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Intercontinental GT Challenge

Team 75 Bernhard “Helping Build Up” Effort With Phantom Global

Timo Bernhard on Team 75’s link-up with Chinese squad for Bathurst 12 Hour, GT World Challenge Asia…

Photo: Gruppe C Photography/SRO

Team 75 Bernhard’s new cooperation with Phantom Global Racing, which debuts at this weekend’s Repco Bathurst 12 Hour, has been described by Timo Bernhard as being a “long-term” idea and program between the two organizations.

The German outfit, which contested DTM the last two seasons, has shifted its GT3 program to exclusively support the Chinese Porsche squad, which will embark on a season in Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS.

Speaking with Sportscar365, the two-time FIA World Endurance champion and double 24 Hours of Le Mans overall winner said that core members of his crew have been retained and integrated into the Phantom Global effort.

“We have our own programs in Europe, like in Carrera Cup Germany. Our GT3 program will be together with Phantom Global,” Bernhard explained.

“This is the first race of the cooperation. We’ve sent engineers, manpower, with our experience and know-how from DTM, we will try to help the team.

“The first attempt is straight to an IGTC race in Bathurst. This is good start. Then we’ll support in GT World Challenge Asia. That’s the main program.

“Together, we’re helping build up a nice program.”

Previously known as Phantom Pro Racing, Bernhard indicated that the Chinese operation was “built up” and underwent changes in ownership over the winter.

“It’s not intended to be short term,” he said of the partnership. “This is a longer-term idea and program. We’re very happy. This is why I said I’m going to be here at the start of the cooperation [at Bathurst] and help out of the team and support.

“There’s good people on board, also from the Phantom Global team, like Martin Young, who is running the program. He’s very experienced in motorsport.

“I think we can build a nice program in the future.”

Bernhard said the team has set realistic expectations for its maiden Bathurst 12 Hour outing, especially considering the lineup features two Mount Panorama rookies in Joel Eriksson and Bastian Buus.

“For me it’s important for Team 75 because we have such good know-how with the 992 that we showed last year in DTM because it’s such a competitive series,” he said.

“Bathurst is one of these classic endurance races. I’ve never done before [as a driver] so I wanted to be a part of it as well.

“I think for us, not everything is new. But we want to do a good job, have a nice build-up to it. We have a good driver lineup with Jaxon Evans, we have somebody who knows the track; he’s been here before and is a full-time Supercars driver.

“He has been helping Joel and Bastian, who are rookies around the track. It’s really the task now to get everything going, to get the confidence in the drivers that they are fully dialed into the race.”

“War of Resources” Led Team 75 Bernhard to Leave DTM

Bernhard said the increasing costs and resources needed to compete at a high level in DTM led the team’s departure after two seasons in the German GT3-based sprint championship.

The 42-year-old also cited his Porsche brand ambassador commitments as playing a “big role” that takes up some of his personal resources as well.

“For me, it was… time-wise it’s really on the limit,” Bernhard said. “Plus, budget-wise, we were limited. It’s really become a war of resources in DTM.

“I really had to draw the line and say that we need to focus on the right things.

“I had more ideas and wanted to do more and more things but it was just limited on budget.

“It came down to the number of tires, the number of test days, the number of this and that.

“I think what we had, we did a pretty good job. We won pole position and had three podiums, also with rookie drivers, we did a pretty good job.

“My goal when entering a championship like that I want to fight for a title.”

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John

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