Tincknell begins exciting WEC Ford GT programme at Silverstone

Britain’s Harry Tincknell plans to play a major role in Ford’s FIA World Endurance Championship race debut on Sunday (17 Apr). Harry will mark the race debut of the Ford GT in Europe along with co-drivers Andy Priaulx and Marino Franchitti in their No67 Ford GT in the 6 Hours of Silverstone.

The new Ford GT, powered by a twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine, made its race debut just over two months ago. And while the Ford GT will have only raced three times – all in North America – by the time the Silverstone race starts, Tincknell has set his sights on a competitive showing in the GTE Pro class.

Silverstone marks the first of three WEC races Harry will contest this year alongside his European Le Mans Series programme with G-Drive Racing. He will also race the Ford GT in the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (7 May) and 24 Hours of Le Mans (18-19 Jun). It’s 50 years since Ford’s 1-2-3 overall finish in the 1966 Le Mans twice-around-the-clock race.

Harry Tincknell (GB)

Age: 24. Born: Exeter, Devon, England. Lives: Sidmouth, Devon, England

“I’m going to Silverstone to compete at the front – a class rostrum is our target – but the important thing is to accumulate race mileage. I have tested the Ford GT at Aragon in Spain and then at the WEC Prologue followed by an endurance test also at Paul Ricard in France. It’s a great team and car. The atmosphere in the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team is fantastic and everyone is so excited about the much anticipated return to Le Mans.

“The Ford GT is lovely to drive, it gives you a lot of confidence to push and it is very receptive to driver input. I’ve only raced a GT car on one previous occasion, at the Nürburgring last August, and compared to LMP1 and LMP2 sports cars that I’m more accustomed to and will have raced the previous day, a GT car is much heavier and has less downforce. Therefore the braking
distances are longer and corner speeds are slower. It’s a road car adapted for the track so you can buy a road-going Ford GT whereas the sports-prototype I also race is not road legal. The driver aids, like traction control, are similar between the two while my Ford GT has very complex electronics.

“Racing two different types of car won’t be an issue as I know the Silverstone track really well. It’s great for my fans and sponsors to see me race on consecutive days at the same venue. It’s the only time it’ll happen this year. Andy [Priaulx] did a BRDC ‘Rising Stars’ lecture I attended when I was about 18. I obviously respect him for all his amazing achievements while I know my other co-driver, Marino [Franchitti], through my manager Allan McNish.”

Harry Tincknell