GT4 European Championship front-runner Bullitt Racing is set to bring the world-famous Bentley name back to Le Mans as the team make the step up to GT3 in 2020.

In only its fourth season of competition, the Malaga-based squad, a two-time race-winner in this year’s European GT4 Series, will compete with the British brand next year using a Gen 2 Continental GT3 for its campaign in the Michelin Le Mans Cup which includes the double-header of Road to Le Mans races on the full Le Mans 24 Hours circuit in June.

Team founder and CEO Stephen Pattrick will race the car alongside fellow Briton and long-standing co-driver Andy Meyrick, himself a former ‘Bentley Boy’ and two-time Blancpain GT Endurance vice-champion.

“I think it is the dream of every GT driver to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans one day, and this step up to the Michelin Road to Le Mans Cup is the logical one on the team’s journey to that goal,” said Stephen Pattrick.

“We’ve grown a great deal in the past year, both in terms of experience and performance, and we believe we can continue this trend in 2020. The Le Mans Cup proved to be a competitive series this year, and with longer races and an interesting mix of classes it will provide an excellent challenge for Bullitt Racing and a great learning experience for me personally.”

Bentley’s sporting history is permanently entwined with that of Le Mans, having won the 24-hour race six times in the past 95 years. Bullitt Racing’s entry in the Automobile Club de l’Ouest-sanctioned feeder series means Bentley will return to the famous la Sarthe start line, where the brand won the prestigious race outright in 2003.

The Bullitt entry will be the first full-season return of the brand to the circuit since 2003, the only other appearance a low-key ‘one-off for a first-generation Continental GT3 under the ‘Team Africa’ banner in 2019.

“I’ve enjoyed a great relationship with Bentley for a long time now and the Continental GT3 has provided me with some of the highlights of my career so far, whether that be as a factory driver or with other customer teams,” added Andy Meyrick.

“The car is super-quick and user-friendly and the perfect platform for Bullitt Racing to take the next step on its trajectory towards the eventual target of a place on the 24 Hours of Le Mans grid in the future.”

Bullitt Racing’s step up from GT4 to GT3 marks the start of a planned long-term goal to qualify for its own 24 Hours of Le Mans entry in the future.

Paul Williams, Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, said: “Bullitt Racing has an ambitious plan for its future and one that we are only too pleased to support. Bentley is a name synonymous with the 24 Hours of Le Mans so, naturally, we’re keen on any plan that looks to take the Bentley name back to La Sarthe. The team has an experienced Bentley hand and a proven winner in Andy Meyrick too.”

The Michelin Le Mans Cup comprises five two-hour races at Barcelona, Monza, Paul Ricard and Spa-Francorchamps with the finale at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal. In addition, the series includes a ‘blue riband’ double-header supporting the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans, made up of two 55-minutes races in the middle of June.

Bullitt Racing will also continue to contest and develop its young driver programme within the European GT4 Series with its two Mercedes AMG GT4s in 2020.

Bullitt Racing, the Story So Far:

2016: Team established, led by owner and CEO Stephen Pattrick and with support from legendary team boss Dave Price in state-of-the-art facilities in Marbella, Spain, near the Ascari test track.

2017: Team undertakes full season with a McLaren 570S GT4 in the GT4 European Series Northern Cup. Pattrick and Meyrick began racing together, with Andy providing lead-driver, strategy and racecar development support. Early success included pole position at the Red Bull Ring and second in class.

2018: Team switches to Mercedes AMG GT4. Pattrick and Meyrick compete in the full European GT4 Series. Additional races in the 2018 season included the GT4 World Final in Bahrain and the Gulf 12 Hours at the Yas Marina Grand Prix Circuit in Abu Dhabi, where the team recorded a class victory.

2019: Bullitt Racing embarked on a third season in the SRO-run GT4 European Series with its #33 Mercedes AMG GT4, driven by Pattrick and Meyrick. Joined at selected rounds by a second #66 car with a selection of different drivers. The team also raced at the final two rounds of the 2019 GT4 South European Series at Portimao and Estoril.