De Haan switches to GT3 RAM Merc

British GT runner-up Sam De Haan will switch from Barwell to RAM Racing as part of an expanded twocar Mercedes GT3 effort for the Silverstone squad next year.

Dan Shufflebottom’s team will run two of the latest generation Mercedes-amg GT3S with Mercedes factory driver Yelmer Buurman returning to the series alongside Ian Loggie, while De Haan will share with Finn Patrick Kujala in an all-silver line-up.

De Haan was allowed to compete this season as a derogated Bronze because his entry for 2019 was accepted as a Bronze prior to the FIA upgrading his driver rating to Silver last year. But he has been unable to keep his Bronze grading for 2020 and thus continue his Pro-am partnership with Goldrated 2004 champion

Jonny Cocker.

As an all-silver pairing with sometime GP3 racer Kujala, who anchored Barwell’s Am Cupwinning Spa 24 line-up in 2018, De Haan will have to carry extra weight in the car but believes the Mercedes will still be a competitive prospect.

“The Mercedes is nice on its tyres and I think the Lambo would struggle more with the extra weight across the stint,” he said. “It’s very Am-friendly and inspires confidence.

“Ian did a fair amount of testing before his first season in the car and he really got on well with it, so I’m hoping that I can follow suit and we’ll be in the right ball-park.”

Loggie had an interrupted year alongside Callum Macleod after he was injured in a cycling accident. Dutch ace Buurman last competed in British GT in 2018, winning at Rockingham with Lee Mowle in an

ERC Sport entry.