GT Notebook: GetSpeed Reveals New HQ
Adam Osieka’s GetSpeed Mercedes AMG team is set to expand with a new 3,000 square meter premises planned for the end of 2025.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the motorsport and technology center in the Brohltal Ost industrial area will take place in February 2025, and the move is planned for December. The previous company headquarters in Meuspath will then be rented out.
“Last year we celebrated our tenth anniversary. In 2013, under the name GetSpeed Performance, we sent a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup into the race in the Nürburgring Endurance Series for the first time. At that time, it was not yet foreseeable where the journey would lead,” says team boss Osieka. “We now compete in races all over Europe and beyond. As the Mercedes-AMG Performance Team, we are celebrating fantastic results and were also the most successful Mercedes-AMG customer sports team in the world this year. In order to be able to guarantee this in the future, we have to reorganise ourselves logistically. To put it simply: We are bursting at the seams in the industrial park at the Nürburgring. The new location, located directly on the A61 motorway, brings us many advantages without losing our proximity to the Nürburgring.”
GetSpeed was represented across several racing series in 2024 including the Endurance Cup of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS, International GT Open, 24H Series, 24h Nürburgring, Asian Le mans Series and the ‘Road to Le Mans’ races.
“We still have a lot to do and after eleven years our journey is far from over,” says Osieka. “With our new headquarters, we are literally laying the foundation for continued success in the future. In addition, we will also continue to drive forward our pioneering technologies such as stress level monitoring and Drivers Mental Performance. I am looking forward to the new chapter of ‘GetSpeed’.”
Greystone GT join International GT Open Pro class with Kell-MacDonald
Greystone GT have confirmed that International GT Open race winners James Kell and Dean MacDonald will return for a full-season assault on the Pro class championship in 2025.
The British duo claimed the team’s maiden series win at the ‘Monza 500’ finale in October and will next year race the same McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, in which they contested 2024’s final three events.
James first raced in GT in 2020, claiming wins in the British GT Championship’s GT4 class on his way to third in the following year’s standings and, last year, a class podium at the Dubai 24 Hours.
Runner-up in British GT’s GT3 Silver-Am category in 2022 and third in ’23, he stepped up to full-time international competition in year, winning the Silver Cup class at the 24 Hours of Spa, and then the GT Open finale with Greystone GT.
Part of McLaren’s factory driver line-up in 2024, Dean finished third in the British GT GT4 standings in just his second season of racing in 2019.
A winner in the GT4 European Series, Dean moved into GT3 in 2022 and won the GT World Challenge Europe Pro-Am title; adding a Gold Cup victory at last year’s 24 Hours of Spa and then partnering James to a GT Open victory at Monza.
James and Dean are the first confirmed pairing in what is anticipated to be a multi-car line-up for the Silverstone-based team.
James Kell said: “I’m already excited about getting the 2025 season started. I think the success we had across the final three events of this year have proved the point that we can be up there and fighting for podiums from the word ‘go’. Dean and I didn’t know each other until we started this programme, but already we have a similar mindset in terms of what we want from the car and how to push things forwards and the Greystone GT team have supported us brilliantly so far. The chance to challenge for an overall title is so motivating and if we can have a really positive pre-season, I think we can do just that.”
Dean MacDonald said: “It’s fantastic to have this programme confirmed with Greystone GT and James. The International GT Open is a high-quality series and the measures that the series puts in place to stop one team dominating, like pitstop success handicaps, mean that you can’t expect to win every race. That means that if you’re aiming for the championship – as we will be – you have to play the long game and bank as many points as you can at every event. James and I get on really well, Greystone GT always give us a strong McLaren and the performances and results across our three weekends in 2024 give me a lot of confidence that it’s going to be a strong year.”
Mark McLoughlin, Team Principal, said: “We’re delighted to turn James and Dean’s programme into a full-season effort. That was the aim when we took part in the final rounds of 2024, but seeing how well they performed with a podium on their debut weekend and the win to end the year made us determined to put everything in place for 2025. This will be the most exciting season to date for Greystone GT across all series and being right at the front in the International GT Open across a whole year is the firm target.”
E2P Racing Switches To Aston Martin For 24H Series
Long-time Porsche customer E2P Racing will switch to a brand-new Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO for its 2025 Michelin 24H SERIES campaign.
The 991 Teams’ champion of 2022 is set to contest all five European rounds of the 2025 Michelin 24H SERIES with Aston Martin’s latest generation Vantage GT3, and will do so for the first time at the Michelin 12H MUGELLO on 21-23 March, the first time the Spanish team will compete in the 24H SERIES with something other than a Porsche 911.
“Its new times for E2P,” E2P Group CEO Javier Morcillo explained to CREVENTIC. “It’s new times for E2P, after a long time and a great experience with Porsche, we have made the change to Aston Martin. The [Vantage AMR GT3 EVO] looks fantastic, and Prodrive and Aston Martin Racing have designed it very well. We hope to have a great relation with them as we have had with Porsche and make the Vantage very successful.
“We’re extremely anxious to get to Mugello!”
Goodyear To Supply NLS’s New BMW 325i Challenge
The NLS is making a major push to re-engage with and bolster the grassroots levels of endurance racing on the Nurburgring.
One of the key components of this push is the recently announced BMW 325i Cup and the NLS has now released the regulations for the new class competition.
Goodyear has also now been confirmed as the exclusive tyre partner for the cost-controlled class. The number of tyres per race is strictly limited in order to keep the costs for the teams in check.
“We are very pleased that our long-standing tyre partner Goodyear is involved as a supplier in our new class,” says VLN boss Mike Jäger. “This is particularly good news for the teams, because the tyres from Hanau are among the first choice in this segment and allow very good racing performance with a limited number of tyres.”
Alexander Kühn, Manager Motorsport Goodyear Germany GmbH, also says: “Great praise to the VLN for wanting to strengthen grassroots sport in the NLS with the BMW 325i Challenge. From our point of view, this is an important signal and we are happy to support the project.”
The limitation of racing tyres in the BMW 325i Challenge is a key factor in reducing costs and resources. In the past, there were teams that used three sets of tyres with three drivers in the race over four hours. Other teams could not and did not want to afford this luxury. There was therefore a distortion of competition due to the direct use of budget.
The BMW 325i Challenge regulations stipulate that a maximum of six tyres may be used over the four-hour distance. In the 6-hour race, the limit is set at eight tyres.
After many good discussions with interested teams and drivers, the permitted vehicles were adjusted. While originally only the use of models from the E90 (saloon) series was envisaged, the range now also extends to E91 (Touring), E92 (Coups) and E46. The entire production period ranges from 09/2000 to 12/2011.
GWR Australia Add Supra To Growing Monochrome GT4 Australia Grid
Title-winning team GWR Australia will expand into Monochrome GT4 Australia by entering Formula Ford graduate Daniel Frougas in the latest specification Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo2.
GWR Australia’s Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo2 has been ordered directly from TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Europe and will hold the distinction of being the first to land in Australia.
Toyota will be the latest marque to join the Monochrome GT4 Australia grid, which featured Ford, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Ginetta, BMW, Porsche and Audi at various stages during the 2024 season.
The Toyota GR Supra Evo2 was announced by TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Europe Customer Racing in August and GWR Australia will receive one of the first worldwide due in early next year.
“We are really pleased that one of the first GR Supra GT4 EVO2s that we have sold is going to Australia and looking forward to seeing what Daniel can do with the support of GWR,” said TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Europe Customer Racing’s Dane Berry.
“Hopefully we will see some more Supras joining the championship in 2025 to add another level of excitement and competitiveness to GT4 racing in Australia.”
Frougas is the latest in a long line of young drivers to join Monochrome GT4 Australia since the start of the 2024 season headlined by Silver Cup winners Marcos Flack and Tom Hayman racing under Chaz Mostert’s tutelage at Method Motorsport.
A consistent top 10 contender in the Australian Formula Ford Series for the last two seasons, Frougas believes Monochrome GT4 Australia can aid in his pursuit of a career in top-line sportscar racing.
“I’m looking forward to moving into sportscar racing as my ultimate dream has always been to race in the WEC and this is a step towards my dream”, said Frougas.
“Getting behind the wheel of the latest spec Toyota Supra to race in Australia is really exciting and I am looking forward to testing in February 2025.”
The expansion into Monochrome GT4 Australia follows GWR Australia’s success in Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS in 2024. RAM Motorsport’s Mike Sheargold paired with GWR Australia team owner Garth Walden to secure their maiden Am Class title.
The opening round of the 2025 Monochrome GT4 Australia season takes place at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on April 4-6.
