Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Bronze Cup: Magny-Cours

August 22, 2024

Lamborghini Factory Driver Sandy, targeting Euro GT3 victory at Magny-Cours with Collard and Barwell.

Sandy returns to race action this weekend (Aug 23-25) when he tackles the latest double-header in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Bronze Cup at Magny-Cours in Central France. The 24-year-old from Forfar, partnered by team-mate Rob Collard in their No78 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo 2 prepared by Barwell Motorsport and backed by Dama Fortuna Tequila, is determined to build on the two podium finishes they scored last time out at Hockenheim. The results in Germany propelled them to third in the championship, just five points off second place.

“That was a super weekend for everyone in the Barwell team,” stated Sandy, personally backed by Huntly-based Black Bull Scotch Whisky and Tunnocks, and who won the British GT title with Collard in 2020. “It was the first time I’d raced at Hockenheim, yet we finished second in both races. We aim to go one better this weekend.”

For Sandy this will again be a track he will race on for the first time, but the Scot is looking forward to tackling the demanding circuit which previously hosted the F1 French Grand Prix between 1991 and 2008. “It’s a classic layout with a good mixture of slow hairpins and high-speed chicanes, plus a long fast straight into the first-gear Adelaide hairpin,” Sandy explained. “I know that it’s essentially a very flat circuit, and overtaking is notoriously difficult, so nailing our qualifying sessions is going to be crucial.”

The 33-car grid will undertake their qualifying sessions just hours before the two 60-minute races. And while the second one-hour race on Sunday is in a traditional 1.45pm (UK time) slot, the Saturday sprint doesn’t start till 7.15pm (UK time).

“I love evening races,” Sandy continued. “There’s a completely different atmosphere because of the fading daylight and the move towards dusk. I’m really looking forward to both races, and hopefully we can bag our first win of the season.”