TEMPLEPATRICK’S Wayne Boyd says a strong result at this weekend’s Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi will ultimately hinge on how quickly he can gel with Ferrari’s GT3 challenger.
Boyd is making the step down to the GT3 class on a one-off basis for the endurance event, and will be part of a three-man squad that also features John Schauerman and Matt Bell.
For Sunday’s light-into-darkness race at the 3.2-mile Yas Marina Circuit, the experienced trio will share a Ferrari 296 GT3 run by the hugely successful Swiss-based Kessel Racing.
In recent years, Boyd has campaigned LMP3 cars with United Autosports before he joined forces with Nielsen Racing for the 2024 instalment of the Michelin Le Mans Cup series.
Boyd has tested the rear-wheel-drive Ferrari twice already and is set to get his next taste of it on Saturday when three 120-minute Free Practice sessions are followed by qualifying.
“It is a new car and I am really enjoying it to be honest,” Boyds said.
“It is quite different from the Prototype stuff but GT cars have come on a huge way in the last few years and the Ferrari is really, really nice to drive.
“I have been to Abu Dhabi before for the Asian Le Mans Cup a couple of years ago when we won the Championship, so I know the circuit as well.
“It is going to be a long race but also a high level of competition so we need to do a good job, especially if we are to be there at the end. We will see how testing goes this coming week but, as always, we are not going there with any other expectation except to win it.”
The opportunity to compete in GT3 is one Boyd has been hankering after for some time and the chance to take part in the Gulf 12 Hours came about after talks with Schauerman.
“I am really looking forward to it,” he added. “I have been looking at GT options for a while now – and not because I don’t want to keep racing in LMP3 but I have been doing it for quite some time now – and it would be nice to try another option and see how I get on with it.
“John – who retired at the end of last year – decided that he wanted to come back and do some racing.
“We tested a couple of options at Portimão in October and we both really enjoyed the time we had in the Ferrari with Kessel Racing, so we did another test at Paul Ricard just a few weeks ago and afterwards a deal came together to do the Gulf 12 Hours.”