– Line-up includes Ecurie Ecosse Young Driver Initiative members Ciaran Haggerty and Sandy Mitchell
Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse, who recently announced its plans to race as a McLaren GT customer team in the 2016 British GT Championship with a McLaren 650S GT3, has also confirmed its plans to compete in the hotly contested GT4 category with Scottish juniors, Ciaran Haggerty and Sandy Mitchell.
Reaffirming its support for young talent, both Haggerty and Mitchell have come through the Ecurie Ecosse Young Driver Initiative, which was launched last year. Indeed, the legendary Scottish squad will run the McLaren 570S GT4 alongside its GT3 campaign, allowing the youngsters to work closely alongside factory driver Rob Bell and Ecurie Ecosse Director and driver Alasdair McCaig.
Following a successful campaign in the BRDC Formula 4 Championship last year with the support of Ecurie Ecosse, 19-year-old Ciaran Haggerty first came to the team’s attention after winning the 2014 Scottish FF1600 Championship under the watchful eye of three-time Indy 500 winner and four-time IndyCar champion, Dario Franchitti, who has supported the Young Driver Initiative since its inception as a platform to nurture Scottish talent in motorsport.
At only 16-years-old, Sandy Mitchell is set to become the youngest driver to compete in British GT history. But despite his youth, the karting superstar made his mark in the 2015 MSA Formula finishing the competitive junior championship seventh in his rookie year.
With heritage at the core of the Ecurie Ecosse name, the Scottish outfit has extended its partnership with award-winning Scotch whisky producers, Black Bull, whose logo will take pride of place on the eye-catching black, blue and white McLarens when the cars take to the track for British GT’s opening round at Brands Hatch (April 17).
Andrew Kirkaldy, Managing Director, McLaren GT: “The decision to run the two Ecurie Ecosse Young Drivers was a very easy one. We conducted some pre-season testing and it was very clear from the outset that both Haggerty and Mitchell are stars of the future. Their pace and feedback is very good and of a level that we are comfortable with, showing that they are ready for the challenge. Having Rob in the same team will be a great asset for them to use and we hope to see some good results for the new model.