The flourishing TF Sport team will take to Silverstone’s Grand Prix circuit for a reconnaissance of the prestigious Blancpain Endurance Series this weekend (24-25 May).
TF Sport, based in Redhill, Surrey, embarked on its maiden full-time campaign in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship this year and has already made a splash, breaking into the points in only its second outing in the headlining GT3 class and achieving race wins and podium finishes in the GT4 division.
The official Aston Martin Racing Partner Team will make sporadic, exploratory outings in other high-profile GT championships in 2014 to assess its options for the 2015 season and beyond.
It recently contested Round 2 of the fledgling GT Cup at Brands Hatch (17-18 May) and is preparing to trial the Blancpain Endurance Series – the world’s leading GT3 racing championship – while also taking the opportunity to bed-in to Silverstone’s Grand Prix circuit ahead of the third round of the 2014 British GT season in just over a week’s time (31 May-1 June).
Blancpain, now in its fourth year, visits some of the world’s greatest race circuits, such as Monza, Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and the Nürburgring, and attracts large grids that comprise of the most iconic automotive brands, with teams representing Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Porsche.
Paul Bailey and Andy Schulz will pilot the TF Sport with Horsepower Racing Aston Martin V12 Vantage in the Gentlemen Trophy class and are wary of underestimating the scale of the challenge that awaits them.
Bailey said: “This will comfortably be the most competitive race I’ve ever been involved in. This will be the first time I’ve raced with a field this size, but the big differences are that it consists of mostly international drivers and I’ll be in a situation where all of the cars have the same balance of performance. Andy (Schulz) and I will be the sole British pairing in the Gentleman Trophy class and, while I’m expecting it to be unbelievably demanding and highly pressurised, I’m looking forward to a good, enjoyable race and I’m interested to see what I think of the Blancpain Sprint Series. I hope it has the ‘wow factor’ and the gentleman drivers are treated with as much respect as the pros.”
Schulz said: “The Blancpain GT Series is incredibly competitive and professional, but I’m really excited and will be a great experience. I’ve yet to race the Aston Martin on Pirelli tyres, so it will be a new experience for me, but we have a test session on Friday where we will work on car setup.
“The Grand Prix circuit is very fast and flowing so I think it suits the Aston Martin and I’ve always done well there. I have no idea where we are going to finish, as the grid is very competitive. But TF Sport has been working really hard on making sure we hit the ground running. It would be great to come away with a podium finish in the Gentlemen Trophy, but we’ve got to keep our heads down, hold it together and wait and see.”
TF Sport Director, Tom Ferrier, said: “The objective is to win the Gentleman Trophy class, but having entered rounds of the Blancpain GT Series before it would be silly to underestimate the challenge, as its widely perceived to be the toughest and most competitive championship in Europe. It will be really hard work, not only for the drivers, but for the TF Sport team too, as the mechanics will be under pressure to perform during the pit stops, which will be fast and frantic.
“We’ve done a lot of pit stop practice every lunchtime and that has helped to an extent, although it’s all about performing on the day. The Aston Martin V12 Vantage is normally pretty strong on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit, so we should have a quick car.”
For more on TF Sport, visit the official www.tfsport.co.uk website, ‘like’ the team’sFacebook page of follow @OfficialTFSport on Twitter.