Reigning Fanatec GT2 European Series championship-winning team, PK Carsport has confirmed a return to defend its Pro-Am title with an exciting new driver pairing in the #1 Audi R8 LMS GT2.
Mounting the Belgian team’s 2023 campaign in the season-opener round at Monza, Italy, this weekend will be returning champion Stienes Longin and experienced GT2 racer Peter Guelinckx.
Longin and then teammate Nicolas Saelens overcame an almighty battle for the 2022 Pro-Am class crown, the pair finally sealing the title for PK Carsport with a sixth win in the very last race of the season.
Whilst Longin has a title in hand, Guelinckx also came tantalisingly close to claiming the spoils in the series’ inaugural season. He finished a close second in 2021 and followed that with third overall last term, partnered by Stienes’ father, Bert Longin.
The merging of the team’s driver talent should prove a formidable partnership in the #1 Audi this season.
“I want to keep my European title,” says Longin. “Although I must admit that at the end of last season, after winning the championship, I wondered what I was going to do next because I had achieved my goal. But I quickly found another: chaining two consecutive titles!
“My motivation immediately returned and I'm looking forward to starting the season with Peter. He has supported me enormously in recent seasons and I also owe him this crown in GT2. In 2021, we shared a car in the BMW Cup, but this time we will team up in a European championship, which is quite another thing. From what I saw during our winter tests, I can tell you that Peter has made great progress again.”
“I have already been vice-champion in GT2 and I have already finished in 3rd place, so I only need one place on the podium to be complete,” says Guelinckx. "But it's not easy! The level of driving in GT2 has gone up a notch and so I too have to confirm my progress. If I manage to be a little more aggressive during the race, I think it's possible.”
"The level will certainly not drop, on the contrary," continues Stienes. “With the arrival of the new Mercedes-AMG and Maserati during the season, it will even go up. It will therefore not be easy to keep our crown, but it would be fantastic to achieve it!”
The PK Carsport crew get their season underway at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy this weekend, 21-23 April.