“I’m conscious that I have been very quiet regarding my professional career for the past couple of months. I have never lied to you guys and I won’t start now.
“There had been some long ongoing negotiations with a manufacturer which ultimately failed to reach an agreement and therefore left me on the market extremely late.
“Thankfully, these few months off helped me to see the glass half full, reorganise my priorities in life and most importantly, live, train hard and have fun.
“However, racing is my purpose, the thing I love and it’s time to come back.”
Those were the words of French-Monogasque driver Vincent Abril on April 6th, as part of a public statement delivered on social media. Needless to say, it’s been a challenging year so far for the 28-year-old, who has spent most of the season so far on the sidelines.
But how did it get to this point? It has come as a surprise to many that Abril, who has a Blancpain Sprint Cup title to his name and spent years as a Mercedes and Bentley factory driver, is currently without a major drive.
Over the winter, the negotiations referenced in his social media post, DSC understands, were with a major GT3 manufacturer for an international factory programme. But they broke down just weeks before the traditional start to the European season, and by then it was too late to secure a like-for-like drive.
Instead, with competitive seats in most places already filled, Abril was forced to weigh up his options. There was no obvious choice.
Do you: find a Bronze driver to pair up with? Pay for a drive in a competitive car? Take a free opportunity with an aspirant team? Or, do you take the bigger gamble and sit out the start of the season out, waiting for an opportunity to arise?
Abril decided to gamble…
Anyone who knows how the modern GT driver marketplace works knows how challenging it can be to find a drive, even when you have race and title-winning pedigree at a high level.
GT and sportscar racing in 2023 is a fast-moving part of the sport, with growth everywhere and opportunities seemingly aplenty. But, if you’re looking for a stable career, want to earn a living and compete at the highest level as a factory driver, it has never been more competitive.
“It’s becoming very tough,” Abril admitted to DSC. “I think manufacturers have the option to reduce investment for big programmes, like with DTM where half of the grid is bringing money. Before DTM was the top closed-roof class. Now kids are coming up from junior formula who are super quick and are willing to pay for something you should be getting paid to do.
“I understand manufacturers are in a difficult position now. Before COVID you may have had 10 factory drivers, but now you have five, so it’s not as straightforward as it was when I started factory racing 8-10 years ago. To get a drive you need more than pace and achievements. It’s where the sport is going.
“But you have to adapt and overcome. You have to swim or you’ll drown.”
This is why he took the risk and came out publicly to explain his situation in the first place.
“Since that post, I have been contacted a lot,” he explained. “I was actually quite relieved because I’d kept quiet. I wanted to have it out there. Entry lists were coming out and people were asking questions.
You have to swim or you’ll drown
“I’ve always been the type of person, to be honest to the people that support me. I am always straightforward, with family, friends and professionally. The situation was not ideal but in the end, you grow from everything you go through.”
So what’s next? Has the decision to sit and wait paid off? It isn’t yet clear, though there are green shoots.
He now has a foot in the door with Iron Lynx, a team that competes worldwide in GT3 and GTE and is set to expand with a Lamborghini factory Hypercar and GTP programme next year.
His drive with the team in the Le Mans Cup opening weekend at Barcelona kick-started his season and enabled him to get a feel for racing again after an extended off-season. DSC understands he turned some heads within the Iron Lynx programme in the process too. It was an important weekend, which resulted in a second opportunity with the team at La Sarthe, which was announced this week.
Hi again @IronLynx_ 👋🏼 ! Nice surprise 📞 ! It was too good to be just a one time thing 😇! Racing in Le Mans 🇫🇷 for round 2 of the @LeMansCup with Hiroshi ! Le Mans has such a special place in my heart and i can’t wait to go back! Thanks again for the opportunity and the trust! pic.twitter.com/SOC6xHdYID
— Vincent Abril (@VinceAbril) May 31, 2023
But, the Le Mans Cup it’s not where he feels he should be. Abril and the people around him believe he has the skillset and worth ethic to feature in the main race as part of a team that has high aspirations.
He has had other offers to compete in World Challenge. Though he fears that he may get lost in its huge field of GT3 cars unless he was part of a top line-up.
“In World Challenge there’s only one or two cars per manufacturer that you want to be in,” he commented. “If you’re not in one of those, you can be a really strong driver and go unnoticed. My appearances in FIA WEC and Le Mans have helped me realise that.”
Last year I was on pole in GTE Am at Le Mans, up against guys that are now in Hypercar. So why not me?
Ultimately, his goal is to return to a full-time factory role, but in Hypercar. It will not be easy. For that reason, he remains ambitious, yet realistic. He knows how tough of a task it will be.
“I have sat down with (his managers) Guy (Smith) and Andy (Meyrick) from Greenlight Sports, and when you look at trends, a lot of drivers in Hypercar and LMDh are GT drivers,” he said. “They are basically fast GT cars. It’s not a surprise that GT drivers are having so much success in these cars. Last year I was on pole in GTE Am at Le Mans, up against guys that are now in Hypercar. So why not me?”
If not Hypercar, what about LMGT3, which debuts in the ELMS and FIA WEC next year?
“GT3 at Le Mans is exciting too,” he added. “If they do two cars per factory that would be cool. It will be a war. I will follow that closely.
“It may sound weird, but although the level in IGTC and GT World Challenge is probably the highest there is out there, there is something about the FIA WEC. It has Le Mans, which sets it apart. Now with Hypercar and GT3, it will be easy to get recognised and it will be the best field out there.”
One wonders if his newfound relationship with Iron Lynx – which is set to step up to LMDh racing next year with Lamborghini – will open that door… Not only will Iron Lynx be in Hypercar, but likely in LMGT3 too. Its driver line-ups are not yet set either. Has Abril, therefore, become a candidate?
“It’s been great to build a relationship with such a great team,” he said when asked about his future with the team.
“They are top notch and I told them straight away how surprised I was in Barcelona. They were operating at an extremely high level, and it was on a secondary meeting for them, as they had a fleet of cars in World Challenge at Monza that weekend.
“Nothing is confirmed. But everyone is on it at Iron Lynx. I like that, a lot.”
