McLaren GT, the GT race car manufacturing arm of the McLaren Group, has announced the appointment of Bas Leinders to the role of Sporting Manager. The news follows the company’s confirmation of a number of new customer teams for the 2016 season. McLaren states that Leinders appointment brings valuable experience to the teams on the pitwall, as he works with McLaren GT’s customer teams.
Leinders, 40, has enjoyed a successful GT and single-seat racing career, which included winning the German Formula 3 in 1998 before joining the McLaren junior team alongside former Formula 1 driver Nick Heidfeld, and a role as Formula 1 test and reserve driver. The move to GT racing saw Leinders claim back-to-back FIA GT G2 championship wins between 2006 and 2008 among further accolades. The Belgian has also enjoyed success from the pitwall with success in the arguably the most competitive GT championship, the Blancpain Endurance Series, which included victory at the 24 Hours of Spa in 2015.
“Bas joins McLaren GT with a wealth of experience – both on track and from more strategic roles within the team with a very notable victory at last year’s 24 Hours of Spa,” explained Andrew Kirkaldy, managing director, McLaren GT. “He has a clear desire to win and will be a key addition to the already strong team at McLaren GT for the 2016 season. The 650S GT3 has already won its first silverware of the New Year, and we are looking to build on the successes, with working closely with the team in Woking but also supporting our customer teams around the world.”
