TF Sport will make two more appearances in the International GT Open at Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy (2-4 October) and Circuit de Catalunya in Spain (30 October-1 November).

The official Aston Martin Racing (AMR) Partner Team recently concluded the 2015 Avon Tyres British GT Championship with a one-two result and is currently in contention for class honours in the GT Cup, but it has also flourished in other high profile sportscar categories, including the International GT Open, Dutch Supercar Challenge and Blancpain Endurance Series during a full and comprehensive 2015 programme.

Tom Ferrier’s team from Surrey achieved a race win on its maiden International GT Open appearance in 2014 and returned to the fray in the most recent round of the championship at Belgium’s Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

Salih Yoluc of Turkey partnered with Euan Hankey in a TF Sport-prepared Aston Martin V12 Vantage in the Ardennes Forest and the pairing will reunite for the final two rounds of the season at the host venue of the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, Monza, and the home of the F1 Spanish Grand Prix, Circuit de Catalunya, near the majestic city of Barcelona.

TF Sport Director, Tom Ferrier, said: "We are very happy to be competing in the final rounds of the 2015 International GT Open at Monza and Catalunya, as they are both great circuits and it will be a great experience for both TF Sport and its drivers."

Source material - TF Sport
Photo credit - GT Open

TF Sport took a lot of lessons away from its exploratory one-off outing in the final round of the 2015 Blancpain Endurance Series – the iRacing.com GT500 – at the Nürburging (19-20 September).

The team tackled its Blancpain and Nürburging debuts with a sole Aston Martin V12 Vantage for Salih Yoluc, Euan Hankey and Bradley Ellis and the Redhill, Surrey-based outfit performed admirably in entirely unfamiliar territory and against a bumper field of more than 90 of the world’s most formidable GT drivers.

Red-flag stoppages curtailed its testing programme and placed it on the back foot going into qualifying, as its drivers had a very narrow window in which to complete both high and low-fuel race and qualifying simulations on new and used Pirelli tyres.

As a result, the car was an unknown for the TF Sport trio – particularly Ellis, who returned to the cockpit of a modern GT3-spec racecar for the first time since 2011 – but the pace was strong, despite suffering in traffic and changeable weather conditions and failing to maximise the tyres' grip during their peak operating window.

Some skilled and controlled driving from Ellis ensured the TF Sport Aston Martin emerged unscathed from a typically frenetic start to the Blancpain Endurance Series’ iRacing.com GT500 on the 3.19mile Nürburging Grand Prix circuit.

Ellis gained track position overall and in class on the opening tour and his pace was strong until he was baulked by a pair of battling Pros, although Yoluc took the next stint and a drive-through for crossing the white line at pit exit was the first real blow to TF Sport’s challenge.

The three-hour endurance race was a hard and aggressive affair and Yoluc did himself justice while competing at a much higher level than he's used to, and TF Sport threatened for a top-five result in class until the team suffered a significant time loss due to a decision not to carry out the second driver-change under Safety Car conditions

Factory Aston Martin Racing (AMR) driver and GP2 race winner, Richie Stanaway, will be welcomed to the TF Sport stable when the team escalates its GT racing programme with an entry in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) at Circuito do Estoril (17-18 October).

TF Sport – an official AMR Partner Team – has thrived in many of the most competitive GT racing categories the UK and Europe have to offer since it was founded in 2014.

The Tom Ferrier-led outfit from Redhill in Surrey has been primarily focused on full-time assaults on the Avon Tyres British GT Championship and GT Cup, but has made a splash during sporadic outings in other high profile championships, such as the Blancpain Endurance Series, International GT Open and Dutch Supercar Challenge.

A victorious end to the 2015 British GT season has buoyed the team as it looks forward to extending its reach further and welcoming yet another talented and high-calibre driver to the fold.

As in the most recent round of the International GT Open at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Turkish racer, Salih Yoluc, will be partnered with Euan Hankey, although Stanaway will join the teammates for the highly anticipated ELMS finale in Estoril, where they will vie for top honours in the super-competitive GTC class.

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.

Three Aston Martin V12 Vantages are now confirmed for the final round of the Blancpain Endurance Series at the Nurburgring next weekend.

Full season entries Oman Racing and Leonard Motorsport return with their #44 and #32 cars respectively. As previously reported its all change in the Pro Cup Oman Racing car with Rory Butcher and Stefan Mucke now co-piloting the blue and white car with regular Ahmad Al Harthy. The car will however only be racing for pride having endured a torrid season of poor or non finishes prior to this race.


In the #32 Pro Am car Paul Wilson returns to the car having had to miss the last round at Spa due to the impending birth of  the latest Wilson Junior! Whilst Tom Onslow-Cole did a superb job at the 24H in his place normal service will now resume alongside Stuart Leonard and Michael Meadows whilst they defend their runners up position in the series.

Newcomers TF Sport have recently announced an entry into Pro Am for their latest customer driver line up of Euan Hankey, SalihYoluk and Bradley Ellis. Whilst Hankey and Yoluk competed with great success last weekend in the International GT Open series, this race will be another step up the steep learning curve for them and the GT3 inexperienced Ellis who joins them for the first time.


Photo credits - GT Open / BES