TF Sport to experience Blancpain finale in Germany

TF Sport will make its Nürburging debut in an exploratory outing in this weekend’s Blancpain Endurance Series’ iRacing.com GT500 season finale with its trio of drivers, Euan Hankey, Salih Yoluc and Bradley Ellis, who will pilot one of the team’s Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3s (19-20 September).

After breaking its unlucky streak in formidable style at Snetterton with a double podium in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship, TF Sport then transversed the English Channel to Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for a one-off outing in the International GT Open with Hankey and Yoluc, who went on to record a brace of GT-Am wins to further the team’s GT credentials.

Concluding its British GT campaign with a memorable one-two finish, the Surrey outfit will now look to continue its fight at the sharp-end at this weekend’s event in the Eiffel forest with Hankey, Yoluc and experienced GT racer, Ellis.

With over 40 teams and 100 drivers expected to compete in the three-hour endurance event, TF Sport are under no illusion that it will be a tough affair on the 3.19mile Grand Prix-Strecke configuration, which encompasses a number of iconic corners, such as the tight Yokohama Kurve hairpin and the Michael Schumacher esses.

“The relationship we have with TF Sport has been fantastic and Tom (Ferrier) runs a brilliant team, and all of which are very supportive,” said Hankey. “This weekend’s Blancpain Endurance Series event is going to be a massive eye-opener for all of us, but we are purely going there to see what it is all about and to make a informative decision about what we’ll race in next year. I’ve raced on the ‘Ring’ a few times in the past in various championships, including Formula 3, VLN and Porsche World Cup, so I know the GT track well, but it’s been a while since I’ve raced there competitively. I’m not to bothered about track knowledge, it’s more about the ever-changing weather conditions.

“The Aston Martin is a really good car. It gives position feelings and isn’t too intimidating, which is great for Salih (Yoluc), as the main aim for this weekend is for him to gain as much experience as possible. The GT Open at Spa-Francorchamps was also a great experience and brilliant to come away with two podiums, plus we were able to run on the same Pirelli tyres we will be using this weekend.”

TF Sport Director, Tom Ferrier, said: “The Blancpain Endurance Series is a very tough championship and we will be up against some very stiff competition that have been competing in it all year, but we are going there more for experience than anything else, as the drivers are looking at it potentially for next year. It will be good for us as well, but I don’t expect anything from it. We will be where we will be, but it would be lovely to come away with a good result.”

Qualifying for the Blancpain Endurance Series iRacing.com GT500 is scheduled to get underway at 08.30 local time on Sunday (20 September), with the headlining three-hour endurance race later that same day at 14.45.