Ben Barker will return to the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup for a second season after inking a deal to join the Verva Lechner Racing team for 2014.
The 21-year old will be the Supercup’s sole British competitor in 2014, but is confident of bettering the top ten championship position he achieved in his debut year. He will be embarking on a fourth season of Porsche competition, having previously raced in both the British and Australian championships, finishing as runner-up in the former with Parr Motorsport in 2012, and will be racing with one of the most successful teams in Supercup history.
The Lechner stable boasts an impressive record, having claimed a notable hat-trick of titles between 2010 and 2012 to add to its inaugural crown from 2005, and Barker expects to be able to build on his top ten championship result from last season, particularly as he will be paired with experienced Supercup driver Kuba Giermaziak.
“It is exciting to be confirming a second season in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup,” Barker admitted, “It will be the first time I have contested the same series for a second year and I feel confident that I can challenge at the front of the field, especially with the experience and expertise of the Lechner Racing operation behind me.
“Although I am changing teams for 2014, the Lechner operation has a proven record in the Supercup, and racing alongside Kuba will give me a recognised benchmark to directly compare my performances with – something I didn’t have last season.”
The Cambridge native got his 2014 campaign off to a flying start with a class victory in the prestigious Bathurst 12 Hours last month, and is confident that his previous Porsche experience will stand him in good stead for the rest of the year.
“Although I didn’t get a great deal of track time last season, it is good to be returning to familiar circuits in a familiar car,” he confirmed, “2013 was very much a learning year for me, and I know that I can build on that and, hopefully, mount a title challenge this year. I’m looking forward to the first official test of the season at the end of the month and my confidence is higher than ever. I am sure we can produce the right results.”
In addition to joining Verva Lechner Racing, Barker has also teamed up with Fuel Talent Driver Management, run by James Turner and Darren Turner.
“This is another step forward in my career,” Barker explained, “There is a lot that I want to achieve in motorsport and James and Darren have the knowledge and experience to help me do that. We form a strong partnership and I’m looking forward to where we are heading.”
The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup is an integral part of the F1 race weekend, and will support the 2014 grand prix schedule at each of its nine European stops – including Monaco, Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and Monza – before the season concludes against the dramatic backdrop of Sochi’s Olympic complex at the inaugural Russian Grand Prix. The campaign kicks off at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on the weekend of 13 May.
