Daily Slideshow: Lexus RC F GT3 Headed to Blancpain GT Series
Lexus continues its rapid motorsports expansion by entering one of the world's most prestigious racing series.
Diving in Head First
Lexus tested the waters, so to speak, by participating in both the Nurburgring sprint round and International GT Open series last year. But now it's ready to dive headfirst into the world of Blancpaint GT with two Lexus RC F GT3 racers this coming season. Lexus will participate in both the Endurance and Sprint Cup segments of BGTS in a full-time effort. Their announcement is just the latest in what has proven to be a rapidly expanding motorsports effort.
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New Cars, Seasoned Drivers
The dual-Lexus effort will be spearheaded by Emil Frey Racing, a private group based out of Switzerland. The two new cars will be driven by former Formula 1 driver Christian Klien, previous Le Mans 24 Hours winner Stephane Ortelli, former Formula Renault 3.5 race winner Albert Costa, Marco Seefried, 2015 Spa 24 winner Markus Palttala, and BGTS veteran Norbert Siedler.
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Something New, Something Old
"Even though the Blancpain GT Series is not a new championship for us, it is still a new challenge to compete with two relatively new race cars," said Lorenz Frey, Team Principal of Emil Frey Lexus Racing. "Especially the Sprint Cup is something very exciting despite having had a brief visit at last year's race meeting at Nürburgring. The team is highly motivated, we have strong drivers and can build upon the know-how from last year. We are very excited ahead of the first race."
>>Join the conversation about the RCF GT3 right here in ClubLexus forum!
New Kid on the Block
The Blancpain GT Series is one of Europe's more prestigious events, taking place on a number of famous tracks including Silverstone and Brands Hatch. And you can bet that Emil Frey will fare well, even in a pair of brand new cars. After all, the team was a serious contender for both the driver and team championships in the International GT Open Cup series last year, taking home four wins in its inaugural season.
>>Join the conversation about the RCF GT3 right here in ClubLexus forum!
Proven Winner
“Emil Frey Lexus Racing has already proved the RC F GT3 is a race winner in Europe," said Ewan Shepherd, Director of UK Lexus. "It will be fantastic to see the team racing at Brands Hatch and Silverstone in May this year, in the most competitive GT racing in Europe. Exhilarating performance is one of the key brand pillars of Lexus, and we are looking to celebrate this through our involvement in the Blancpain GT Series.” We'll all get our first look at the Lexus RC F GT3 when the 2018 Blancpain GT series kicks off in Zolder, Belgium on April 6.
>>Join the conversation about the RCF GT3 right here in ClubLexus forum!
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