McLaren Automotive has confirmed its driver lineup for this weekend’s Gulf 12 Hours, which will see Shane van Gisbergen, Alvaro Parente and Ben Barnicoat give the McLaren 720S GT3 its competition debut.
The British manufacturer has entered a single car under the McLaren Customer Racing banner for the event at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit.
McLaren factory driver Barnicoat, who has completed extensive mileage in the new-for-2019 GT3 car, will be joined van Gisbergen and Parente, who both drove for the British manufacturer under its previous guise of McLaren GT.
“The Gulf 12 Hours is a stern test for the car but with the development mileage we have accumulated and with the fantastic driver line-up we’ll be able to gauge the potential of the new McLaren 720S GT3,” said McLaren Automotive director of motorsport Dan Walmsley.
“We’re confident that we’ve put the new car through a comprehensive development program, with lead driver Ben Barnicoat taking a critical role in the process.
“Teaming him up with Alvaro Parente and Shane van Gisbergen, two excellent racers who both have extensive GT racing experience with McLaren machinery, it should make for an interesting competition debut for the car.”
