Photo: BritishGT.com / Jakob Ebrey Photography.
Graham Johnson, 2016 GT4 Drivers champion with team-mate Mike Robinson, will be joining forces with McLaren Driver Development Programme team member Michael O’Brien for an assault on the 2019 British GT GT4 drivers title, driving a Balfe Motorsport-run McLaren 570S GT4 in a Pro-Am pairing.
24-year old O’Brien, who finished third in the 2018 GT4 Drivers standings, was guided down the Pro-Am route by Woking-based McLaren.
O’Brien is excited at the opportunities that working within a Pro-Am pairing with a former champion will offer.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be teaming up with Graham in 2019 and continuing my career with McLaren,” said O’Brien. “It’s a really exciting Pro/Am pairing and I’m confident we’ll work very well together to secure the results we need to be fighting for the championship at the end of the season. Graham had some good results this year so we’re definitely looking to build on that for 2019.”
Graham Johnson, who finished tenth in the GT4 Drivers standings in 2018, is also looking forward to 2019 after completing his first season in the McLaren 570S GT4 last year.
“I’m very much looking forward to partnering with one of McLaren’s up-and-coming stars,” said Johnson. “I know I’ll benefit form Michael’s natural turn of speed, but I also hope to contribute by passing on my knowledge from my previous four British GT seasons.”
“I had my worst season to-date in 2018 in terms of my own performance, but I’ve always benchmarked myself against anyone, regardless of driver grading, and that won’t ever change. I know I still have the pace to challenge for pole positions – you don’t suddenly forget how to drive. Outside influences affected me in 2018. As I’ve always said, racing is 10% hands and feet, 90% brain. I’ve already put structure in place to take care of the 90% and thus enable me to focus more on my racing in 2019.”
The 2019 British GT season opens at Oulton Park on Easter Bank Holiday Weekend – April 20 -22.