Following in the footsteps of the formidable Ginetta G55 GT4, the V8 powered G56 will make its competition debut following an extensive and successful on-track development process.
As one of the most competitive GT championships in the world, British GT is the perfect platform to showcase what the Ginetta G56 can do and continue to build on the Yorkshire manufacturer’s rich history in the series.
Ginetta lie second on the championship’s all-time wins list thanks to the G50 and G55 models, which have collectively racked up 75 GT4 victories and six GT4 drivers’ titles between 2008 and 2018.
2021 will mark Assetto Motorsport’s debut season in British GT; an exciting expansion for the Lincolnshire squad after making a name for themselves on Ginetta’s ladder of domestic one-make championships in recent years.
The two-time Ginetta G40 Cup champions (Tom Golding, 2018 and Chris Salkeld, 2019) are supplementing their British GT entry with multi-car programmes in the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship and GT Academy this season.
Piloting their G56 will be Ginetta factory driver Charlie Robertson and Mark Sansom as a Pro-Am entry. Former Junior and GT4 SuperCup champion Robertson has played a key role in the development of the new car and supporting his team-mate in his transition to endurance racing.
Sansom’s British GT debut is the next chapter of a fantastic rise up the Ginetta ranks. The Hertfordshire racer started his career as a race-winner in the Ginetta Racing Drivers Club in 2019 and added podium finishes in the G40 Cup last year with Assetto.
Charlie Robertson: “I’m really looking forward to working with Mark and Assetto Motorsport as they both make the step up into endurance racing. I worked with the team last season, have also tested with them and the G56 this year, and have no doubt that we will be a force to be reckoned with.”
Mark Sansom: “After a couple of seasons in close and competitive Ginetta racing, I feel ready to make the step up to British GT. Having undertaken that journey with the tremendous and supportive teams at both Assetto and Ginetta, this is the dream way of moving up to top-level GT racing.”
Jim Edwards, Assetto Motorsport: “It’s incredibly exciting knowing we’re all set to race in British GT this season. Our association with Ginetta is hugely important to us as it provides a ladder of progression all the way from our existing Ginetta programmes through to the pinnacle of British GT.”
The opening weekend of the 2021 British GT Championship consists of two free practice sessions and qualifying on Saturday (22nd May), followed by a two hour race on Sunday (23rd May). The race will be streamed live on the championship’s website and Facebook page.
