Breakell Racing will contest their third consecutive season of Ginetta racing this year, having signed Ruben Hage, Carl Garnett and Karim Sekkat to compete in the inaugural season of the Ginetta GT Championship.
Following a brilliant 2022 Ginetta campaign, in which they won the G56 Am title and took an overall race win in the GT4 SuperCup, alongside two wins in the GT Academy, the Lancashire team are targeting success across two classes in the new GT Championship.
Hage and Garnett will compete in the GT Pro category, running a new specification of the Ginetta G56 model which Breakell enjoyed their race-winning success in last year. Sekkat meanwhile will race a Ginetta G40 in the ultra-competitive GT5 Challenge, which was previously a standalone championship.
Hage was a race-winner during a three-year spell in Junior Saloon Cars before stepping up to the GT5 Challenge last year. The 17-year-old talent picked up a breakthrough podium result in only his sixth race and ended up finishing an impressive sixth in the final points standings.
Garnett returns to racing after a season away with three years of Ginetta experience under his belt. The Yorkshireman enjoyed a successful spell in the GT4 SuperCup, recording no less than 38 class podium finishes as he finished runner-up in the Am and then Pro-Am classes.
Sekkat meanwhile will contest his fourth consecutive season in the GT5 Challenge. Consistent progress over the years has seen the Moroccan racer record a trio of top four points finishes in the Am class, picking up six class wins and 24 podium finishes along the way.
James Breakell - Team Principal: “After two great years racing with Ginetta, it was a no brainer to put a programme together with them for 2023. The GT Championship is an exciting new addition to their racing ladder and was a good fit for our drivers.
“Ruben [Hage] has highlighted himself as a real rising star in recent years, so we’re very excited to get the opportunity to work with him. While Carl [Garnett] may not have raced last year, his vast experience and success in the Ginetta G55 GT4 means we’re confident he will hit the ground running in the new car.
“Karim [Sekkat] has many years of experience in the Ginetta G40’s and I’ve got no doubt he’ll be a front-runner in the Am class once again. We’re looking forward to this season in Ginetta’s and hope to challenge for consistent silverware across both classes.”
Ruben Hage: “I’m delighted to be joining Breakell Racing for this new challenge. Working closely with James, his team and my partners, I’m confident this is going to be a successful collaboration and can’t wait to get the season underway.”
Carl Garnett: “I really missed racing last year, so I jumped at the opportunity to get back on the grid this year with Breakell Racing. I’m looking forward to racing the new Ginetta G56 for the first time and hopefully we can enjoy a positive year of results.”
Karim Sekkat: “It was time to shake things up for 2023 and I am really excited to make the switch to Breakell Racing. Our ambition is clear; going straight to the top and we will try our hardest. Ginetta drivers are within the best ones, so we will see where we stand when the season gets underway.”
The Ginetta GT Championship is a new series for 2023, sitting atop the manufacturer’s ladder of domestic championships. A multi-class format will cover both the Ginetta G56 GTP and Ginetta G40 GT5 cars.
It’s anticipated the championship will feature 23 races across an eight-event calendar, with six outings in support of the British GT Championship and two standalone Ginetta meetings, including the inaugural G Fest at Silverstone.