Bentley GT3 Race Season Begins

Naim Audio began its partnership with Bentley Motors in 2008 with the launch of the Naim for Bentley premium audio system, designed to bring our unrivalled ‘as-live’ musical experience to the Bentley model range. In 2016, our partnership enters its third year with Naim as an official GT3 sponsor in Bentley’s next season of competitive racing. 

Naim Audio’s Managing Director, Trevor Wilson, comments: “The continuation of our relationship with Bentley and its GT3 racing programme is core to our belief in our partnership. Bentley’s pursuit of pure performance is something we really identify with. As two champions of British engineering and design we are proud to be supporting Bentley Team M-Sport in what I’m sure will be another hugely successful season.”

Following success in the 2014 and 2015 Blancpain Endurance Series, the Crewe-based operation has also entered its work team for the first time in the 2016 Blancpain Sprint Series aiming to retain the Continental GT3’s championship title won by its works supported team, and enabling it to contest the full Blancpain GT Series.

With the GT3 sporting a beautiful brand new racing livery, the Naim Audio logo will appear on both Bentley Motorsport’s cars and on the drivers’ overalls for the 2016 season, which got underway with the Blancpain Sprint Series at Misano, Italy on 8-10 April 2016.

“We’re delighted to have Naim’s ongoing support for the season ahead. Our Continental GT3s are racing all over the world again this year, and our cars will carry the Naim logo in six championships across Europe, in America and in Asia. Our partnership with another pinnacle British brand in Naim helps push us forward, and I’m confident that 2016 will be our most successful year of racing so far.” – Brian Gush, Head of Motorsport

Making its Blancpain Sprint Series Cup debut at Misano, Bentley Team M-Sport won the first race of the event, with drivers Andy Soucek (ES) and Maxime Soulet (BE) in car number 8 securing pole for Sunday’s main competition. Sunday’s race was not so fortuitous, when Soulet was tapped from behind and sent spinning. Following a valiant charge, Soucek crossed the line in 11th.

The first Blancpain Endurance Series at Monza (23-24 April) is nearly upon us and Bentley Team M-Sport has its superstar GT3 Continental ready on the start line. With around 1,000 kilograms of weight removed, and a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine producing up to 600 bhp, the GT3 is a compact and lightweight phenomenon.

In addition, Bentley Motorsport is contesting the inaugural SRO Intercontinental GT Challenge, which comprises the Bathurst 12 Hour, the 24 Hour of Spa and the Sepang 12 Hours. Piloting the Continental GT3 no. 10 car Guy Smith (GB), Steven Kane (GB) and Matt Bell (GB) finished the Bathurst 12 Hour race in a fantastic third place, in only the team’s second year of racing at the world-famous Mount Panorama Circuit in Australia.

The Bentley Boy line-up sees two changes for 2016, with the promotion of Vince Abril from a works supported team driver to full works team position and the addition of Wolfgang Reip, winner of the 2015 Blancpain Endurance Series, alongside Bentley Boys Guy Smith (GB), Steven Kane (GB), Andy Soucek (ES) and Maxime Soulet (BE).

Alongside its racing ambitions, the Continental GT3 retains its luxury Grand Tourer roots, with the steering wheel, carbon racing seat and leather door-pulls all trimmed and stitched by hand by the craftsmen and women at the Bentley factory in Crewe.

Race dates for the not to be missed 2016 series are as follows:

Round 1: Monza, Italy    23rd - 24th April

Round 2: Silverstone, Great Britain    14th - 15th May

Round 3: Circuit Paul Ricard, France    24th - 25th June

Test Day: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium    5th July

Round 4: Total 24 Hours of Spa, Belgium    28th - 31st July

Round 5: Nürburgring, Germany    17th - 18th September

As an official race partner of Bentley Team M-Sport we can’t wait for the season ahead.