The episode, broadcast on BBC One this evening (Sunday 5th December) to an anticipated audience of over four million people, sees presenter Freddie Flintoff hone his skills as a racing driver as part of Ginetta’s renowned driver development programme.
Ginetta were chosen to feature on the global hit show due to the Yorkshire manufacturer’s distinguished reputation for developing talented racing drivers, and how its unrivalled motorsport ladder provides accessible motorsport for drivers of all ages and experience.
Flintoff undertook bespoke simulator training at Ginetta’s in-house facility SimTrack Driver Performance Centre, before enjoying two days of on-track testing at Blyton Park in Lincolnshire with expert tuition from Ginetta factory driver Mike Simpson.
The England international cricketer turned television presenter got to grips with a Ginetta G56 GTA, a thoroughbred 270bhp racer. Introduced this season in the GT Academy as a new entry point into GT racing, the car has proven to be one of Ginetta’s most successful programmes with a sell-out grid expected for 2022.
Next for Flintoff in his Ginetta was an intense lesson in racecraft, as he took to the Top Gear test track to battle some of the leading names in the British Touring Car Championship, including current title-holder Ash Sutton and former Ginetta GT4 SuperCup champion Adam Morgan.
Flintoff’s learning curve culminated in his first ever competitive race action, joining Top Gear’s resident racing driver Chris Harris to compete in the GT Cup at Snetterton. The duo shared a 2020 specification Ginetta G55 GT4, one of the most popular and successful GT4 cars ever made.
The Top Gear episode, which will ultimately be watched by a huge global audience once broadcast into more than 200 different territories around the world, is available to watch now for UK viewers at www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer.
Mike Simpson – Ginetta Factory Driver: “At Ginetta, we pride ourselves in being able to take people that have never been in a race car before and develop them into successful racing drivers, so it’s fantastic to be able to highlight what we do to a global audience on Top Gear.
“It was a great experience working with Freddie [Flintoff]. He was completely new to motorsport, but came in with the levels of focus, dedication and determination to improve that you would expect from someone who was a professional sportsman and one of the best in his discipline.
“We gave Freddie an intensive crash course in what it takes to be a racing driver, from improving his lap times, to developing his race craft and how to set up the car. The Ginetta G56 GTA was the perfect learning car for Freddie and he made huge improvements during our time at Blyton Park.
“That set him up for the transition to the GT4 car at Snetterton and he made more great progress across the race event. We all thoroughly enjoyed working with Freddie, Chris and the team at Top Gear, and hope everyone enjoys watching the episode.”
Do you want to follow in Freddie Flintoff’s footsteps and try your hand behind the wheel of our Ginetta G56 GTA? Find out more about the car and get in touch with our team via www.ginetta.com.
