Garage 59 and Black Bull Scotch Whisky will return to the British GT Championship this season with a two car McLaren 570S GT4 campaign that boosts the total number of GT4 McLarens of the full season to six.
Piloting the #100 car, promoting Black Bull’s 100 proof Scotch no less, will be returning McLaren GT Academy Drivers Sandy Mitchell and Ciaran Haggerty.
The sister #59 car welcomes new Mclaren GT Academy drivers, Scot Dean Macdonald and Indian racer Akhil Rabindra.
Fronted by team manager Bas Leinders, Black Bull Garage 59 is looking to build on the third place in last year’s GT4 championship. Mitchell and Haggerty were awarded British GT Rookies of the Year after two race victories including the season finale at Donington Park, a new lap record at Spa-Francorchamps, and three pole positions. Both drivers carry the prestigious Scottish Motor Racing Club (SMRC) Rising Star status and extensive experience with both the car and the tracks after a development season in the 570S GT4 in 2016.
New McLaren GT Academy Drivers, 16 year old SMRC Rising Star Dean Macdonald and British F3 convert 20 year old Akhil Rabindra form the driver pairing for the #59 570S GT4.
Macdonald makes the step to GT racing following a triumphant career in karting including becoming the youngest ever winner of the Scottish Championship in Comer Cadets at eight years old. Alongside the young Scot, Rabindra has competed in the top level of national single-seater racing over the last few years, bringing experience of the circuits on the British GT Championship calendar. Rabindra competed in the BRDC Formula 4 championship during 2015, and in 2016 made the step up to the British Formula 3 Championship. With a busy testing plan scheduled ahead of the season commencing, both drivers are hopeful of solid results throughout their debut season.
Starting the 2016 season at just 15 years old, Mitchell was the youngest driver ever to compete in British GT and, at just 16 years and 169 days, he went on to become the championship’s youngest race winner, a title which will be challenged this year by new teammate Dean Macdonald.
Bas Leinders, Team Manager, Black Bull Garage 59: “We are delighted to have Sandy and Ciaran back for 2017 and looking to hit the ground running and build upon the successes they had last year. The experience of the car, the circuits and the championship will help them support the development and transition in to GT racing of their new teammates, as we saw with them supported by Factory Driver Rob Bell last season.
“It’s also an exciting chapter for the team with Black Bull coming on board as title sponsor and seeing Advance Construction return to support Ciaran and Dean.” He added: “With the experience running with the McLaren 570S GT4 last year, we are in a strong position going into the new season, and hope to be challenging for podiums and race wins again in 2017.”
Euan Shand, Chairman of Black Bull Scotch Whisky: “Last year proved to be an outstanding season for these young drivers and we’re thrilled to be partnering with Garage 59 and these young drivers again. Sandy, Ciaran, Dean and Akhil are the future and we have high hopes for what 2017 will bring.”
Running an all new, distinctive livery for the new season, the team is set to complete an extensive testing programme prior to the season commencing in April where all four drivers will work closely together.
The addition of the Black Bull Garage 59 effort should now see six McLaren 570SGT4 on the 2017 entry following the announcements by Tolman Motorsport, track-club and IN2 Racing (2 cars).
