Van Uitert makes GT3 debut: ‘Once as fast as the Aston Martin factory drivers

Job van Uitert entered Comtoyou Racing’s Aston Martin with several rounds of experience and managed to reach the podium in the first race of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Endurance. Brabander had a very successful first race and was immediately able to progress to the most important race on the calendar: the 24 Hours of Trade-Francorchamps.

On Thursday, April 4, Van Uitert was proud to announce that in addition to the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), he will also compete in the GT3 championship with Comtoyou Aston Martin Racing this year. Last year, the 25-year-old already announced that options regarding the championship with ELMS were being considered, but that it would happen was announced a day before his first race weekend in the GT World Challenge.

The championship maintains its status as the most competitive GT3 championship in the world with no fewer than 55 cars from nine manufacturers on the starting line, and this is emphasized by experienced factory drivers who go by in the blink of an eye. A number of big names from the GT3 championship fill the field, such as Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor, and Maro Engel. There are also a number of Dutch people from the Porsche championship entry listsuch as Morris Schuring and Loek Hartog.

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A complete list of drivers that Van Uitert can join. On April 7, the first race was already around the corner: the 3-hour race at Circuit Paul Ricard. There was no time to try in the Aston Martin, it was just drive and go. And that’s where Brabander excels. ‘Saturday morning at 9:00 am I sat in the car for the first time, with new tires on the ground. On Sunday we had qualifying and competition’, laughs Van Uitert in conversation with F1 Max.

Like a rocket off the starting blocks: ‘We were immediately on the course of the factory drivers’

‘I think I completed fifteen laps before qualifying. I’ve only ever tested a GT3 car from Audi or Mercedes, but that was during a winter test day at the circuit. That is very different from having 55 cars around you. It’s a very tough championship, you’re competing against factory drivers, so the top GT3 drivers’, Van Uitert explains. ‘My teammates and I hadn’t tested the Aston Martin yet. We really wanted to make as many meters as possible for the 24 Hours of Spa, and that went really well.’

So good, in fact, that they took third place on the podium. “We were as fast as the Aston Martin factory drivers. We clicked once and we can look back on a strong weekend. In the Bronze cup, a field of twenty strong cars as Pro cars, we finally drove from P12 to P3. All I can say is that it was very good and positive,” says the 25-year-old. “It’s new for me to work with BoP (Performance Balanceed) driving.’

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BoP controls the performance of different cars in the class. This prevents one particular manufacturer from having an unfair advantage due to technical superiority. Hence it promotes exciting and competitive racing. ‘With a new car like this, they are careful, so that the car doesn’t suddenly become too big. We found that the Aston Martin was a little short on speed.’ And that further emphasizes that it was special that Van Uitert and co were able to take the podium immediately in the first weekend in a GT3 car.

Van Uitert still humble: ‘Then I think: you did well’

As Brabander has already shown, it was very important to make progress for the 24 hours of Business-Francorchamps, which is scheduled for mid-June. ‘The next race is actually the Spa 24 Hours, two weeks before Le Mans. That will be a big event, because it’s also the hundredth edition,” says Van Uitert. “And it’s the first time I’ve had many cars. It’s very different from LMP2, which I’m used to. A GT3 car like that is easy to drive, but to to go with it quickly, you must be an expert.’

Van Uitert explains that the GT3 car is bigger and heavier, and that it takes time to get the hang of the car’s systems. ‘That’s what makes it competitive. All those factory drivers are in that car 24 weeks a year, and I had to get in and run once. To be able to share with them and ride at the same speed, I think: you did well,” says the 25-year-old. And that is more than fair, especially if you only sat in the car for the first time the day before the first race.

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It is financial instruments it was immediately collected and Van Uitert’s hard work was well rewarded. So the P3 road was not straight ahead. “Those factory drivers are very strict about everything,” explains the driver from Dongen. ‘There’s not one corner or lap where they take it easy, and you see that a bit in LMP2. Or well, I do not take it easy for other people, but I am used to that car and then you are in control of everything. I must say, I did not expect a podium. I didn’t know my teammates, I didn’t know the car, so the question is whether it will develop well.’

Another step in Van Uitert’s career: ‘He’s more professional here’

Everything came together on race day, allowing Van Uitert to look back on a great first weekend. ‘I am very happy with my team and my teammates. I expect a very good year with them,” he says. ‘In this championship, every brand wants to improve the car, so you also have a problem engineers from Aston Martin, they all ask for feedback. For example, about which part of the car needs to be developed. That doesn’t happen with LMP2,” Van Uitert explains.

‘Then as a team you start looking for the best setup. Here it is more professional and different. You will notice that there is a factory name behind you that represents you. So you have to get comfortable again. I look at it positively.’ There was no way to enjoy the Paul Ricard podium for long, April 8 and 9 Van Uitert was again in LMP2 of IDEC Sport for the ELMS test days. “We tried for two days, but we had a difficult time. Barcelona is a difficult circuit for the tires, with the relegation, so it’s a bit of a battle to get the best setting.”

It goes without saying that we are working hard, so Van Uitert has no doubt that everything will go well. ‘I have full faith in that. The schedule then becomes tight, with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Spa within a month. Normally after the 24 Hours of Le Mans, I need a few days to recover, but now you have a week and it’s time for the biggest event of the year!’ laughs Van Uitert. The 25-year-old will compete in the 4 Hours of Barcelona on Sunday, April 14. Either way, Brabander has had a great start to his season and is now in the hunt for more titles.