The McLaren GT factory driver line up has been further strengthened with the addition of V8 Supercars star, Shane Van Gisbergen for the 2015 season. The 25-year-old New Zealander joins Rob Bell, Kevin Estre, Alvaro Parente and Bruno Senna at the Woking-based manufacturer.
Sharing the same home town as the company’s founder, Bruce McLaren – Auckland, New Zealand – Van Gisbergen has made a name for himself with a string of strong results in a variety of different championships. He claimed the 2006 Formula Ford championship and, in 2014, was runner-up in the International V8 Supercar Championship.
Van Gisbergen has also shown himself to be one of the quickest GT endurance drivers, having contested the Daytona 24 Hour and, last season took part in two of the world’s most famous endurance events driving a McLaren 12C GT3; the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 hour (below) and the Total Spa 24 hour. Shane’s racing plans will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Andrew Kirkaldy, Managing Director, McLaren GT:
‘It is great to have Shane on board for the 2015 season. He showed some real talent when he raced the 12C GT3 in the Australian GT championship last year, and was the quickest man on track at Bathurst last year when I raced alongside him, and we narrowly missed out on a podium in one of the closest finishes in the race’s history. He has shown himself to be a great talent in Australia, and we are confident that he can recreate that success in Europe.’
The schedule for Van Gisbergen’s race plans with McLaren GT will be announced shortly.
