A third Mercedes-AMG GT4 will compete in British GT this season after Nick Jones and Scott Malvern confirmed their switch to the new-for-2018 machine.
Team Parker Racing will once again run the entry, which was originally announced – along with 22 other GT4s – during the championship’s Media Day on March 8. However, Jones has waited until now before revealing his car’s exact identity.
The pair spent 2016 and ‘17 racing the championship’s sole Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR and will be amongst the first in Britain to receive the new Mercedes-AMG. Fox Motorsport and Richardson Racing have also entered the model, which is set to compete in customer hands for the first time this year.
Malvern and Jones finished fourth in last season’s GT4’s Pro/Am standings, a result the latter expects to improve on in 2018.
“Ever since I first started talking to Mercedes it’s clear the programme is just at another level,” said Jones. “This year is going to be exciting – easily the most exciting of our time in British GT so far, and the Mercedes is going to give us a real chance to compete.
“The car is a huge step forward. We’ve been out testing it in Europe with the Black Falcon factory team, getting a grounding of it ahead of getting our own chassis this month. Team Parker has been with us every step of the way too, and that relationship will be important as they’re such a professional team.
“Racing for me is about going out and having fun, and having competitive machinery is key to that. Last year I felt I drove better than ever, but a lot of that progress was masked by the car’s outright pace. This year I think we can make a real step up the grid.”
Malvern has also been impressed with the Mercedes-AMG, which he believes is better suited to an amateur than the Porsche.
“The Mercedes is a great bit of kit, and you can tell that the factory has worked a lot with its race teams and development drivers, because they seem to have thought of everything,” he said. “Looking at the car you’d think it’s just a straight-line warrior as it’s one of the larger GT4 cars out there, but the chassis has a brilliant balance and the handling is very impressive.
“The Porsche last year proved quite tricky for the amateur driver, whereas the Mercedes is accessible and has all of the technology needed to make it a real weapon in endurance racing.
“The aim this year is to be up there fighting for the Pro/Am championship and outright podium finishes. The entry this season is stronger than ever, so it’s going to be a challenge, but I feel we’ve got the right car and team to help us achieve that.”
This year’s British GT Championship kicks off at Oulton Park on March 31 & April 2. Save money by ordering your tickets in advance for Oulton and any other round using the links below.
2018 BRITISH GT SCHEDULE
1 Oulton Park, March 31-April 2 >> TICKETS
2 Rockingham, April 28-29 >> TICKETS
3 Snetterton, May 26-27 >> TICKETS
4 Silverstone 500, June 9-10 >> TICKETS
5 Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), July 21-22 >> TICKETS (FREE ENTRY)
6 Brands Hatch, August 4-5 >> TICKETS
7 Donington Park, September 22-23 >> TICKETS