Redline Racing joins the Intelligent Money British GT Championship next season after confirming Alex Malykhin will partner GT4 race winner and 2020 Porsche Sprint Challenge GB champion James Dorlin aboard a Lamborghini Huracan GT3.
The Middlesbrough-based squad is best known for its Porsche Carrera Cup GB exploits after racking up 11 overall drivers’ titles, including this year’s crown with Dan Cammish, since the category was established in 2003. It has also enjoyed success in Porsche Supercup and the British GT-supporting Sprint Challenge GB.
However, 2022 represents Redline’s first major programme without Stuttgart’s involvement. Instead, it is turning to Lamborghini’s Huracan, a proven British GT race and title winner. The team shook down its new car at Silverstone in early November with the help of factory ace Sandy Mitchell and has more testing planned before the start of next season.
Its Silver-Am duo have worked together in Sprint Challenge GB where Dorlin coached Malykhin to second in this year’s Am standings during the Anglo-Belarusian’s first season of racing. The pair have also shared a GT Cup class victory after teaming up at Silverstone, while Malykhin is making further preparations for his British GT debut by contesting this winter’s Sprint Challenge Middle East campaign aboard a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.
“We know it’s a big step up in a short space of time but I felt like I was on top of the Cayman by the end of this season and could build up to the GT3 with some Porsche Cup races over the winter,” he said. “James has been instrumental in getting me to this point, knows all about British GT and was the class of 2020’s Sprint Challenge field. What’s more, in Redline and the Lamborghini we couldn’t have a better team or a more proven car to be making the move.
“We know it’s very competitive and there are seasoned crews with a lot more experience. But I really believe it won’t be long before we’re giving them something to think about!”
Dorlin, meanwhile, can call on recent British GT experience after finishing sixth in 2019’s GT4 standings with Tolman. He also made a one-off appearance at Silverstone the year after – incidentally the same weekend as he sealed the Porsche Sprint Challenge GB drivers’ title. This season the 22-year-old joined Redline for a handful of Carrera Cup outings and won both races on a Sprint Challenge GB one-off with the team.
Now he’s hoping to make an impression on his GT3 debut.
“British GT was fun first time around and I learnt a lot about multi-class racing but I always hoped to be driving a GT3 car at the very front one day,” he said. “We had a lot of bad luck in 2019 and should have been pushing for the championship so to get a second chance of sorts after a successful season in Sprint Challenge feels very satisfying. The Lamborghini is a proven package in the UK and Redline are one of the country’s best teams, as they’ve shown time and time again in Carrera Cup. So I’ve no doubt they’ll get on top of the Huracan quickly.
“Alex has also come on leaps and bounds since the start of the year. We could have gone down the traditional GT4 route but, honestly, now he’s had a season with the Cayman I think he’s capable of moving up straight away. We’re expecting a steep learning curve – this is unchartered territory for all of us, including Redline – but I’ve no doubt we have the potential to fight against the current front runners in GT3.”
Oulton Park hosts the opening round of British GT’s 2022 season on April 16 & 18.