Reigning Ginetta GT Academy champion Julian Wantling and PalmerSport Ginetta Race Scholarship winner Sam Shrimpton are amongst the latest intake of drivers confirmed to be racing across the Ginetta championships in 2025.
Reigning GTA class champion Julian Wantling will be hoping to defend his title as he returns for a third full season in the GT Academy. The E3 Sport driver, who has been racing in Ginetta championships since 2018 with previous spells in the GRDC and G40 Cup, celebrated six class wins and 17 podium finishes on his way to championship glory this year.
Julian Wantling: “I am really excited to return as champion to the GT Academy, which is a great mix of competitiveness, companionship and all-round fun.”
Jim Edwards, E3 Sport: “E3 Sport are delighted to be continuing with Julian Wantling in the 2025 Ginetta GT Academy. It will be great to see Julian returning as the reigning class champion next season. Julian is immensely and rightly proud of his success, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with him and his family once again.”
Shrimpton will make his car-racing debut next year in the Ginetta GT Academy after being announced as the second-ever winner of the scholarship, following in the footsteps of multiple 2024 race-winner James Nicholas. The car-racing novice was successful after a hotly-contested final shootout with fellow finalists George Harris, Ian Beaumont and James Corpe.
Sam Shrimpton: “2025 will be my maiden season in any motorsport. I’m excited for the challenge, grateful to be in the mix and I’m going to do my best to deliver strong drives and work on myself every race to see what I can do. Ultimately, I’m feeling incredibly lucky to have this opportunity to race amongst so many other talented drivers in such a fantastic car.”
Returning for a second consecutive season in the GT Championship will be Peter Mangion, following a brilliant 2024 campaign in which he finished runner-up in the AM class with ten podium results to his name. The experienced racer is reuniting with Elite Motorsport for 2025, having previously secured class silverware in the Ginetta GT4 SuperCup with them.
Peter Mangion: “I am looking forward to 2025 and to racing the new V8-powered car. The G56 is a great chassis, and I thoroughly enjoyed my 2024 season in the previous version of the GTP, especially as I was lucky enough to race against my son Harry, both of us supported by the fantastic team at Raceway Motorsport.
“I am delighted to be re-joining Elite Motorsport for 2025 having raced with them previously. I am sure that the grid will be a competitive one, so I am looking forward to seeing what I can achieve.”
Eddie Ives, Elite Motorsport: “It’s fantastic to announce Peter Mangion back with us as we expand our Ginetta GT Championship entry. We have a great relationship with Peter having run cars successfully for him, and his son, for quite a few years now. He’s a very fast ‘AM’ and great fun to have around, so we look forward to chasing some ‘AM’ trophies with him.”
Robert Cronin will be team-mates with Mangion at Elite Motorsport in 2025, as he mounts a full-time entry into the GT Championship in a G56 GTP8. The 20-year-old Irishman, who has previous front-running experience racing in Ferrari and Porsche machinery, enjoyed a successful Ginetta debut in the season finale this year, scoring a pair of overall top-three finishes.
Robert Cronin: “To race in the Ginetta GT Championship, in a brand-new race car, is a great opportunity for me. I saw first-hand at the last event of the year when I made my series debut, what a fantastic and competitive championship it is.
“I’m excited to confirm my participation early after what was, in general, a tough 2024 season. Elite Motorsport has a great history in Ginetta racing and looks a very strong team for 2025. My aim is to be racing at the front of the field.”
Eddie Ives, Elite Motorsport: “It’s fantastic to announce Robert Cronin is racing for us in the 2025 Ginetta GT Championship. He comes from an incredible family with great motorsport heritage and he impressed us when he entered the series as a ‘guest driver’ in September. I have no doubt with our experience from running the Ginetta G56 in 2022, that we will be able to run at the front from the offset.”
A new face in the Ginetta paddock next season will be Hadley Simpson, who is linking up with Xentek Motorsport for his debut in the GT Championship. The 18-year-old talent celebrated overall title glory in the Britcar Endurance Trophy this year, and scored class podium finishes on his GT Cup debut in a Ginetta G55.
Hadley Simpson: “I’m extremely happy to be joining the Ginetta family. Ginetta has been the launchpad for some of the top talent in motorsport and it’s inspiring to follow in their footsteps. The Ginetta GT Championship is fiercely competitive and a critical step in my development, and I’m determined to learn, grow and make my mark both on and off the track.
“Choosing Xentek Motorsport was an easy decision. Their reputation for nurturing talent and delivering race winning cars speaks for itself. From the moment I joined the team, they made me feel welcome and confident that I would have the tools I need to succeed.”
Sarah-Jayne McKenna, Xentek Motorsport: “It’s an exciting time to be part of the Ginetta GT Championship with the new G56 GTP8 being introduced next year and we’re delighted to have Hadley joining us for his first experience of Ginetta racing.
“He’s put in some impressive performances in his career so far and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do as he steps up to GT machinery. We’ve got a good testing programme planned and we’re confident that he’ll head into the start of the season as a force to be reckoned with.”
Ginetta is introducing a range of enhancements for 2025 to keep every rung of its unique motorsport ladder at the front of the grid for years to come, including the introduction of the Ginetta G56 GTP8 and Ginetta G40 Junior Evo. More information can be found here.
