> Priaulx, Johnson and Maxwell also confirmed
Multimatic Motorsports has confirmed it will enter two Ford Mustang GT4s in next season’s British GT Championship.
The team best known for running Chip Ganassi Racing’s Ford GTE programme in the FIA World Endurance Championship was also responsible for developing and building the current Mustang GT4, which is now all set for a first full-season European programme following a handful of previous outings on the continent in 2017 and ‘18.
British Formula 4 race winner Seb Priaulx makes the switch from single-seaters to GTs for the first time as part of a Multimatic driver roster also featuring team stalwarts Billy Johnson and Scott Maxwell. A fourth driver will be announced in due course.
The latter has raced various iterations of Multimatic Mustangs in America since 2010 during a career that also includes winning the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Drivers’ title in 2016 and helping Ford clinch this year’s IMSA GT4 series Manufacturers’ crown.
Johnson is also no stranger to Multimatic having shared that same 2016 Drivers’ championship success with Maxwell before also featuring in Chip Ganassi’s Ford FIA WEC programme. The 32-year-old won the opening round of the current ‘super season’ at Spa before also finishing sixth in class at Le Mans.
Meanwhile, the Priaulx name is synonymous with motorsport thanks to three-time FIA WTCC champion Andy who now competes for Chip Ganassi’s FIA WEC squad. Those connections with Multimatic have paved the way for his son Seb to make his GT racing debut in 2019 after finishing seventh in British F4 earlier this year. He last appeared on the British GT bill in 2017 when the now-17-year-old finished second overall in Ginetta Juniors.
Although Multimatic has yet to reveal its two definitive crews, Priaulx’s silver grading prevents him from partnering the gold-rated Johnson who must race with an amateur driver (bronze) as per British GT’s regulations.
“Looking forward to every new racing season is always exciting and for me the 2019 one can’t start soon enough,” said Priaulx. “The opportunity to race in British GT is amazing. Also to be with such a great team is something every driver dreams of, and I know I shall learn an awful lot from being part of such a professional outfit.
“I have seen what a competitive championship British GT is and know it will be tough, but I really enjoyed the test in the Mustang and I can't wait to get out there and race!”
Multimatic Vice-President Larry Holt added: “British GT is a fantastic platform to show off our product to potential customers so we’re excited to go head-to-head with the GT4 cars from companies like Aston Martin, McLaren and Mercedes. We have put together an incredible group of people and resources to run the Ford GTs in WEC and will combine those with the North American Multimatic team to expand our racing programme here in England.
“Seb was extremely impressive in the Mustang when we tested him at Snetterton and I can’t think of a better story than bringing on the next generation of Priaulx. He will learn a lot from Billy and Scott, including how to drift properly!”
Oulton Park hosts the opening round of 2019’s British GT Championship on Easter Bank Holiday Weekend (April 20 & 22). Reserve your tickets here.
DID YOU KNOW?
Multimatic’s Mustang GT4s represent Ford’s first British GT entries since 2011 when RPM entered a GT40 GT3 at Silverstone.