Yasser Shahin and Garnet Patterson will deputise for Mike Price and Callum Macleod at the Silverstone 500 on April 25-26.
Yacht racing commitments prevent Optimum’s regular #3 combination from contesting the three-hour season opener. The team has therefore turned to an Australian duo, albeit one with existing connections, to bolster its assault on British GT’s blue riband event.
Shahin is an experienced and accomplished amateur whose CV includes a Le Mans class victory, runner-up spot in the FIA WEC, and two GT World Challenge Australia drivers’ titles. He was due to race for Optimum in 2020 before the global pandemic derailed a confirmed GT World Europe programme.
He has previously partnered Patterson in GT World Australia and Asian Le Mans, while both are also regulars at the Bathurst 12 Hour – an event Patterson contested with Optimum and McLaren earlier this year. It’s there that the opportunity to deputise for Price and Macleod at Silverstone was first discussed.
“It’s great to reunite with Yasser at Silverstone as part of Optimum’s GT3 line-up for British GT’s season-opener,” he said. “Yasser and I have had strong results together in the past, and I really enjoyed being part of Optimum’s team at Bathurst earlier this year, so I’m looking forward to bringing everything together for the UK’s blue riband GT race.”
Shahin added: “It’s always extremely enjoyable to be on a GT grid, and what better place to be than an iconic circuit such as Silverstone? Vying for the coveted RAC Trophy makes it even more special.”
Shahin and Patterson’s entry joins Optimum’s other three full-season cars at Silverstone. Morgan Tillbrook is joined by Ben Barnicoat, reigning GT4 champions Marc Warren and Jack Brown make their GT3 debuts together, and Luca Hopkinson partners Josh Stanton in the team’s sole Artura GT4.