Marc Basseng returns to GT racing for 2014

Münnich Motorsport driver and team manager Marc Basseng will return to GT racing for 2014, competing in the Blancpain Endurance Series for Belgian Audi Club WRT, where he will be joined by 2013 WTCC Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy champion James Nash.

Basseng won the 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship, then sharing a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 with Markus Winkelhock, before switching to the FIA World Touring Car Championship last season where he competed with René Münnich and 2012 WTCC champion Rob Huff, finishing 13th in the drivers’ standings in the ageing SEAT León with a best finish of fourth achieved at the season opener at Monza.

Now, able to take up the No.1 on his car after all this year, Basseng will join Belgian Laurens Vanthoor and Brazilian driver César Ramos at Belgian Audi Club WRT, one of Münnich Motorsport’s main rivals during the 2012 GT1 season, driving one of the team’s Audi R8 LMSs.

While Basseng returns to his principal discipline, 28-year-old James Nash will be making the jump after chiefly competing in touring cars during his career to date. First by competing in the SEAT Eurocup in 2008, followed by spells at RML and Triple Eight in the British Touring Car Championship from 2009 to 2011, and winning the independents’ title in 2011. Nash then switched to the WTCC in 2012 with Arena Motorsport in their only season in the Championship, going on to win the Yokohama Drivers’ title last season with bamboo-engineering, who will sit out this season.

Nash will drive in WRT’s #3 Audi R8 LMS this year in the Blancpain Endurance Series, sharing the car with Christopher Mies and Frank Stippler.

“There have been quite a few changes in our driver line-ups and while mixing youth and experience remains our guiding principle,” said team boss Vincent Vosse. “It is clear that we are introducing a good deal of fresh blood into the team. That is very exciting, as we strongly believe in youth and talent.”