Optimum Motorsport has confirmed its second British GT GT4 entry this morning, the team revealing that it will race a second 2019 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 for Mike Robinson and Patrik Matthiesen.
The duo will race alongside the team’s previously confirmed GT4 duo of Jack Butel and Connor O’Brien in the sister entry.
Robinson has plenty of experience racing with Optimum in the past, he won the GT4 title in 2016 where he notched up three-wins from the first four rounds. There further podium followed to wrap up the title. The British racer was also runner-up in 2015 and 2017.
“I’m delighted to be returning to Optimum Motorsport, we have a great history of success together in the British GT Championship,” he said. “Since leaving at the end of 2017 they have developed a great relationship with Aston Martin Racing and having had the chance to test an early version of the 2019 Aston Martin GT4, I was extremely impressed with the car and the direction they have taken the car in. Added to that I am extremely pleased to be partnering with Patrik in 2019.
“The GT4 category continues to go from strength-to-strength and is attracting a lot of young drivers looking to progress their racing careers. Patrik showed in 2018 that he is ready to fight for the title and we are already working hard to make sure we hit the ground running at the first round and mount a strong challenge for the title.”
Matthiesen meanwhile, is new to the Optimum, though not to British GT. The young Dane has a great track record in Ginetta Juniors, British F4 and the CREVENTIC Series where he took championship honours in the SP3-GT4 class in 2017. More recently he recorded his first GT4 win in British GT Championship last year at Rockingham on his way to fourth position in the title race and has high expectations for the season ahead.
“Over the years I have been in dialogue with Optimum Motorsport and Team Principal Shaun Goff,” he added. “If there is a team that has proven that they can deliver the goods, it is them, both in GT3 and GT4. We went to a meeting with Shaun, I had the pleasure of meeting Mike. I went away with a really good impression.
“In 2018, along with my then-co-driver Callum Pointon, we led for a good part of the season, but outside circumstances made us end up fourth. We’re confident we won’t have such issues this year and I’m really looking forward to working with Mike and the team’s other drivers Connor and Jack. It will be an exciting season ahead and we’ll all co-operate and work together to get the best results.”
Details of the team’s parallel GT3 programme in the UK-based series will be announced at a later date.
