GT STAR BOBBI EYES UK LMP3 OUTINGS
Photos: Richard Styles, United Autosports, Jakob Ebrey
Double world GT champion Matteo Bobbi is considering a racing comeback in the UK after testing one of United Autosport’s Ligier LMP3 machines at Snetterton last week.
Italian ace Bobbi – the 2003 and 2006 FIA GT champion and former Minardi F1 test driver – handled one of the Nissan-powered JS P3 cars alongside United Autosports regular Jay Palmer.
The pair are now in talks with the team to contest the inaugural Prototype Cup race in October and are looking at a full campaign in the class in 2017.
Bobbi, 38, said: “I’ve known Jay for a long time and we work very well together so he organised this test, which has been great fun and very useful.
“I’ve not been in a car for a long time, my last race was in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo last year, so it was good to blow the cobwebs away with this run.
“The LMP3 was superb, and totally different from the GT cars I’ve been driving. They are real fingertip cars, you have to be so precise with the steering and they have lots of power and a lot more aero than a GT so through fast corners they are very stable and you can lean on them.
“We’re looking to do the British Prototype Cup Series and seeing what we can put together for that. I like the look of the series, it will be far less cost than something like the European Le Mans Series but you get to race LMP3 on some great tracks.”
United Autosports ran a number of drivers during its test day, including Radical regular Bradley Smith and British GT drivers Mark Poole and Richard Abra.
Tockwith Motorsport also ran its Ligier JS P3 for Nigel Moore.
The first race for the new Prototype Cup contest, which is run by GT Cup Championship organiser Bute Motorsport, takes place at Snetterton on October 8/9.