Rules mix-up leaves Barnicoat on the sidelines
BRITISH GT
Euan Hankey made a surprise return to British GT with the Track-club Mclaren team after its regular driver
Ben Barnicoat was substituted out for last weekend’s Silverstone 500 event following a rules mix-up.
Hankey stepped in to share Adam Balon’s Mclaren 570S GT4 for the three-hour outing after Barnicoat fell foul of the series’ testing rules.
Autosport understands that Barnicoat’s employer, Mclaren, used him for a development test for the GT4 machine at Silverstone recently, breaching British GT rules that bar drivers from testing at a race venue prior to an event.
Had Barnicoat raced, the car would have had to start last in GT4. As a result, both Track-club and Mclaren opted to switch drivers instead.
“It was a bit of a late call after a mix-up, but it’s good to be back,” said Hankey, who was forced to retire the car after two punctures and an electrical issue.
“Racing a GT4 is very different to the GT3 or GTE cars I’ve been racing recently. You have less aero and grip, so you can’t carry as much speed into corners. Ben will be back on regular duty for the rest of the season, so it’s likely a one-off for me.”
After the Silverstone non-finish,
Balon and Barnicoat are now eighth in the GT4 drivers’ standings.