Leading Malaysian racing driver, Jazeman Jaafar, has signed for HTP Motorsport to drive in two prestigious European GT racing championships, the Blancpain Endurance Series and the Blancpain Sprint Series, driving one of the team’s new Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3 cars for the coming season.
With the Total 24 Hours of Spa as the jewel in the crown of the Blancpain Endurance Series, the championship visits five Formula 1 rated circuits, starting in Monza, Italy, then moving to the UK for a round at the home of British motorsport, Silverstone. The next round is at Paul Ricard circuit in France, before the teams head to Spa in Belgium for the ultimate endurance test, the 24 Hours race. The series concludes with the final round at Nurburgring circuit in Germany.
The championship features three three hour races, one six hour race and one 24 Hour race. Each event includes two practice sessions, three qualifying sessions (one per driver) plus the main race, with three drivers per car.
The Blancpain Sprint Series includes two practice sessions, three qualifying sessions, a one-hour qualifying race and a one–hour main race with two drivers per car with the tracks visited including Misano, Italy; Brands Hatch, UK; Nurburgring, Germany; Budapest, Hungary and Barcelona in Spain.
Jazeman says of the move, “I’ve had a really successful single-seater career and I’m keen to continue with this, but for 2016, I didn’t have the options available at the right level to continue that route, so I made the decision to gain more experience in a different category.
“I already know the HTP Motorsport team having driven for them in 2014, when I raced at Spa 24 Hours to a fifth place finish. They are a highly professional outfit with excellent car preparation. This, together with the awesome new Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3 racer will put us in a strong position for a successful season.”
Adds Jazeman, “The two Blancpain GT Series provide me with top-class sportscar racing at F1 and other top-level tracks, driving against other top drivers in a highly competitive racing environment, with plenty of seat time to hone my skills and add depth and breadth to my racing experience. I would like to thank HTP Motorsport and Mercedes AMG for their support and I can’t wait to keep the Malaysian flag flying high.”
Ahead of the new season, Jazeman is focusing on his race preparations, with an intensive physical fitness programme targeted at the endurance requirements of sportscar racing.
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