Pista - Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe - Lorens Lecertua joins Comtoyou Racing in GT3

After winning the Alpine Elf Europa Cup last year, Lorens Lecertua will make the big step up to GT3 this weekend when he takes part in the second round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup at the Misano circuit in Italy. The 17-year-old Belgian will team up with Dutch driver Dante Rappange in a Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3.

Life does not always run smoothly. Although he thought he would be competing in the GT4 European Series and the French FFSA GT Championship with an Alpine A110 GT4, Lorens Lecertua will be at the wheel of… an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 from Thursday!

“After a year in the French Formula 4 Championship and then my campaign in the Alpine Cup, it will be a major challenge to move up to GT3 in my third season in motorsport,” explains the former top-level kart driver. “I will be competing in the Silver Cup, the category for semi-professional or young professional drivers, with Dutchman Dante Rappange as my team-mate for two 60-minute races per weekend. Thank you to Comtoyou Racing for this extraordinary opportunity! It is one of the best teams in Europe and I know that I will be well looked after so that I can progress as quickly as possible.”

“Let us be clear, we do not expect Lorens to play a leading role straight away,” explains his coach Reshad de Gerus, who has been following Lorens since his single-seater debut. “The Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe is an extremely competitive championship. With the exception of the DTM, where the drivers drive alone, it is the GT3 championship where the level of driving is the highest in Europe. Lorens will be up against professional drivers who directly represent the manufacturers. It is going to be tough, but he will learn quickest when he is up against the best.”

The move to GT3 will therefore come without any pressure, either from the team or from those around him. “I have still got so much to discover, but I am really lucky to be able to drive such a beautiful, high-performance car,” smiles Lorens. “I am going to try to make the most of every moment behind the wheel. It is going to be one thing after another, with first practice on Thursday afternoon, qualifying on Friday evening and the two races on Saturday. It is going to be a great adventure, but I cannot wait for it to start!”

On Saturday, the two races will get underway at 14.00 and then 21.00. As at all Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe events, free broadcasts of qualifying practice and the races will be available on the GT World YouTube channel, a channel with over 600,000 subscribers and commentary in French, English, Italian and German. Do not hesitate to follow the GT3 debut of an ambitious young Belgian!