ATTARD/CARROLL TO DEBUT 488 GT3

British GT champion to make one-off return with Carroll in new 488 GT3

British GT champion Marco Attard is closing in on a one-off return to pilot the first Ferrari 488 GT3 to run in the championship.

Attard is in talks with FF Corse and Fox Motorsport to share the new machine with pro racer Adam Carroll in the marquee three-hour Silverstone 500 event on June 12.

The car was originally entered for owner Paul Mcneilly and Jamie Stanley, but the pair are prepared to step aside to allow Attard and Carroll to give the 3.9-litre twin turbo machine ( right) its British GT debut. FF/FOX gave the car its maiden shakedown in Spain last week.

Sources say the deal is 90 per cent settled, with only insurances left to confirm. Mcneilly and Stanley will instead race their Ginetta G55 GT4 in the event.

Attard, who won the 2014 British title and finished second last term sharing an Ecurie Ecosse BMW Z4 GT3 with Alexander Sims, backed out of the class for this year to focus on the Blancpain Endurance Series in a Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan. Attard has now stepped aside to allow Phil Keen to share with Leo Machitski and Marco Mapelli.

Attard said: “The deal is very close and the plan is for us to race the Ferrari at Silverstone. I love British GT, and I want to do some racing this year after stepping back from Blancpain.

“I’ve not raced a Ferrari for years but the 488 looks fantastic.

“The new-generation GT3 cars are more amateur driver friendly, so hopefully I can click with the Ferrari quickly.

“Adam Carroll is a brilliant driver, he’s just like Alexander [Sims] – he only takes a few laps to get on the pace. We want a result out of this, so we’re taking it seriously, but at the moment it’s a one-off.”