CMR has completed the driver line-up for the Bentley Continental GT3 with which it will compete in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup this season, shaping a 100% Belgian line-up for this new project. If several weeks ago the team of French origin had confirmed the presence of Nigel Baillya paraplegic pilot who will compete with a system adapted to accelerate and brake with his hands, now CMR has announced the identity of his two companions of ‘adventure’ in the Endurance Cup of the SRO Motorsports contest.
Together with Nigel Bailly, Stéphane Lemeret and Matthieu de Robiano will compete, thus giving new nuances to the project. In fact, Lemeret will offer the CMR team its enormous experience in GT3 racing within a formation that knows perfectly. In fact, Stéphane has already been part of the CMR team before and has even achieved a victory in the Pro-Am class of the 24 Hours of Spa with the French structure in 2020. In addition, the Belgian has been on the overall podium of his country’s event four times.
While Lemeret will combine this new project with his efforts in the GT4 European Series together with CMR, Matthieu de Robiano will take his first steps in GT3 to complete this very heterogeneous driver line-up. Although he has competed in some endurance events, the Belgian has focused his career on touring cars. However, De Robiano has already worked with team members and drivers who have passed through CMR beforeso not everything will be new for Matthieu in the project of the French structure.
Now the big question is if CMR will have a second Bentley Continental GT3 in the GTWC Europe Endurance Cup like last year or it will be limited to one car. Be that as it may, CMR remains one of the few structures worldwide that remain faithful to Bentley Motorsport’s GT3 machinerysomething worthy of praise if one takes into account that the British firm has closed its official program within the specialty and customer support does not have the same scope as in previous years.
The 2022 season will be the third in which the CMR team uses the Bentley GT3s in the GTWC Europeachieving in the two previous years a victory in the Silver Cup of the 24 Hours of Spa and some remarkable results. The first stop of the renewed CMR project will be in the official tests of the GT World Challenge Europe that will take place between March 7 and 8 at the Paul Ricard circuit. Test session that will serve as an appetizer before the real start of the season from April 1 to 3 in Imola.
Photos: GT World Challenge Europe