Following a dramatic week at Paul Ricard where Bullitt Racing overcame numerous obstacles to finish a fine fourth place on its debut of the #99 Aston Martin Vantage GT3, the team has regrouped and is now looking forward to the second round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup which takes place this weekend (13 – 14 May) at Imola.
The opening round of the championship brought plenty of hurdles for the team, including building up a new chassis at the circuit following a testing accident. It concluded with the Pro-Am pairing of Theo Nouet and Stephen Pattrick spraying Champagne on the podium prior to being informed that it was actually fourth and not third position.
It was certainly a character-building exercise for all concerned, but nonetheless, the team were more than happy with its performance, while both Theo and Stephen left nothing on the table performance-wise. Imola will be a new challenge for the team with only Theo having competed at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari previously.
After a period of preparation back at its Spanish base, the aim this week is to enjoy a trouble-free run, show the capabilities of the team and package and secure a podium position in the GT3 class. Friday is given over to three practice sessions, with qualifying and the race starting Saturday at 13:00 local time and 17:30 respectively.
Steffan Pattrick, Team Manager
“Paul Ricard was an eventful week and despite some issues, we showed great pace in the race with the team and drivers performing flawlessly. It’s a shame we couldn’t keep the podium, but we’re happy with our race and the 12 points that came with it. Imola is new to us, we haven’t tested there at all with the Aston Martin, so Friday practice takes on additional importance and it will be crucial we hit the ground running. A podium is the target; points consistency will decide this title.”
Theo Nouet
“I’m really happy about the big step Stephen took during the race in France. There was not a lot of driving time for him because of the test accident, but he managed the lap time target throughout the race. I jumped in the car and tried my best to go on the podium. The goal was to finish the race and have a nice first experience for the team in GT3.
“I just love Imola, such a nice place. I think our target will be now the podium as we saw we had the speed to achieve this at Paul Ricard. Stephen will need to learn the circuit and I’ll help him in getting comfortable in the car and from there, we’ll all work hard for a podium.”
