Barwell Motorsport has confirmed that Alex Martin will join former British GT champion Sandy Mitchell in the second of its Black Bull-backed Lamborghinis this year.
The team’s other Huracan shared by father/son Rob and Ricky Collard was announced last week.
Squadra Corse factory ace Mitchell requires little introduction thanks to his long and successful British GT career. Martin, however, might be new to the majority of fans despite making his debut at Silverstone with Team Parker Racing last year.
He also contested a full season of Le Mans Cup with the same team and Porsche 911 GT3 R after previously racing in the likes of BTCC, Ferrari Challenge and Carrera Cup GB before taking a lengthy sabbatical from motorsport.
“I’m delighted to be joining Barwell Motorsport this year for British GT, and really glad to be back racing on the UK’s finest circuits. I’ve raced with Team Parker Racing for many years, and I have them to thank for getting back out competing again last season after my five-year break and it really gave me the bug for GT3 racing.
“I was invited to test the Barwell Lamborghini at Snetterton, on what was a dreadful day weather-wise, but I instantly loved the car. In the Porsche I raced last year if I didn’t get a good corner exit I was a sitting duck, so it was very unforgiving to race. The Lamborghini is an incredible all-rounder with great aero; that wonderful, mid-engined V10 helps it pivot around the middle so it actually rewards quite aggressive driving. It’s a thrilling thing, and I can’t wait to experience it at circuits like Oulton Park.
“Although my one-off British GT round at Silverstone last year didn’t go to plan results-wise, it did show me how far British GT has moved in the last 15 years or so. The paddock is now massive, GT3 has evolved hugely, and now every car on the grid looks fantastic. The championship is a real show, with world-class drivers, and it’s great for fans.
“As for expectations, nothing is easy, but we have to be going in looking for race wins and believing we can win the championship. Sandy is one of the best Pro drivers around and I know we’ll make a great pairing. Barwell is also the best outfit out there. They’re so professional and straight away I felt a bond with the technical staff. It felt like they were behind me and had my back, and that’s important. We’ve also got some super-strong team-mates on the other side of the garage, which from a team perspective is brilliant. Hopefully we can all push each other on to success this season.”
Martin’s co-driver is one of British GT’s top Pros, as partly evidenced by his two wins alongside Shaun Balfe last season. However, the 2020 champion – who remains the youngest race winner in series history – was also noticeably quick everywhere once Barwell had tailored the new Huracan to its liking.
“It’s great to be back in British GT this year, and I can’t wait to start working with Alex because I think we’ll be a really exciting pairing,” said Mitchell, who ended the campaign fourth in points. “He made a successful return to racing last year in Europe and I have no doubt he’ll get straight back up to speed on the British tracks too. We know that Barwell will always give us a car capable of running at the front, so it’s up to us to get the most out of the package we have. It’s also great to see the team with two incredibly strong line-ups.
“As a team we made a huge amount of progress with the Huracan GT3 Evo II last year. We were learning a lot about the new car at the start of last year but by the end of the season we were one of the fastest out there, winning the season finale at Donington Park. It’s always great to win that last race of the year and take that high into the winter. We’ll be looking to build on that momentum and hit the ground running from the first race this year.”
Barwell’s Lamborghinis will attend British GT’s media day at Donington on March 12 before Oulton stages the season opener over Easter Bank Holiday Weekend (March 30 + April 1).
