(Motorsport-Total.com) – Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll is using the unexpected gap in the Grand Prix calendar for a guest appearance on foreign terrain: The Canadian will compete in his first GT3 race in April. As shown by the official entry list for the season opener of the GT World Challenge Europe at Paul Ricard on April 11 to 12, the Aston Martin regular driver will take over the cockpit of an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 from Comtoyou Racing.
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Stroll shares the wheel with former Manor F1 driver Roberto Merhi and Formula 3 race winner Mari Boya. The world of sports cars is not entirely new to Stroll: in the mid-2010s, he participated twice in the legendary 24 Hours of Daytona before focusing fully on his Formula 1 career with Williams and later Aston Martin.
However, in his previous US appearances, he sat exclusively in prototypes instead of GT racers. In 2016, he made his debut at the IMSA classic in a Riley DP with Ford power, later switching to an Oreca 07 from Jackie Chan DC Racing.
The Stage: GT World Challenge Europe
The GT World Challenge Europe, led by Stephane Ratel’s SRO organization, is considered one of the world’s leading sports car championships. Ratel, together with the world governing body for motor racing (FIA), was significantly involved in the creation of the GT3 regulations – a successful concept from which over 1,000 vehicles have been built to date.
The series consists of a mix of endurance and sprint events (Endurance Cup and Sprint Cup). The opener at Paul Ricard will be held in the endurance format, with a six-hour race scheduled for race Sunday.
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Trendsetter Verstappen: Formula 1 stars in GT fever
Stroll’s excursion into GT racing follows a trend: the interest of the Formula 1 elite in endurance racing has grown noticeably recently. Above all, world champion Max Verstappen has ventured into this discipline more and more frequently over the past twelve months.
The Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) even adjusted its schedule to allow the Red Bull star to participate in the second round of the season last month. The Dutchman, who has repeatedly expressed his frustration with current Formula 1 and the new hybrid regulations publicly, will also compete in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring for the first time this year.
In his first high-profile NLS appearance last year, Verstappen was still driving a Ferrari 296 GT3 before switching to a Mercedes-AMG GT3 from Winward Racing under the Verstappen Racing banner in March. Interesting detail: Verstappen has already tested the Vantage GT3 – exactly the car that Stroll will now drive at Paul Ricard – several times.