Strong Start for Reece Barr and #23 Team RJN McLaren at GT World Challenge Opener
- RB
- Apr 15
- 3 min read
Paul Ricard, France – Irish driver Reece Barr made a strong statement in his debut outing at the GT World Challenge Endurance Cup this past weekend. Driving the #23 McLaren 720S GT3, Barr along side teammates Alex Buncombe & Tommy Foster secured a solid P4 finish in class out of a stacked 59-car grid in the season opening 6 hour race at Circuit Paul Ricard.
The weekend began with a productive start, as the team implemented key changes after reflecting on their performance at last month's official prologue. These improvements carried over into Free Practice 1 and Pre-Qualifying, where the team got their first experience of the circuit under the cover of night. A positive direction heading into Saturday.
Saturday morning's qualifying session brought the first true benchmark of performance. As the first of the team to take to the track, Reece had the task of gauging the conditions and setting the tone. With 59 cars in the session, the team opted to send him out immediately at the green flag to attempt a clean lap. Unfortunately, heavy traffic from cars exiting the pits compromised his first two flying laps - when the tyres are at their peak. Despite the challenge, Reece pulled together a stellar lap on his third attempt, placing the car P3 in class. His teammates, Alex and Tommy, delivered strong performances of their own, culminating in P11 overall and P3 in class on combined times.
“The car felt great, and although traffic made it tricky, I’m really proud of the lap I was able to put together under pressure,” said Reece.
With 31,000 fans on hand, the atmosphere at Paul Ricard was electric - especially during the popular pitlane walk. When the race got underway, Alex took the start and charged into the opening laps with grit and determination, Tommy followed in stint two, setting the stage for Reece to take over and bring the car through sunset and into darkness.
After Tommy navigated lapped traffic, Reece entered the car in P4, chasing down the #33 Verstappen car in P3. He closed the gap impressively by the end of his stint. Thanks to a clean pit stop and a strong drive from Alex racing wheel to wheel (literally) with Verstappen car, the team climbed back into P3 in class. Although the #777 BMW made a brief overtake during Alex’s stint on aging tires, the retirement of the leading McLaren later in the race brought the team firmly back into podium contention.
Tommy mounted a determined defence against the faster, lighter #33 Aston Martin, affected by recent Balance of Performance (BOP) changes. Despite his efforts, a poorly timed Full Course Yellow pushed the team out of podium contention. Reece brought the car home in the final stint, showing top pace and finishing P4 in class.
“It was a fantastic way to start the season,” Reece commented. “We showed real pace, had great teamwork, and identified key areas we can improve heading into Monza. The car felt incredible under the lights - it’s always a special experience driving into the night in such a competitive field.”
With lessons learned and confidence high, the #23 McLaren squad now looks ahead to Round 2 in Monza, where they aim to convert their momentum into silverware.
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