The Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini crew’s participation had been thrown into doubt by a Motorsport UK ruling following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which barred Russian license-holders from competing in Britain.
Barwell has not formally commented on the development but a British GT statement said that Machitski, who has previously held a UK license, and Danish driver Lind “cannot retain their GT3 drivers’ crown as a result of Motorsport UK’s decision to suspend its recognition of Russian licenses”.
It continued: “Barwell Motorsport is currently evaluating several race-by-race options for its title-winning Lamborghini, which has been removed from the full-season entry.”
The absence of the defending champions means 17 GT3 cars are confirmed for the season, up on a 2021 seasonal average of 11.33 (excluding the Silverstone 500 which traditionally sees a bump in entries and featured 18 cars last year).
McLaren is set to be the best represented marque with six 720S GT3 cars entered, while Mercedes (four) Lamborghini (three), Porsche, Audi, Bentley and BMW are also represented.
The 2021 season-high total is set to be matched at the Oulton Park season opener on 18 April. Chris Frogatt, the reigning GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Pro-Am champion, and Macanese driver Kevin Tse tested recently at the Cheshire track with Mercedes squad 2Seas Motorsport.
Frogatt, who competes under the Tempesta Racing banner, is expected to contest a limited schedule of British GT events in 2022.
Meanwhile, reigning GT4 teams’ champion Century Motorsport has announced Betty Chen as the first driver of its new M4 GT3 ahead of the team’s return to the top category for the first time since 2019.
Century Motorsport BMW M4 GT3
Photo by: Century Motorsport
The 22-year-old Taiwanese driver’s co-driver has yet to be announced.
“I started my career in 2018 with some GT3 racing in Asia but knew the grassroots of motorsport had always been in the United Kingdom,” she said.
“So it is a privilege to have the chance to join Century Motorsport in the 2022 British GT Championship and further establish my CV outside of Asia.”
The team has also signed Tom Rawlings to partner Chris Salkeld in its second BMW M4 GT4. Rawlings raced a Paddock Motorsport McLaren 570S GT4 in GT Cup last year, finishing second in the GTH class.
Benji Hetherington’s Valluga Racing operation will make its series debut with a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, with 2014 GT4 champion Ross Wylie its first confirmed driver.
Steller Motorsport has entered two Audi R8 LMS GT4s, but is yet to announce any drivers.
RAM Racing announced last week that Callum Macleod will reunite with Ian Loggie at the three rounds Jules Gounon will skip due to calendar clashes.
Macleod, who won at Silverstone with Loggie in 2019, will step in for the Silverstone, Donington (May) and Snetterton meetings.