Barwell Motorsport doubles up with two-car programme for Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe

Barwell Motorsport will field two of the latest specification Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo IIs in this year’s Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS season, with the team competing with one eye on a Le Mans 24 Hours entry for 2025.

The Surrey squad will contest both the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint and Endurance Cup series, with both cars running in the Bronze Cup category. For this year, the championship will award an entry to the world-famous Le Mans 24 Hours for its most successful competitor, with Barwell doubling its chances of landing the prize with two strong line-ups.

Barwell also welcomes its exciting new overall GT World Challenge Europe team sponsor, Dama Fortuna Tequila, a fantastic new tequila brand being launched in 2024. Both Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo IIs will run with backing from Dama Fortuna Tequila, with the #78 in particular featuring its stunning branding as part of a distinctive Mexican-inspired livery.

For the Endurance Cup – which includes the legendary Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa – Till Bechtolsheimer will team with Antoine Doquin and Lamborghini Squadra Corse factory driver Sandy Mitchell aboard the #78 car.

In the #72 JNKD Group/VIP Motors-backed Huracan GT3 Evo II, Gabriel Rindone will be partnered by Patrick Kujala and a yet-to-be-confirmed third driver.

For the Sprint Cup, Barwell has retained the services of Pro driver Mitchell in the #78, and he will be joined by Rob Collard – reuniting Barwell’s 2020 British GT Championship-winning pairing for the first time since their domestic title triumph.

Rindone and Kujala will double up in the #72 by sharing the car for all four of the Sprint rounds in which the Bronze Cup category will feature.

British driver Bechtolsheimer is both a prolific racer and also the new owner of the famed Lola Cars marque. He has spent much of his career competing in America, most recently in the LMP3 category of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. His experience mainly includes GT3 racing, where he notched up a prestigious GTD class victory in the 2022 Petit Le Mans race aboard an Acura GT3. He also competes at major historic events.

Frenchman Doquin is new to the team and brings with him a blend of youth and speed. Just 19, he has gained experience in both GT cars and prototypes. Last season he mixed a successful LMP3 campaign in the European Le Mans Series with outings in a Saintéloc Junior Team Audi R8 LMS Ultra GT3 in GTWCE, which yielded a Silver Cup podium in the 24 Hours of Spa.

Scotsman Mitchell is a familiar name, and returns to the Barwell team for Europe this year after racing with the K-Pax Lamborghini team last season. Mitchell will be competing across three championships with Barwell this season, with his Sprint and Endurance campaigns also being mixed with a full season of British GT.

Collard is another driver on double duty with Barwell this season, twinning his British GT programme alongside eldest son Ricky with a return to European competition to partner Mitchell. The former touring car star has shone since his move to GT racing in 2020, the switch already landing him both a British GT title and a class win at the 24 Hours of Spa.

Rindone has huge experience of racing GT cars, specifically Lamborghinis, having marked himself out as one of the most impressive amateur drivers in the brand’s single-make Super Trofeo championship across recent seasons. After finishing second in the Super Trofeo’s Am class in 2022, he won the championship last season and dovetailed that with a race-winning season in the Le Mans Cup, where he shared a Huracan GT3 with Kujala.

Finnish driver Kujala first competed with Barwell back in 2017 and has become one to watch on the European GT stage. Having started his career in single-seaters and risen as high as the GP3 Series, he switched to GT racing from 2015 and has gone on to become a two-time Lamborghini Super Trofeo champion and has achieved much success aboard a Barwell Huracan. His accolades include winning the 2020 GTWCE Endurance Silver Cup title and an Am class win in the 2018 24 Hours of Spa. Last year he and Rindone finished fourth in the Le Mans Cup points, and the pair will continue their partnership into the GT World Challenge Europe this term.

Till Bechtolsheimer says: “With all my sportscar racing having been in the US, I’m extremely excited to get the opportunity to race at some of Europe’s greatest tracks. While the car, the tracks, and the GTWCE format will all be new to me, I’m partnering with one of the best teams on the grid in Barwell, and two fantastic drivers in Sandy and Antoine. The start of the season can’t come soon enough.”

Sandy Mitchell says: “This year’s going to be a busy one, but I can’t wait to get started. Racing in all three series with Barwell will be a great thing as having a consistent team around you, event after event, will definitely help us push the car forward. It’s also amazing to be back with Rob. He’s a superb driver, and we’ve already achieved a lot together. Hopefully that can continue this season.”

Rob Collard says: “Getting the chance to expand my racing plans this season and rejoin Barwell in Europe was something I just couldn’t turn down. The team is just brilliant, as is the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo II – and getting to share a car with Sandy again is something special. I’ve got great memories of winning British GT alongside him in 2020, and hopefully we can add a second title to our names this season.”

Antoine Doquin says: “I’m really pleased to join the GT World Challenge Europe with Barwell and Lamborghini. With Sandy and Till we have a strong line-up and will be able to fight for the Bronze Cup. I would like to express my gratitude to them for giving me this opportunity. This is the logical next step in my career and I can't wait to get the season started.”

Gabriel Rindone says: “My goal has always been to compete at the highest levels of GT racing, and after my years in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo and the Le Mans Cup last season the GT World Challenge Europe is the logical next step. It’ll be great to be back alongside Patrick, who’s a super-quick driver and we’ve already enjoyed some great success together, and Barwell has a great track record of providing a winning car. We’re certainly not turning up just to look good this year, we’ve got our eyes on wins.”

Patrick Kujala says: “I’m really happy to be returning to Barwell Motorsport, and to be partnering Gabi again this season. I believe we have all of the elements in place to have a really competitive season.”

Barwell Motorsport Team Principal Mark Lemmer adds: “It’s great to confirm our European plans, and be back up to two cars for the full GT World Challenge Europe season. We’ve got strength in depth across both our entries, and I believe we have all the ingredients to put together a title challenge with both cars. Till and Gabriel have already demonstrated their speed and skill, having already been winners in other major series. In Patrick and Sandy we have two proven Pro drivers who have already won races both with us and with Lamborghini, and then you add in young Antoine and we have a great mix.

“We know it’s going to be tough, but we relish the challenge and we can’t wait to take Till and Gabriel on the amazing journey that the GT World Challenge Europe presents. Plus, they’ll get to experience to incredible Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa in what will be the event’s centenary year – that will be the cherry on top.”

Mateo Castillo, International Sales Manager - Dama Fortuna Tequila: “The launch of Dama Fortuna Single Estate Tequila into the US market is only the start of our race. Like with the guys at Barwell who put so much into running the GT World Challenge Europe team, an astonishing amount of blood, sweat and tears goes on behind the scenes to get our additive-free Tequila onto the shelves. With the imminent launch of the brand, the fun really begins. The Dama Fortuna Tequila team is confident that the success of the brand will be mirrored by that of Barwell Motorsport’s stunning Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo II in the 2024 season. We know the great pedigree of all the drivers this year, and look forward to seeing Dama Fortuna on the podium in 2024!”