OPTIMUM MOTOR SPORT GT SWITCH FOR ADAM IN 2018
S cot will share aston martin vantage alongside haigh in brit is hg t
Jonathan Adam will attempt to become the first driver in history to win the British GT Championship with three different teams, when he returns next year as part of a new Aston Martin effort from Optimum Motorsport.
Optimum will field a single Vantage GT3 next year, and has signed factory racer Adam to share alongside European GT regular Flick Haigh.
The deal will mark the first time Optimum has competed in British GT3 since it ran an Audi R8 LMS for a part-campaign in 2016. The team has been a regular in the GT4 category however, running the Pmw-backed Ginetta – and latterly Mclaren – of Graham Johnson and Mike Robinson.
Scottish star Adam is already the only driver to win the GT3 crown with two different teams – Beechdean AMR in 2015 and TF Sport for 2016.
Adam said: “Next year is going to be really exciting. I’ve had two great years working with TF and Derek [Johnston, team-mate] but as a factory driver you often switch surroundings, so I’m used to adapting to new scenery.
“I always wanted to stay in British GT because, with the World Endurance Championship having less dates next year [due to the contest being spread over its 13 month ‘superseason’] it’s an ideal second programme. I have to go for the title again as making my mark on a series in any way is always special.”
This year is likely to be the last for the current Vantage GT3, with a replacement model mirroring the new GTE car planned for 2019.
Optimum boss Shaun Goff, whose team will also benefit from engineering and technical support from AMR parent firm Prodrive, said: “Flick felt the time was right to tackle British GT, which is an incredibly tight series. When Jonny was made available to us we had to grab that chance with both hands.
“This will be his seventh year with the Vantage so there are very few drivers out there with his level of insight and understanding of the car. He’ll work to bring Flick on too and I think we’re in for a great year.” ● TF Sport has yet to confirmits two pro drivers to share with Derek Johnston and Mark Farmer for next year. Jon Barnes could return, and a selection of AMR’S other WEC drivers could also appear at the team.