Mitchell gets Lambo GT3 global role 17 | 05 | 2018
SCOTS TEENAGER SANDY MITCHELL has been selected to join the coveted 25-member Lamborghini Squadra Corse GT3 Junior Program. The announcement comes just days before the Black Bull Whisky-backed driver fires up his 190mph Lamborghini Huracan GT3 at Silverstone. (Related: Mitchell eyeing Silverstone success)
Mitchell, the 18-year-old from Forfar, and in his first season driving the Barwell Motorsport-prepared Lamborghini, tackles this weekend’s (May 19/20) latest round of the Blancpain GT Endurance Series at the Northamptonshire circuit.
The Scot — the youngest to have been selected for the program, and one of only two Brits — joins 24 other drivers from countries around the world, including Italy, USA, China, Croatia, Finland, Holland, Argentina and Brazil.
As a member of the GT3 Junior Program, Mitchell will be significantly more involved in the development of Lamborghini’s racing cars.
In addition, the iconic Italian car maker says Mitchell’s “participation in the tests conducted by Lamborghini Squadra Corse is fundamental for him in order to increase his experience. Furthermore it will aid the technical department in enabling it to gather a greater amount of useful information to improve the car components.”
Finally, the young Scot will have the chance to become an instructor with the Accademia, the official Lamborghini driving school.
“Naturally I’m very excited to have been selected as a member of the Lamborghini Squadra Corse GT3 Junior Program, at what is the very start of my GT3 season driving the car,” Mitchell, who is also a member of the prestigious British Racing Drivers’ Club Rising Star scheme, said.
“I feel hugely privileged to have been selected as part of the small group of 25 drivers from around the world, and it’s fantastic to fly the flag for Scotland.”
Mitchell, personally backed by Huntly-based Black Bull Scotch Whisky, impressed through pre-season testing, and again during both free-practice and qualifying for the opening round of the Blancpain GT at Monza.
Not surprisingly, his Barwell Motorsport team has been delighted by his performances, and praised his selection for the GT3 Junior Program.
“Sandy impressed us hugely from his very first day testing with the team,” Chris Needell, Barwell Motorsport commercial director, said.
“As a then 17-year-old he was making a big step in terms of his racing career, but right from the start he has shown a maturity and calmness in his approach which belies his age and youthful looks.
“He goes about his racing in a very professional manner. That’s underlined as much when he is in the car as well as the work he puts in behind the scenes.
“He is naturally very, very fast. Within just a dozen laps of his first ever taste of our Lamborghini Huracan GT3, he was already matching the times of his more experienced team-mates. He also makes very few mistakes and looks after the car extremely well.
“Sandy further reinforced his credentials to be an official Lamborghini GT3 Junior during qualifying at Monza, where he not only set the fastest time in our car, but was also only a few tenths-of-a-second shy of the factory team’s superstar driver, Mirko Bortolotti.
“I think that made a lot of people sit up and take notice of his ability.”
In addition to Black Bull Scotch Whisky, Mitchell is grateful to his growing network of loyal sponsors. These include Scots companies Tunnocks, Thorntons, Close Brothers, Stirfresh, InverTay Homes, Provisio Funding and Celurca Investments. In addition, Mitchell is supported by Christie Digital and Stampede Global, two companies which operate on the world stage, and Manchester-based Duerr’s.
Related: Mitchell scuppered by electrical gremlin
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Jim McGill
Photograph: Copyright Jakob Ebrey