule to permit him to participate in final month’s second spherical of the season.

The Purple Bull driver, who has repeatedly voiced his frustration with F1 following the introduction of latest hybrid guidelines, can be set to contest the Nurburgring 24 Hours for the primary time this yr.

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The Dutchman raced the Ferrari 296 GT3 on his first top-class look on the NLS final yr, earlier than switching to a Mercedes AMG GT3 entered by Winward Racing beneath the Verstappen Racing banner in March.

Verstappen has additionally examined the Vantage GT3 on a number of events, the identical automobile Stroll will now drive at Paul Ricard within the coming week.