Bentley Targeting Launch of Global Single-Make Series

Photo: Bentley

With the Continental GT3 having achieved success on all corners of the globe, Bentley is aiming to take the next step and launch an international single-make series, which could come online by as early as 2017.

Speaking with Sportscar365, Bentley CEO Wolfgang Durheimer confirmed the British manufacturer is evaluating the potential for an initial four to five-round global championship for gentlemen drivers, which would utilize its race-winning GT3 car.

“We would organize the logistics and cars and they fly in, bring their racing suit and helmet and race. We’d do the rest,” Durheimer told Sportscar365.

“We want to do it globally because usually our customers are very international. They are successful business people and are [working] around the world.

“That’s why we think it would be a good idea to race on four different continents.”

While a number of manufacturers currently have similar championships, such as Ferrari Challenge, Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo or the Audi R8 LMS Cup, most are regionally based.

Durheimer believes there’s a market for a true global series, which could cover Bentley’s most successful markets, such as the U.S., China and England.

“We think this could be a very interesting component of our racing program,” he said. “We need a little bit more lead time to fascinate our potential customers with this idea. But I think it could start in 2017.”

The British manufacturer has laid out aggressive plans for expansion in the motorsports world, with Durheimer confirming its target to also enter the Prototype class of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, as well as expanding its Continental GT3 customer base worldwide.

“The sequence of our undertakings is clearly designed,” Durheimer said. “At the beginning, what we did last year and what we are going to do again this year, we need to be winners.

“We need to be able to win races, be competitive and to show this is a really fast car and a competitive team. Once this side is established, we can also think about the other side.”

John Dagys

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