TF Sport looking to see out season on a high in GT Open finale

TF Sport concludes the 2015 season with an entry in the final round of the International GT Open at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and the priority for drivers Salih Yoluc and Euan Hankey is to simply build on their recent success (31 October-1 November).

The official Aston Martin Racing Partner Team raced to the top step of the podium on its first ever International GT Open outing in 2014 and made a victorious return to the fray earlier this year at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and Italy’s ‘Temple of Speed’, Monza.

Yoluc of Turkey and British racer Euan Hankey piloted a TF Sport-prepared Aston Martin V12 Vantage to a class win in Italy before a one-off outing in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), and the teammates will reunite for one final time in 2015, in the concluding part of the International GT Open at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The Catalan racetrack is the home of the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix and a mix of high- and low-speed corners, plus an abrasive and rather bumpy track surface, makes for a physically and mechanically demanding race.

However, having shown great speed over the past month, there’s a belief that Yoluc and Hankey can close the year with a flourish, although the teammates simply want to continue learning the ropes in preparation for a dual GT Open-ELMS campaign in 2016.

“I think I would just like to finish, as it’s an important for Salih (Yoluc) to continue his learning process heading into the winter months,” said Hankey. “This is more of a sprint race compared to our most recent outing in the ELMS and that should be good for Salih, as he improved a lot in the previous GT Open round at Monza.

“For me personally, I’ve only raced at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya once before in 2007, but I’ve taken part in several trackdays there, so I definitely know which way the circuit goes and I’m confident in my ability to do the job. I’m also pretty sure it will suit the Aston Martin V12 Vantage more than Monza did, as it places more of an emphasis on aerodynamics, rather than just straightline speed.”

Hankey added: “Looking ahead to 2016, I feel the International GT Open is definitely something we’d like to do, but I wouldn’t expect to achieve many significant results, as a team can field any combination of drivers, from a bronze-level pairing to platinums. However, it would certainly be good practice for the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), with many of the circuits featuring on both calendars.”

Source material - TF Sport
Photo credit - GT Open