Lance Stroll to make surprise GT3 appearance next weekend in GTWC EU

Credit: Comtoyou Racing

It was announced on Thursday morning that Aston Martin Formula One driver Lance Stroll will race the No.18 Comtoyou Aston Martin in next weekends six hour event in Paul Ricard.

The 27-year-old Canadian driver will compete for the overall win in the Pro class alongside former Caterham and Marussia F1 driver Roberto Merhi and Mari Boya, current Formula 2 driver and member of the Aston Martin Academy.

The entry is a fourth from the experienced Aston Martin crew, but will just be a one-off for the season opener of the Endurance Cup season.

The entry comes after much interest in Max Verstappen's sportscar calendar, with Stroll becoming the second driver on the current grid to race a GT3 during what is an unprecedented break in the F1 calendar amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

This will not be the Canadians first venture into endurance racing, having competed the Daytona 24 Hours twice before, once in a DPi and once in an LMP2.

This announcement comes alongside the publication of the 59-car entry list, which also includes names such as four-time British Touring Car Champion Ash Sutton in a BMW M4 GT3 Evo, and Dries Vanthoor - three-time GTWC EU champion - who will see himself as the Pro in a Bronze Cup entry.

There will be two days of testing before the event on the 8th and 9th of April, while the action itself will get underway on the 11th and 12th.