Garage 59 Confirms Factory McLaren GT Driver Lineup

Photo: Vison Sport Agency

Garage 59, the new factory backed McLaren GT team, has confirmed its driver lineup for the Blancpain GT Series, which will feature a mix of factory and junior drivers.

The British team, registered to Andrew Kirkaldy’s CRS Racing Limited, will field two McLaren 650S GT3s in the Blancpain Endurance Cup, with a single entry in the Sprint Cup.

Factory drivers Rob Bell, Come Ledogar and Shane van Gisbergen will contest the Endurance Cup alongside McLaren GT Academy drivers Andrew Watson, Struan Moore and Alex Fontana.

Bell, meanwhile, will additionally take part in the five-round Sprint Cup alongside Alvaro Parente, whose primary focus will be in Pirelli World Challenge this year.

McLaren GT Sporting Manager Bas Leinders will act as team manger, with a number of other key staff from the British manufacturer present in the operation.

‘The driver line-up in place with Garage 59 highlights the intentions the team has for the season,” said McLaren GT Managing Director Kirkaldy.

“With a mixture of experience and exciting young talent in the roster of factory and academy drivers, and key engineering and strategic support on the pit wall, the team is well-placed to be a true contender in the championship.

“Working closely with the team throughout the season ahead, and with valuable feedback available from the drivers in real-world race environments, it will also help us improve and develop the car further, benefitting all customer teams globally.”

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