Champion Collard reunites with Barwell for British GT comeback

Barwell Motorsport will welcome back a former champion for the 2024 British GT Championship, with Rob Collard returning to share a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo II with his eldest son Ricky. The team will once again be supported by its primary partner for British GT, Black Bull Scotch Whisky.

Barwell Motorsport will once again field a multi-car team in British GT this season, with the Collards being the first crew confirmed for the Surrey squad. Rob and Ricky will handle the latest generation of Lamborghini’s formidable Huracan GT3, with Barwell proving the new Evo II machine’s potential by claiming multiple race wins and the Silver-Am Championship during the car’s maiden campaign last term.

Former touring car ace Rob Collard returns to British GT for the first time since 2020, when he enjoyed a stunning maiden season of GT3 racing, winning twice alongside Lamborghini Squadra Corse factory driver Sandy Mitchell to claim the overall British GT title on his first attempt. Since then, Collard has shone on the European stage with Barwell, and last year claimed second in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Pro-Am standings, celebrating two race wins alongside Dennis Lind. Rob returns to British GT seeking to defend his 100% record, this time alongside son Ricky in the GT3 Pro-Am class.

Ricky Collard forged his reputation in single-seaters, finishing second in both British F4 and BRDC British Formula 3 before becoming part of BMW Motorsport’s junior programme and going on to win races in both the German ADAC GT Masters and Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe. In recent years he has competed in the British Touring Car Championship. Ricky is no stranger to sharing a car with his father, and the pair played a key role in Barwell’s Pro-Am victory in the 2020 Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa.

This year will mark Ricky’s first full campaign in British GT – he made a one-off appearance in 2018 prior – and the first full season for the Collards sharing a car. British GT has a long history of father-and-son crews, but Jim and Glynn Geddie are the only related pairing to have celebrated the championship, back in 2011.

Rob Collard says: “I’m delighted to be back in British GT, and to be sharing a car with Ricky. We’ve done a few one-off races together before, but this will be our first full season together – to race alongside your son is every dad’s dream! I couldn’t wish for a better team-mate. The one thing Ricky has in abundance is speed, and he’s learned a lot from his recent years in touring cars, so I think he’s in a really great place to attack British GT this year.

“Our biggest job will be to harness everything – speed, experience, consistency – and put together a championship challenge, which isn’t easy in British GT. I’ve never been the sort of driver to go into a season expecting success to be handed to me. The level British GT is at now is incredible, with some of the best professional and amateur drivers in the world, but I feel we’ve got a really strong package with Barwell, along with the great support we get from Black Bull Scotch Whisky. The Lamborghini showed itself to be a winning car last year, but it will be the hard work and skill that Barwell brings to the table that can make all the difference. The environment with the team is excellent, and that always helps push you on as a driver. We’ve got our eyes on race wins, and the championship, no doubt.”

Ricky Collard says: “This year is going to be a great challenge, for a number of reasons. First, it’s going to be awesome sharing a GT3 car with my dad. We’ve always worked so well together and been so supportive of each other, whether we’re racing together, doing some training on the sim or on test days… it gives us a different dynamic to other pairings on the grid. Second, to join a championship like British GT is massively exciting. If you look at the quality of the grid there are more professional drivers there now than in touring cars, so it’s the best place to go and prove your skill. Third, joining Barwell is going to be a great experience. The team is incredibly professional and has already delivered my dad a British GT title and us a Spa 24 Hours class win, so I have no doubt we’ll have a competitive car.

“Coming back to the UK tracks to race in touring cars over the last two years has been beneficial after competing in Europe for so long. I’ll have some adapting to do to get back into the technique of rear-wheel-drive GT3 racing, but I’m really excited for the challenge. Our ambition is unquestionably to win the championship. Dad’s already done it, so I’ve got some catching up to do! We’ll be going all-out for race wins from the start.”

Mark Lemmer, Barwell Motorsport Team Principal says: “It’s great to see Rob back in British GT to go for another title with us, and fantastic to welcome Ricky back to Barwell, following on from his fantastic debut for the team, winning at the Spa 24H with his dad in 2020. Ricky is an amazing talent and it will be exciting to see what he can do on the British circuits in a Barwell Lamborghini GT3, bring it on!”

Ian Logan, Senior Hospitality and Spirits Manager Black Bull Scotch Whisky, adds: “What an exciting line-up for the season ahead, with Ricky and Rob Collard racing together for the first time with Barwell. Rob was an integral part of the winning team in the past and it’s great to see him back in the hot seat. Bringing Ricky in to race with him is the best outcome and the perfect partnership, and we know that their combined racing skills will make them a force to be reckoned with. We wish the entire team the very best of luck for this year’s racing in the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo II.”

News on Barwell’s further plans in both British GT and the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS will be revealed soon.