Optimum Motorsport gear up for the challenge of British GT at Spa

Having made their debut in the all-new McLaren 570S GT4 at Silverstone last month, Optimum Motorsport has used the short break ahead of this weekend’s British GT round at Spa-Francorchamps (14-15 July 2017) to fully optimise the new equipment in readiness for one of the biggest races of the season.

Mike Robinson and Graham Johnson are currently fourth in the GT4 drivers’ championship overall and lead the Pro-Am standings by 8.5 points from the #72 McLaren.

Last year in Belgium, the duo finished a fighting second in class, something the team hope to match or better this weekend in what promises to be a closely fought event.

Graham Johnson

“The goal for Spa is to win. The team have had time to properly prep the car, and while Mike and I haven't sat in the car since Silverstone, we know we'll get the best out of a fully sorted car. We'll qualify somewhere near the front and then race through. We're feeling punchy!”

For Optimum Motorsport team principal Shaun Goff, the move to the new McLaren mid-season has brought a fresh challenge to the team, a challenge that will reap rewards in the closing stages of the season.

“We struggled initially at Silverstone, but we continued to make changes – significant ones – throughout the race weekend,” he said. “We found a great deal of lap time there and this work has continued in the break between the races. We’ll continue to learn more about the car at Spa, with the aim of maximising our position in the championship.”

Practice gets underway Friday from 09:00, with qualifying from 16.45. There are two 60-minute races on Saturday, the first at 09:20, with the second at 13:00.