Team RJN has announced its return to the British GT Championship for the 2024 season. The longstanding British team is set to run a McLaren 720S GT3 EVO with a Pro-Am driver line-up of Simon Watts and former Nissan & Bentley factory driver Alex Buncombe.
This programme marks a return to the British GT Championship after a year-long hiatus to focus on its JBXE Extreme E commitments and its involvement in the production of the Gran Turismo feature film.
Simon Watts re-joins the team having last driven as part of RJN’s 2022 British GT campaign and is no stranger to the McLaren 720S.
“I’m incredibly excited to be returning to British GT with Team RJN following my debut season in 2022,” he said.
“I was forced to miss two rounds in ’22 and we still managed to achieve 3rd place in the Silver-Am Championship so I’m hoping to build on that as we go through this season. I’m privileged to be teaming up with Alex who has such a wealth of experience and who has won races and Championships at so many levels.
“Bob Neville has years of experience helping novice drivers through the fantastic journey of becoming Pro’s during the GT Academy programme, but I don’t think he ever counted on having to look after me! With Alex returning to the Team where it all started and Bob still at the top of his game after more than 20 years of running GT programmes, I can feel an energy building which is wonderful to be around and totally infectious.”
Buncombe (below) meanwhile, has more than a decade of experience with the RJN team, mainly via his factory commitments with Nissan.
“Bob and the whole RJN team are like family to me and it’s fantastic to be back with them for my return to British GT,” he added. “I’m really looking forward to lining up and working alongside Simon and getting behind the wheel of the McLaren.
“It’s been 10 years since I was last part of the British GT grid so I’m looking forward to racing the classic circuits that the Championship visits. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in putting this programme together.”
Team principal Bob Neville admits that it was strange being away from GT racing last year, but is delighted to be back racing at a high level.
“I’m delighted to be back!” He concluded. “I would like to welcome Simon to the team as a driver but also, as an integral part of the business. Likewise, I’m extremely happy to have Alex as part of our team once again.
“So much of the RJN story has had Alex as part of it and so it feels very natural to have him line up with Simon, twenty years on since our first appearance in British GT, which the new cyan livery reflects. There’s no doubt that the Championship is extremely competitive but with our drivers and the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, I’m certain we will have a competitive combination.”
