BENTLEY END FACTORY GT3 PROGRAM

Bentley end factory GT3 program – Photo: InSyde Media

Reigning Bathurst 12 Hour winners Bentley has ended its factory GT3 program after the Intercontinental GT Challenge finale at Kyalami in South Africa on December 10-12.

By HEATH McALPINE

The program was paused during the hiatus of racing earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bentley continued its run at the Intercontinental GT Challenge in September at Indianapolis after winning the season-opener at Bathurst.

However, Bentley’s director of motorsport Paul Williams confirmed the close of the British marque’s works operation, which began in 2013 at the Gulf 12 Hour with the original Continental GT3.

Partnering with noted rally team M-Sport, led by Malcolm Wilson, Bentley’s GT3 journey has spawned two versions of the Continental GT3 and delivered the marque a Blancpain Endurance Cup, Teams’ Title in 2017, which included victory in the Paul Ricard 1000km.

The most notable win for the team was its Bathurst triumph earlier this year.

Bentley’s GT3 campaign achieved all of its objectives according to Williams, as its motorsport strategy changes.

“I want to start by saying thank you, on behalf of Bentley, to each of the 16 world-class drivers that have represented us over the last seven years,” said Williams.

“But special thanks go to Max Soulet, Jordan Pepper, Jules Gounon and Seb Morris who supported us when COVID put our works team programme on stop and who stepped-up to work incredibly hard for our customer teams in a compacted season.

“The Bentley Continental GT3 was launched in 2013 to prove and promote the performance of the road-going Continental GT and, by beating the likes of Ferrari and McLaren on track, we did exactly this.

“As Bentley moves rapidly towards becoming the world’s leading luxury sustainable mobility brand, the GT3 category no longer supports the strategy but there are some exciting changes in the industry right now and we are closely evaluating how motorsport can support the brand in the future.

“While it is always sad when a motorsport programme runs its natural course, we will all look at this with the same pride that we look at the successes of the 1920s and at the Speed 8 that won Le Mans, it is a fantastic chapter in our history but every chapter must end to make way for a new one.

“But first we need to focus on Kyalami. We have all six works drivers back together for the final time; we have Max, Jules and Jordan in with a real chance of taking the title; and we are ready to demonstrate that the Continental GT3 is still capable of competing at the top level.

“Thank you to M-Sport for getting out on track so we can complete our championship. Let’s send our drivers out on a high.”

Bentley drivers Maxime Soulet, Jules Gounon and Jordan Pepper are still a chance to take the Intercontinental GT Challenge Drivers’ title at Kyalami, but will be released from their contracts ahead of 2021, as will Seb Morris, Alex Buncombe and Oliver Jarvis.

Customer Continental GT3 teams are expected to fly the flag across the world next year.

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