Sky Tempesta Racing gears up for new era with Mercedes AMG Motorspor t
Sky Tempesta Racing certainly knows how to make an entrance. In just three years in the GT World Challenge Europe championship (GTWCE), Sky Tempesta Racing has won multiple drivers’ and teams’ titles and in 2022 is hunting for more glory. But this year, things are a little different.
Under a gorgeous sunny sky and to the backdrop of the historic Brooklands, Chris Froggatt, Eddie Cheever III and Jonathan Hui unveiled the team’s switch to a Mercedes AMG GT3 ahead of its fourth straight GTWCE season, and the team will also compete in selected British GT rounds.
It’s a big season in many ways for Sky Tempesta Racing and after its almost instant success in GTWCE, winning the 2020 overall Pro-am drivers’ and teams’ titles plus the Sprint Cup top honours and the 2021 Pro-am drivers’ and teams’ titles in the Endurance Cup, there’s a sense of a new era even if the team colours look familiar.
That’s why the team wanted to make a statement through its launch at Mercedes-benz World situated in the middle of Brooklands, which creates a unique meeting of past and present motorsport icons.
Sky Tempesta Racing has the same blend of old and new too. Old, in the nicest possible sense, is an unchanged driver line-up supported by Sky in their pursuit of further silverware in GTWCE.
New is pretty much everything else.
“Mercedes has always been extremely competitive, so it seemed like a good fit and the brand has so much racing pedigree, especially in GT racing in the last 10 years, it has been very successful,” Froggatt explains during the Sky Tempesta Racing launch about switching to Mercedes.
“That combined with the fact the ACO is moving WEC and Le Mans into GT3 cars, we thought that has got to be a goal for us, getting to Le Mans, doing
WEC in the future.
“Mercedes is the perfect partner so we made the change to get experience now with the car, the team, the people we are working with and build up to the main objective which is competing at WEC and Le Mans in a Mercedes.”
With some lofty ambitions the Mercedes partnership also “ticks all the boxes” as the team has exciting plans for fans who want to get closer to the action by giving away tickets through the Sky VIP loyalty programme to see the team this season.
“We are looking to put together a driving masterclass programme for Sky VIP customers that teaches road safety and car control. It is an important aspect with what we want to do with the team outside of racing,” Froggatt says, with the new GTWCE season broadcast on the Sky
Sports F1 channel on Sky Q and Sky Glass.
“When we arrived in GTWCE as Sky Tempesta Racing that came with TV rights for Sky Sports F1. One of the big things we wanted to bring to the table was not only competing in this championship but trying to help raise awareness. So we are giving away experiences for Sky VIP customers to really get involved with the team on race weekends.”
But Sky Tempesta Racing’s new era goes beyond a traditional fan package, with the team aiming to help grow motorsports from grassroots level.
“We are looking at how we can provide opportunities for people to get involved in motorsport, how we can support starting some grassroots motorsports, looking at kids in karting, looking at engineering courses for teenagers and understanding how we can bring people to the world of GT racing. There are so many opportunities.”
Focusing on the here and now, Froggatt remains grounded about the challenge ahead adapting to a new car for the new season, which gets under way at Imola on 1-3 April before trips to iconic venues including Brands Hatch, Zandvoort, and the blue riband event the Spa 24 Hours.
“I think we have a very good package and we will be catching up with some of the cars in terms of experience,” he says. “I think we’ve got an opportunity to fight for the championship but I would say it will be a long year of learning for us.
“I have a lot of faith in the programme and myself, Jonathan and Eddie, the team is very talented. I think one strength is we’ve worked together for three years and we have a very good bond and understand each other very well and communication is very good. We like a very similar car. Whereas others have strong line-ups but haven’t worked before, so I think we have that over most.”
The challenge is clear but one Froggatt is relishing with confidence, and after launching its intentions on a platform as big as Mercedes-benz World at Brooklands, it’s easy to believe Sky Tempesta Racing will succeed again.