Trulli, Hartog Headline Phantom Global China GT Roster

Photo: Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific

Phantom Global Racing has signed Enzo Trulli and Loek Hartog for its campaign in the China GT Championship season with a pair of Porsche 911 GT3 R Evos.

Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Selected Driver Trulli will share the Chinese outfit’s No. 66 car (pictured top) with Chris Chia for the five-round series that begins this weekend at Shanghai International Circuit.

The team’s second entry, the No. 79, will feature Porsche Carrera Cup North American Hartog champion for four of the five rounds together with Li Ning.

Trulli and Hartog are among a number of high-profile international drivers involved in the series this year, with the likes of Tom Kalender (Elegant Racing Mercedes-AMG), Samantha Tan (Team KRC BMW), Lorenzo Patrese and Ollie Millroy (both Team AAI BMW) also to be found among the 28-strong GT3 field at Shanghai.

Trulli’s China GT campaign will be his first full season in a GT3 car, the Italian having so far only raced the 911 GT3 R in the Michelin 6 Hours of Abu Dhabi and Dubai 24 Hour in January.

“GT3 is still quite new for me,” Trulli told Sportscar365. “I did only Dubai and Abu Dhabi with the GT3 car, so I am still adapting, but the pace is there.

“We have a strong team with Phantom Global, and a strong teammate with Chris Chia. So we have everything to do well.

“The championship is actually growing a lot. During the official test day there were 29 GT3 cars with a lot of good lineups. So it will be really interesting.”

Trulli further explained that a lack of clashes with his European Le Mans Series program, which began last weekend in Barcelona, made China GT a better option than GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS.

“I’m a Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific driver so it’s really good for me to race in the region, and for the program, so I said immediately yes when they offered it to me,” said Trulli. “I was really happy when they asked me.

“I think it’s also a good opportunity for me, because I don’t know the car well compared to the top GT3 drivers. The lineups in GT World Challenge Asia are all really strong so it would be tough for me to go there without any knowledge of the car.”

Former Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver Hartog, meanwhile, will miss this weekend’s Shanghai curtain-raiser owing to a clash with the Nurburgring 24 Qualifiers, but is slated to contest the remainder of the five-round campaign starting at Ningbo on May 22-24.

Nico Menzel will deputize for this weekend’s Shanghai opener in the No. 79 Phantom Global car.

“I’m extremely excited to be in the championship,” said Hartog. “I think it’s a championship that is getting noticed more and more in Europe.

“If you look at the amount of growth the championship is having, it’s quite serious. And looking at some of the names on the grid, it’s starting to become an international series, even if it’s still run by the local ASN [sporting authority].

“I am grateful that I have been trusted by Phantom Global and Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific to do my first races in China. The team is well established, I have strong faith in my teammate.

“I will miss the first race, but from that point onwards, I will be keen to score as well as we can.”

Source: Sports Car 365