Changing times means changing programmes for Hasse-Clot

Originally destined for a full season assault on the British GT Championship's GT3 Silver Cup with Beechdean AMR sees twenty four year old Frenchman Valentin Hasse-Clot change pathways and teams to compete in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with the Garage 59 Aston Martin Racing team instead.


With this news having partly leaked two weeks ago during the confirmation of his parallel GT4 programme in the GT4 European Series with the AGS Events Racing Team in one of their AMR Vantage GT4's that he will share with Theo Nouet, we have remained tight lipped as to the details of this change of plan - one out of respect for the parties concerned but also because of the fluidity of the ongoing situation with all motorsport in these COVID-19 affected months.


Todays news with Hasse-Clot swapping SRO sanctioned Series and AMR teams comes off the back of an ongoing situation where he firstly tested for the Japanese D-Station AMR team as well as the Chinese based BSEM GT4 team late last year with a view of running an joint Asian programme alongside his British GT duties before the pandemic over there decimated the original Japanese Super Taikyu Series and China GT Championship calendars.

Hasse-Clot was also left in self isolation back home in France having just returned from the Far East when the British national Championship held their annual Media Day at Snetterton in early March leaving it impossible for him to be there or conduct any testing with the Prodrive supported Beechdean team.


Like many others who have subsequently announcement suspension or cancellation of their 2020 racing programmes (much like Graham Davidson and TF Sport did with their British GT GT3 entry last month) Andrew Howard has his family run ice cream businesses to consider first and foremost over any racing desires that he may have. This announcement does not confirm what plans Howard and Beechdean have for the 2020 season having originally posted a two car GT3 effort in Pro-Am for himself and AMR factory driver Ross Gunn and a new GT3 Silver Cup effort for Hasse-Clot and Jack Mitchel.

Hasse-Clot is confirmed to be partnering Andrew Watson abroad the #59 Silver Cup AMR Vantage GT3 alongside a third driver yet to be confirmed by the team. We understand that both Watson and Hasse-Clot tested together at Silverstone the week before last as well as all three prospective drivers at a two day test at Spa Francorchamps just last week. This car joins the Pro-Am #188 car from the team (again full line up yet to be confirmed) as the sole Aston Martin Racing entries into the flagship SRO series on the back of Swiss based R-Motorsports confirmation of their immediate withdrawal from all motorsport in 2020 two weeks ago.


What is interesting is Hasse-Clots insistence that he remains available to the Beechdean AMR team for any part programme that they might be able to participate in over these difficult months.

This compressed season will determine the metal of the young Frenchman as the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup rounds are supported by the GT4 European Series for their four rounds that start at Imola in just over a weeks time, ends at Paul Ricard in mid November but of course includes the toughest GT3 race of all at the Spa 24 towards the end of October.

Photo credits - Jacob Ebrey / BSEM / Garage 59