- GT World Challenge Europe gearing up for 6-hour enduro challenge in France
- Hong Kong driver looking to improve upon runner-up result at opening round of Endurance Cup
- Hui in hunt for Bronze class championship with mere 7-point deficit before Paul Ricard
The Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Endurance Cup is getting ready for the second round at the Circuit Paul Ricard, set to be held from the 2nd to the 4th of June. Hong Kong’s Jonathan Hui (HKG) has been in all-out preparation mode for the upcoming event to maximise points for himself and the team as he looks to make up the 7-point deficit to the leaders in the Bronze class championship. He performed brilliantly at the season opener in Monza along with his Sky Tempesta Racing teammates Chris Froggatt (GBR) and Eddie Cheever III (ITA) in the #93 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo to take P2 in class and establish an early championship fight.
The Circuit Paul Ricard 1000 km is among the highlights of the 2023 Fanatec GT Europe racing calender, challenging competitors to a 6-hour contest that begins in daylight and ends in darkness. It is a true test of endurance as the 5.77 km Grand Prix circuit presents a unique trial with a technically tricky first and last sector and an ultra-long straight in sector 2 presenting plenty of overtaking opportunities into the heavy braking zones. Hui is no stranger to the tribulations presented by the second-longest race on the GT Europe Endurance Cup calendar, having taken an emphatic class victory at the same track in his championship-winning season back in 2021.
After having a strong start to the season in Monza, Hui and his teammates have their eyes set on putting up a punchy title fight in 2023. The trio have been working well together for several years now and have shown excellent pace in their brand new Sky-liveried McLaren 720S GT3 Evo. The team has been extremely competitive despite switching over to unfamiliar machinery, thanks to their technical support from McLaren racing experts Garage 59. Looking to carry over the momentum of the podium finish, Hui is quietly confident of his team’s chances to repeat success and go one better onto the top step of the podium.
The Hong Kong racing driver has kept concentrating on improving his race craft this year as he has stepped up his racing programme and confirmed a full season in the Fanatec GT Europe as well as the Intercontinental GT Challenge. With a more intense physical training camp, including strength-building exercises and sharpening reflexing through boxing, Hui has looked more prepared and focused than ever before. He spends a lot of time on the simulator to learn the car and the track before jumping into the GT3 during the race weekend. Furthermore, the Sky Tempesta Racing team has taken up the opportunity to test during the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa Official Test Days on the 23rd and 24th of May to get more track time in the #93 McLaren. Hui will be travelling to the south of France soon to get underway with the much-anticipated enduro and put his best foot forward.
Jonathan Hui | Driver, #93 Sky Tempesta Racing McLaren 720S GT3 Evo
“The upcoming Paul Ricard 1,000km is widely considered to be the 2nd most important race on the GT World Challenge Europe calendar as you can score 1.5x points compared to a typical 3-hour enduro. In the past 4 years, our team has reached the class podium twice which includes a win in 2021, and we are hoping to do the same again this year in the McLaren which we feel should be competitive from what we learned in pre-season testing. Without a doubt, the competition is expected to be extremely strong in the Bronze category but we are well prepared and will give it everything.”
