Bentley Motorsport made an impressive debut at the famous Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst, Australia.

• Continental GT3 #10 of Guy Smith, Steven Kane and Matt Bell finish fourth in debut at Bathurst 12 Hours, third in Pro class.
• Car #10 leads for final hour, only losing out with four minutes to go
• Contact in final corner almost spins car, dropping from P2 to P4
• Car #11 runs until final hour, when a drivetrain failure caused by rear-end damage from contact forces retirement

Bentley Motorsport made an impressive debut at the famous Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst, Australia, taking a fourth-place finish after twelve hours of incredibly close racing. The #10 Continental GT3 of the British driving trio of Guy Smith, Steven Kane and Matt Bell drove a strong race to take the lead in the final hour, only to be defeated in the final two laps by the #35 Nissan utilising a Balance of Performance power advantage. Driving the final stint, Matt Bell managed to hold second place until the last corner, when he was forced off line by two bouts of contact from chasing cars, ultimately crossing the line fourth.

The sister #11 car of Andy Soucek, Maximilian Buhk and Harold Primat endured a tougher race, having made progress in the opening hours of the race to climb from P21 on the grid to be racing in the top ten. A series of drive-through penalties cost time, dropping the car down the order, until a failure in the closing hour caused by rear-end contact left the car without drive. However, for new Bentley Boys Andy and Maxi, who will drive together all season, the race was a great opportunity to compete together for the first time alongside the drivers of car #10.

Brian Gush, Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, comments:

“We came to Bathurst to show the pace of the Continental GT3 over one of the toughest endurance races in the word. While we’ll leave here knowing we’ve succeeded in that mission, and proud of finishing in the top five, we also know it could’ve and should’ve been more. The Bentley Boys drove an outstanding race and it’s very tough to see their efforts undone on the closing lap by what appeared to be unsportsmanlike driving.”

Rolf Frech, Bentley’s Member of the Board for Engineering, comments:

“I’m very pleased with the performance that the team has showed today. The pace of the cars, the efficiency of the pit crew and the speed of the drivers bodes well for the season ahead. “

The Story of the Race

The #10 Continental GT3 of Guy Smith, Steven Kane and Matt Bell started the race in P10. Over an opening double stint, Guy climbed to P4 before handing the car to Matt Bell on lap 66. Matt piloted the Continental GT3 all the way to P2 before assuming P1 as cars pitted behind the safety car. A blocked drinks tube combined with increasing cabin temperatures behind the safety car meant that Matt had to pit slightly early as fatigue in the 30°C temperatures set in, and after Steven Kane replaced him the car sat P10.

By lap 105, Steven was up to P8, when a drive-through penalty was awarded for a race restart procedural infringement. Fortunately, Steven maintained his position, and by lap 131 he was up to P3. Guy then started his second stint, driving with precision and outright speed to claim P2 by lap 162. He finished his stint on lap 170, when a rejuvenated Matt Bell (complete with working drinks tube) took the wheel for the second time. His stint was going well until contact with a lapped competitor resulted in an unnecessary and harsh drive-through penalty, which dropped Matt to P6.

However, by the time he stopped on lap 207, Matt had recovered to P2. Steven’s second stint started behind the safety car in P6 after the stop, but by lap 230 Steven had retaken the lead as other cars made their pit visits. He held the lead until giving the car back to Matt Bell on lap 242, who rejoined P3 and then made his way to the lead of the race as others made their final pit stops. 

Two safety car in the closing minutes added to the tension as the race clock counted down, and while Matt held the lead during the first race restart, at the second restart the more powerful #35 Nissan took the lead. Matt showed great skill in maintaining second place until the last corner, when a fight for third place between the #15 Audi and #97 Aston Martin resulted in Matt being forced off line and almost in to a spin, ultimately finishing fourth.

Maximilian Buhk, Andy Soucek and Harold Primat started from P21 on the grid in the sister #11 Continental GT3. It was Maxi who started the race, finding space in the opening laps to climb 11 places to P10. He handed over to Harold Primat on lap 29, who then faced a challenging stint that involved two drive-through penalties following race restart infractions and a spin after light contact with a backmarker. 

At the end of his two-hour driving session, Harold pitted from P21, so that Andy Soucek could start a recovery. From lap 81 to lap 143, Andy climbed eight places to P13, before handing back to Harold, who drove a short stint until lap 170 when Maxi Buhk rejoined the race after a driver change in P12.

On lap 207, Andy Soucek took charge of the #11 car once again, continuing in P12 until a stop on lap 229 for a brake pad change. He emerged from the pits in P16 and then handed the car to Maxi Buhk on lap 244. Maxi continued to push hard until lap 253, when a failure in the drivetrain caused by damage to the rear of the car from earlier contact left the car stranded and forced an unhappy retirement.

Driver Quotes

Guy Smith, car #10: “This race has got to be one of the most exciting of my career. It wasn’t like an endurance race – it was more like a 12-hour sprint. I’m really pleased with our pace and how strong our car was today, but ultimately we couldn’t quite hold on for the win. We know we should’ve finished second, but unfortunately racing isn’t always fair. We’ve learnt so much this weekend and will make sure we’re even stronger for the start of our European season at Monza.”

Steven Kane, car #10: “We came here with an ambition to race hard and well, and we certainly did that today. We got the setup of our car right and showed great pace throughout the 12 hours, and to finish such a race less than four seconds from the winner is no mean feat. Matt was phenomenal in the last hour to hold on for as long as he did, and the third-in-class trophy is a small consolation. We can use what we’ve learnt here to help with our Blancpain campaign this year, and we can’t wait to get started.”

Matt Bell, car #10: “It was amazing to come here with Bentley and we put on a great show. This was my first race in the Continental GT3 and I’m thoroughly impressed with the car that Bentley Team M-Sport has developed. Guy and Steven were amazing throughout the race, and put me in a position where I could battle right to the last corner. It’s a shame we couldn’t have a clean race finish, but I as a driver and we as a team are rightly proud of our performance.”

Maximilian Buhk, car #11: “This was a real rollercoaster of a race for us. We started strongly and made up so many places, getting in to the top ten, but the penalties dropped us down the order again. I was still enjoying the race in the top 20 when we had a failure and the car lost drive. These things happen, but we leave here knowing that we have a very fast car – so the season ahead looks good.”

Andy Soucek, car #11: “The weekend has been tough and we were obviously hoping for a better result. However, there are a lot of positives to take from here – we arrived at a new circuit for the car, adapted quickly, and had really good pace. That gives me confidence for the season and I’m really looking to getting started with the Blancpain Endurance Series.”

Harold Primat, car #11: “This has been a really mixed race weekend for me. I’ve enjoyed working with the Bentley team and getting to know the Continental GT3, but some driving mistakes meant I had a really difficult first stint. We regrouped as a team really well and got back on the pace, and I was much happier with my second stint. Overall it was a good experience with the new race car and we can take away knowledge for my season with Bentley Team HTP in Europe.”

Race Result – Top 10

	Team	Car	Drivers	Gap	Fastest lap
1	NISMO Athlete Global Team	#35 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3	K. Chiyo / W. Reip / F. Strauss	0	2:03.9769
2	Phoenix Racing	#15 Audi R8-LMS Ultra	L. Vanthoor / M. Mapelli / M. Winkelhock	2.4529	2:03.3091
3	Craft Bamboo Racing	#97 Aston Martin Vantage GT3	S. Mucke / A. MacDowell / D. O’YOung	2.8016	2:04.4514
4	Bentley Team M-Sport	#10 Bentley Continental GT3	M.Bell / G. Smith / S.Kane	3.7821	2:05.1808
5	Erebus Motorsport	#36 Mercedes SLS AMG GT3	J. LeBrocq / R. Muscat / D. Canto	3.9430	2:04.5607
6	Vicious Rumour Racing	#49 Ferrari F458 Italia GT3	A. Montermini /	1 lap	2:05.5603
7	JBS Australia	#32 Lamborghini LP 560	D. Russell / S. Owen / R. Lago	1 lap	2:04.8101
8	Clearwater Racing	#33 Ferrari F458 Italia GT3	T.Vilander / M. Griffin  / M.W. Sun	1 lap	2:04.8706
9	Phoenix Racing	#16 Audi R8-LMS Ultra	S. Ortelli / C. Haase / F. Baumgartner	1 lap	2:05.0164
10	Hallmarc / Network Clothing	#9 Audi R8-LMS Ultra	C. Mies / M. Eddy / M. Cini	2 laps	2:05.0948
DNF	#11 Bentley Team M-Sport	#11 Bentley Continental GT3	M. Buhk / A. Soucek / H. Primat	N/A	2:05.1746

Bentley announces it's 2015 race program, with a huge filed of events, this year is going to be great.

• Continental GT3 race programme expands around the world
• Works, Works-supported and customer teams for 2015
• Bentley Team M-Sport confirms 2015 driver line-up
• First race of the season will be the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour

Bentley Motorsport announces its full schedule of races around the world for 2015 after a successful debut season for the racing version of Bentley’s iconic Continental GT grand tourer, the Continental GT3. Building on the success of the 2014 season, which saw the Continental GT3 win three races on two continents and finish second overall in the Blancpain Endurance Series, for 2015 the programme expands to cover six race series over four continents.

Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush, comments:

“2015 promises to be a very exciting year for Bentley Motorsport, as we grow our programme through customer teams to see the Continental GT3 facing fresh challenges at new tracks across the globe. This year will see the most extensive campaign of racing in Bentley’s illustrious history, as we continue to use the Continental GT to build on our racing heritage. Racing is in our blood, and with the Continental GT3 we continue to build on a winning tradition. Bentley customers are now going racing with their marque, in a Bentley, in race series around the world.”

2015 sees the brand’s Works team, Bentley Team M-Sport, return to the Blancpain Endurance Series. In addition, Bentley is also taking on three of the world’s premiere sports car endurance events. The Bentley Motorsport season will begin with the two Continental GT3s of Bentley Team M-Sport tackling Mount Panorama in the Bathurst 12 Hour on Sunday 8^th February. 

Later in the year, Bentley will also enter arguably the world’s most gruelling endurance race – the ADAC Zurich 24h Race at the Nürburgring – an event for which preparations began earlier in 2014 when Bentley took part in two VLN series test races. The year will close with one final endurance race, the Gulf 12 Hours at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.

Alongside the Works team, Bentley announces additional partner teams to race the Continental GT3 in key regions, as Works-supported entries:

• Following a race-winning half-season in 2014, Bentley Team Dyson Racing will contest the full Pirelli World Challenge season in the U.S.A.
• In Europe, Bentley Team HTP will use five Continental GT3s to race in the Blancpain Sprint Series, Blancpain Endurance Series and ADAC GT Masters championship
• In Asia, Bentley Team Absolute will compete in the GT Asia series

The Works and Works-supported teams are complemented by customer teams, who will extend the racing activities of the Continental GT3 even further, including events such as the Dubai 24 Hours and the Australian GT series. Bentley’s customer racers have already had success with the Continental GT3, including a win in the NGK Racing Series in Dubai.

The 2015 Bentley Boys

Bentley Team M-Sport also announces its driver line-up for the 2015 season. After scoring victories at Silverstone and Paul Ricard, and finishing second in the Blancpain Endurance Series in 2014, car #7 retains the all-British trio of Guy Smith, Andy Meyrick and Steven Kane. The three Bentley Boys are looking forward to a second complete season with the team, and to working together again. Andy Meyrick comments:

“It was an honour to race for Bentley last year and I’m thrilled that Guy, Steven and I will be together again in the Continental GT3 this year. 2014 was the car’s debut season and so second place in the championship was a real achievement, but that clearly leaves us room to go one better and that’s our target for the Continental GT3 this year.”

Car #8 sees an all-new and truly European team of drivers for 2015. Joining Bentley Team M-Sport are Spanish racer Andy Soucek, German GT3-specialist Maximilian Buhk and Belgian Maxime Soulet. All three have raced in the Blancpain Endurance Series before, showing prodigious speed and racecraft and making them natural choices to join Bentley Motorsport for 2015. New Bentley Boy Andy Soucek comments:

“It feels fantastic to join Bentley, a company with such a long and prestigious connection with motorsport. Racing for this team will be very special to me and I’m excited to take on the challenge. I drove the Continental GT3 for the first time at Portimao recently, and was really impressed with its performance. I’m looking forward to getting the season underway.”

Bentley’s progress throughout the season can be followed at www.bentleymedia.com or via the@BentleyComms Twitter feed.

2015 Race Schedules in Full

Premiere Endurance Events:

Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, 6^th-8^th February

ADAC Zurich 24h Race, Nürburgring, 16^th-17^th May

Gulf 12 Hours, Abu Dhabi, 13^th December

Blancpain Endurance Series (Bentley Team M-Sport, Bentley Team HTP):

Monza, Italy: 11th-12th April

Silverstone, UK: 23^rd-24^th May

Paul Ricard, France: 19^th-20^th June

Spa 24 Hours, Belgium: 23^th-26^th July

Nürburgring, Germany: 19^th-20^th September

Blancpain Sprint Series (Bentley Team HTP):

Nogaro Coupes de Pâques, France: 18th-19th March

Brands Hatch, UK: 9^th-10^th May

Zolder, Belgium: 5^th-7^th June

Moscow City, Russia: 3^rd-5^th July

Algarve, Portugal: 4^th-6^th September

Misano, Italy: 2^nd-4^th October

Baku World Challenge, Azerbaijan: 24^th-25^th October

ADAC GT Masters (Bentley Team HTP):

Oschersleben, Germany: 24th-26th April

Red Bull Ring, Austria: 5^th-7^th June

Spa, Belgium: 19^th-21^st June

Lausitzring, Germany: 3^rd-5^th July

Nürburgring, Germany: 14^th-16^th August

Sachsenring, Germany: 28^th-30^th August

Zandvoort, Netherlands: 18^th-20^th September

Hockenheim, Germany: 2^nd-4^th October

Pirelli World Challenge (Bentley Team Dyson Racing):

Circuit of the Americas, Texas: 6th-8th March

St. Petersburg, Florida: 27^th-29^th March

Long Beach, California: 17^th-19^th April

Barber Motorsports Park, Alabama: 24-26^th April

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Ontario: 15^th-17^th May

Road America, Wisconsin: 26^th-28^th June

Mid-Ohio, Ohio: 31^st July-2^nd August

Miller Motorsports Park, Utah: 21^st-23^rd August

Sonoma Raceway, California: 28^th-30^th August

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, California: 11^th-13^th September

GT Asia (Bentley Team Absolute)

Yeongam, Korea: 15th-17th May

Okayama, Japan: 26^th-28^th June

Fuji, Japan: 17^th-19^th July

Sepang, Malaysia: 14^th-16^th August

Shanghai, China: 25^th-27^th September

Buriram Chang, Thailand: 23^rd-25^th October

Macau: 13^th-15^th November