Bentley coming back to racing?

[NaBUru38]

The #108 M-Sport Bentley took the pole and win at the Blancpain Paul Ricard 1000 km.


https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpa...m-for-bentley/

[Maggo]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

The #108 M-Sport Bentley took the pole and win at the Blancpain Paul Ricard 1000 km.


https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpa...m-for-bentley/

107

[GT6]

As long as it was still a bentley

[Bcarr6]

Full Bentley lineups announced for Spa

Pipo Derani headlining he additions


#107 - Jules Gounon / Jordan Pepper / Steven Kane

#108 - Alex Buncombe / Markus Palttala / Maxime Soulet

#109 - Seb Morris / Rodrigo Baptista / Callum MacLeod

#110 - Pipo Derani / Andy Soucek / Lucas Ordonez

[canaglia]

An audi sport/WRT like effort for bentley this time. Watch out killswitch

[Juntos]

Very humble line up from Bentley. You can't expect wins.

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by Juntos

Very humble line up from Bentley. You can't expect wins.

They literally just won Paul Ricard....

[Bcarr6]

And so Kyalami next week will be the swansong for the Bentley factory supported GT3 effort, with the full expectation that customer efforts will also depart slowly after that.

Its been a mixed 7 years for the Bentley GT3 program. They seem to finally have started making some good progress in terms of customers, but GT3 is on the brink of struggling globally, and the push towards electric mobility is ever increasing so its not a surprising move.

Paul Williams did note in the interview on S365 that they are going to maintain a watching brief on motorsport in the mid term, and look for ways for it to fit with its e-mobility future ambitions.

My impression is with Audi and BMW having just departed Formula E, it wont be towards that. I think they will want to be back to Le Mans or similar in the future, but only once it can allow them to show their green credentials.

This is the way motorsport is going, and clearly OEM's dont believe that Formula E is the answer. So what next?

I have always maintained electric is the future for motorsport one way or the other, and the first series to harness electric power with street-related vehicles is going to be a winner

Lets see a Tesla Vs Audi eTron etc, around proper tracks.

[canaglia]

honestly I'm actually surprised that bently and m-sport stayed that long in gt3!
the continental chassis/platform is clearly so unfit for a gt racing car

[GT6]

Well the whole of the sports division of VAG seems to be undergoing major changes at the moment, so lets see how things develop would not be surprised to see bentley doing something different, just not idea what yet

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by canaglia

the continental chassis/platform is clearly so unfit for a gt racing car

And that's what makes it so great - you've got the sleek Ferraris, Astons and McLarens then a stately home thunders past. Love it

[GT6]

With the driver sitting in a nice wing back leather chair smoking a pipe? and dress in full dinner suit of course.
Bentley should always do things in a little more style.

[Bcarr6]

Bert and GT6’s comments are exactly why I enjoy both the Bentley and the Gt3 formula as a whole.

Bentley brought diversity and character, unlike anything else in the GT3 category, bar the Nissan maybe.

It’ll be a shame not to see it in the hands of factory drivers fighting for a Bathurst win or similar in the future

That said, it’s good to hear they aren’t entirely giving up on motorsport, and I look forward to seeing how they can attach the Bentley spin to the electric world

[Bcarr6]

So its safe to say that Bentley customer teams dont love the idea of racing the cars without factory support, even though M-Sport had offered to continue support.

K-Pax - moved to Lamborghini
T3 Motorsport - moved to Lamborghini

and now Team Parker have confirmed they are ending their Bentley program, with a new program to be announced soon.

[GregUK]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

....... and now Team Parker have confirmed they are ending their Bentley program, with a new program to be announced soon.

I was talking to Stuart Parker at the weekend and I detected a feeling of relief that the car was straight (after Gulf 12 Hours) and that the programme was over.

But I've always felt that the Bentley GT3 programme had been hampered by the sherry decanter and lead crystal glasses behind the driver's seat.

[chunterer]

So is that the end then? No Bentleys at all? ☹

Interesting that K-Pax have gone the Huracan route. Seems that any team changing marques goes for Lambo or Merc. Is that because they cost less or the support is better than say Audi or Porsche?

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by chunterer

So is that the end then? No Bentleys at all?

Interesting that K-Pax have gone the Huracan route. Seems that any team changing marques goes for Lambo or Merc. Is that because they cost less or the support is better than say Audi or Porsche?

JRM and Lazarus are the only teams left yet to publicly drop Bentley

[GregUK]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

JRM and Lazarus are the only teams left yet to publicly drop Bentley

What are CMR doing?

[gert]

Originally Posted by GregUK

What are CMR doing?

Staying on with Bentley AFAIK...

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by gert

Staying on with Bentley AFAIK...

Ok so it's not as bad as I thought then! 3 teams still operating the cars.