Am Champion Amstutz Steps Down; Machitski to Continue

Photo: Barwell Motorsport

Two-time Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Am champions Adrian Amstutz and Leo Machitski won’t continue their partnership in the series next season, with Amstutz stepping down from Blancpain GT competition.

Driving for Barwell Motorsport, the pair became back-to-back Am Cup champions in July’s Total 24 Hours of Spa, clinching this year’s title a race early ahead of this weekend’s season finale at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

They recently took class wins in four consecutive races: at Spa and Barcelona last year before continuing into the first two rounds of this season at Monza and Silverstone. 

A second-place finish, coupled with first-place points at the six and 12-hour marks, was enough to secure their second title together at this year’s edition of the 24H Spa.

This weekend’s three-hour race at Barcelona, where they will share Barwell’s No. 77 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo with Miguel Ramos, will be Amstutz’s last full-season Blancpain GT entry.

Machitski and Barwell will continue in the series together next year, either in Am or Pro-Am, with a new Bronze teammate.

The British team will also run a Silver Cup entry again after taking class victory in Spa this summer with Sandy Mitchell, James Pull and Jordan Witt.

Amstutz, meanwhile, will switch his focus to the 24H Series and over endurance events including the Gulf 12 Hours, although some one-off Blancpain GT returns may be on the cards in the future.

“I’ve had an incredible journey in the amazing Blancpain Endurance series, which is the absolute pinnacle of GT racing for Am drivers,” he said.

“However I have achieved all my goals, and more, in this arena and the time feels right now to step back from competing at this level full-time, and focus on some different style of events with my favorite team, Barwell Motorsport.”

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.