Chris Niarchos has admitted that a successful entry into the Le Mans 24 Hours is the ultimate goal for CR Scuderia as the all-new team prepares for its first season of competition.
The team, which will run cars in
FIA GT, British GT and British Formula Renault during the coming season, was officially launched at the
Autosport International show where cars from the three championships were shown for the first time.
Aside from long-time business partner Andrew Kirkaldy as team director, Niarchos has put together an impressive looking line-up to run the team, with Malcolm Swetnam named as team manager, Steve Bunkhall as engineering director and Le Mans winning mechanic Les White amongst those making up the core staff, while a series of major commercial partners – including Sky – are onboard for the coming season.
It all leaves the team aiming high for the year ahead, and Niarchos admitted it was a challenge he was looking forward to.
"After five years with Scuderia Ecosse, we looked at it internally and said 'we have to move on'," the ever-popular former British GT champion told
Crash.net. "You are always looking for the best package. Andrew and I already wanted to expand the Renault programme – and the GT programme was a natural bolt on to that.
"In the middle of last year we said our goodbyes to Stewart [Roden – Scuderia Ecosse team principal] and said we would be moving on and started to make plans for CR Scuderia. The way it has been launched and the media interest has been beyond comprehension and now we have two cars in FIA GT, three in British GT, four in Formula Renault and we are supporting some karters.
"We are upbeat about it all and are privileged to have Sky onboard to support us on a long-term deal along with numerous other sponsors, so the season ahead looks exciting. It will be interesting to be on the other side of the pit-wall but we have brought in some of the most talented people in the sport and we are confident about 2008."
