International sportscar legend David Brabham will join the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS grid for Round 4 at the inaugural GT Festival this weekend.
Brabham joins Chris Batzios in the Harrolds Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, prepared by Volante Rosso, and brings with him a wealth of experience ranging from Formula 1 to 24 Hours of Le Mans.
A starter in 30 Grand Prix and the son of three-time F1 world champion Sir Jack Brabham, David won the 1997 Bathurst 1000 alongside elder brother Geoff, took victory in the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans with Peugeot and the American Le Mans Series LMP crown in 2010.
A regular co-driver in the Supercars arena until 2013, Brabham has recently contested in a variety of GT events in Europe including the launched by his Brabham Automotive organisation, the BT62.
Brabham has been competing in the UK’s GT Cup Championship this year racing the Brabham BT62 with owner and reigning champion Paul Bailey.
Queensland Raceway marked a return to racing for Batzios as he teamed for the first time with long-time friend Ross Poulakis, with the pairing scoring two fourths in Am Class.
The link up between the duo has been a while in the making as the connection began when Batzios paired with Brabham’s son Sam during the 2022 season. From there, opportunities were discussed and the inaugural GT Festival has provided the perfect chance.
The news also means that there will be two Brabhams at the GT Festival, with Sam Brabham driving a GT4 Mercedes with the Love Racing team, which also has its cars prepared by Sydney-based team Volante Rosso.
The inaugural GT Festival takes place at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on August 23-25 and has free entry for spectators all weekend.
Those who can't make it to Phillip Island can tune into the action via the live broadcast on Kayo/Foxtel, as well as the GT World YouTube Channel.
QUOTES
David Brabham
#34 Harrolds Racing, Mercedes-AMG GT3
“I’ve never driven the Mercedes GT3 before, I raced against one in the UK in GT Cup and it’s very quick so I am really looking forward to driving it,” said Brabham.
“Sam has always been complementary of Volante Rosso and when I was at Bathurst for a GT round when Sam raced, it was clear to me they were a very good team with a strong technical understanding of the car.
“Harrolds Racing has been aligned with Volante Rosso for some time. I’m very much looking forward to being part of Harrolds Racing by VR and driving alongside a friend in Chris. As a family we have forged a strong and personal relationship with Chris, Ross Poulakis and the Harrolds brand; and we look forward to further growing this.
“To race with Sam on the same weekend will be very special. I know a lot of people are super excited to see us both racing at the GT Festival and I thank both Chris and Sam for making it happen.
“Australian motorsport continues to grow and we believe it’s time for Brabham to return to its roots and establish a Motorsport presence in the country.
“How this looks is still being discussed and while I’m in town I will be assessing our options and catching up with leading teams, professionals and influencers in the Australian Motorsport landscape.
“My family and Phillip Island go back a long way from when my father won the Repco Trophy in 1960 and was a very close friend of Len Lukey who purchased the circuit in 1964. I always remember calling him Uncle Len as a kid.
“As a circuit, I would personally put it number two in Australia – just behind Bathurst. It has the best location with the sea in the background, it’s fast flowing and has a mix of technical corners, a great drivers circuit.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve raced at Phillip Island. It was with Stone Brothers in the V8 Supercar enduro round in 2011. When we were secretly testing the Brabham BT62 in 2017, both Sam and I were driving so that was the last time I drove a car in anger there.”
Chris Batzios
#34 Harrolds Racing, Mercedes-AMG GT3
“Having David as a co-driver has been a work in progress for some time,” said Batzios.
“I’ve got a close, personal connection with David and Sam. I’ve had Sam with me before and now to have the ‘big man’ himself is just absolutely ridiculous to be honest.
“It’s like living out a boyhood dream, I’ve watched David on TV racing in various categories, but mainly in Formula 1 and at Le Mans as a fan. By sheer fluke I got to meet him many years down the track and we struck up a close friendship with the Brabham family.
“I got on the phone to David only a few days ago and said ‘listen, when are we going to do this? When are we going to share a car?’ It’s a bucket list thing. He said ‘what if we do Phillip Island? I think I can make it work’. Within the space of 24-48 hours we were able to piece it all together.
“To be back at the Island, I did my first GT3 race there last year and it was a lot to come to terms with you moving from GT4. To go to a high-speed circuit like Phillip Island was pretty daunting, but I got better as the weekend progressed as I shared the car with Sam.
“To go back there now with more GT3 experience under my belt and coming off a good showing at Queensland Raceway, plus with David driver coaching me, it ’s pretty surreal.”