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Former F1 junior Barnicoat back with McLaren in GT role

Single-seater refugee Ben Barnicoat has joined McLaren's young driver GT academy programme for 2017.

Ben Barnicoat, HitechGP Dallara F312 - Mercedes-Benz

Ben Barnicoat, HitechGP Dallara F312 - Mercedes-Benz

Mario Bartkowiak

Ben Barnicoat, HitechGP Dallara F312 - Mercedes-Benz
Ben Barnicoat, HitechGP Dallara F312 - Mercedes-Benz
Ben Barnicoat, HitechGP, Dallara F312 – Mercedes-Benz
#59 Tekno Autosports McLaren 650S: Shane van Gisbergen, Alvaro Parente, Jonathon Webb
#59 Tekno Autosports McLaren 650S: Shane van Gisbergen, Alvaro Parente, Jonathon Webb

Barnicoat, 20, had been a member of McLaren's F1 junior programme between 2010 and 2015. In his first year in formula racing, he won the 2014 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC title, only to be released by McLaren the year after.

Last year, Barnicoat contested European Formula 3 as a rookie with Hitech GP, winning two races and finishing ninth overall. He also made his debut in Blancpain Endurance with Audi WRT.

For his debut with his new employers, Barnicoat will drive a McLaren 650 GT3 for the Tekno Autosports team in the Bathurst 12 Hours on February 5.

He will share the car with Tekno Australia Supercars driver Will Davison, winner of the Bathurst 1000 with the team last year, and British sportscar stalwart Jonny Kane.

After Bathurst, Barnicoat, who has been placed with McLaren by long-time backers Racing Steps Foundation, is set for a full programme in the Blancpain GT Series.

McLaren GT team principal Andrew Kirkaldy told Motorsport.com's sister publication Autosport: "Ben will be doing a BGTS programme in both the Endurance and Sprint Cups, which will be announced at a later date.

"There are a lot of programmes to be defined and we aren't saying who's likely to be doing what until everything is sorted out."

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