BMW outfit L’Espace Bienvenue will expand to two cars for the 2026 GT4 European Series, following the signing of British GT runners-up Ravi Ramyead and Charlie Robertson.
Ramyead and former Ginetta factory driver Robertson have spent the past two years racing a BMW M4 GT4 together in British GT for Century Motorsport. The pairing put together a strong sophomore campaign, winning three races and coming up just short in the GT4 drivers’ championship fight.
“Thanks to our results in British GT we received offers from other manufacturers, but we love the BMW M4 GT4 and we know how to get the best out of it,” Ramyead said.
“So we decided to contact L’Espace Bienvenue, whose performances in the GT4 European Series had caught our attention. We travelled to Barcelona to experience the final meeting of the season, immersing ourselves in the team. We received a very warm welcome and were impressed by the work they put in, particularly in fielding an impeccable car for Race 2 after a collision in Race 1.
“A test session was organised at the Paul Ricard Circuit where we were able to use data from their Silver drivers to benchmark our performance. Afterwards, we visited the Racetivity workshops – François Gagneux and Arnaud Fouquet’s team and L’Espace Bienvenue’s technical partner – which further reinforced our conviction that we had made the right choice!
Robertson added: “Going into next season I expect the simulator to be a big part of our preparation, as most of the circuits will be new to Ravi and some to me. GT4 has been a fantastic proving ground so far, the nature of the car’s regulations mean we can improve race craft at a significant pace.
“GT4 Europe will be a big step up in terms of the close racing side, with 40+ cars on track. We need to be clever this season, as there is no prize for overall in GT4 Europe. We will be competing in Pro-Am, which has been very competitive the last few seasons. We have an aim, and that is to win the Pro-Am title. I am confident that with the partnership Ravi and I have, combined with the experience and knowledge of L’Espace Bienvenue we can achieve this.”
As part of their preparation for 2026, Ramyead and Robertson will also take on the GT Winter Series.
In the sister entry, Benjamin Lessenes and four-time GT4 European champion Ricardo van der Ende form an unchanged line-up. The pairing finished as runner-up in Silver in 2024 after winning the final four races, but were unable to match that form last season as they wound up eighth in the final standings. They will compete in Silver once again in 2026.
The 2026 GT4 European Series begins at Circuit Paul Ricard, France from 10th to 12th April 2026.
Image courtesy of SRO
