Mansell targets Le Mans in new partnership

Nigel Mansell enters a 'long-term partnership' with Beechdean Motorsport to enter a team into the Le Mans Series

04 Jan 2010

5 TEAM LNT Nigel Mansell (GBR)
© Gary Parravani

The 1992 F1 champion Nigel Mansell has entered into a long-term partnership with Beechdean Motorsport to create a new team focused on the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Beechdean Mansell Motorsport will field a factory-supported Ginetta-Zytek Z09R in the LMP1 class of the Le Mans Series for Mansell's sons Leo and Greg, with the former Williams driver joining the pair for selected events - including the Silverstone 1000km and, subject to receiving an entry, the Le Mans 24 Hours in the summer.

The Beechdean Mansell team will work closely with Zytek during the season, with the company providing full engineering and development for the car throughout the year.

"I'm very happy to announce this partnership between myself and Beechdean Motorsport," Mansell said. "The team comes fresh to the Le Mans Series with an impeccable pedigree and with full support from Zytek Engineering and I'm looking forward to working closely with Andrew and his team.

"I am very excited about 2010 and the prospect of racing with both my sons for the first time. I can confirm that I will be racing with Leo and Greg during the season and if we receive an entry we will also be racing at the Le Mans 24 Hours as a father and son team."

Beechdean Motorsport team principle Andrew Howard said he was delighted to see his team take the step into prototype competition, having spent recent years competing with GT machinery.

"It has been an ambition of mine to race a Le Mans Prototype ever since we started racing GTs and competing at the Le Mans 24 Hours is the ultimate goal," he said. "It's a dream come true for our young team to enter into a partnership with one of the sports most famous names in the first year at this level.

"Nigel brings a huge wealth of knowledge and experience to the team, with Leo and Greg, already established as accomplished race drivers in their own right, forming an integral part of the intensive development programme we are now setting in motion with Zytek. We will begin testing early in the new year and 2010 already promises to be an exciting and dynamic year for Beechdean Motorsport, the Mansell family and Zytek. We can't wait to get started!"