Ben Barnicoat

Ben George Barnicoat (born 20 December 1996) is a British racing driver who competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Vasser Sullivan and serves as a factory driver for Lexus. In sportscar racing, Barnicoat won the 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship in the GTD Pro class with Vasser Sullivan. Barnicoat took GT-class victories at the Gulf 12 Hours in 2021 and 2022, winning the latter Asian Le Mans Series. He then won the GTD Pro class of the 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship, alongside Jack Hawksworth, and took a class victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring the following year. In LMP2, Barnicoat finished runner-up in the 2019–20 Asian Le Mans Series and later won the class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024 with AF Corse.

Born and raised in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Barnicoat began competitive kart racing aged nine. After a successful karting career—culminating in his victory at the senior European Championship in 2012—Barnicoat graduated to junior formulae. A member of the Racing Steps Foundation, he won his first title at the 2013 British Formula Renault Autumn Cup with Fortec. He further won the Formula Renault NEC in 2014, and the BRDC Formula 4 Autumn Trophy in 2015. Barnicoat transitioned to sportscar racing in 2017, contesting the Blancpain GT Series with Strakka.

Career

Karting

Born in Chesterfield, Barnicoat began his racing career in karting at the age of nine. He competed at local kart tracks in the United Kingdom during his early career, including Wombwell Kart Track in Barnsley, and has cited fellow British driver and eventual IMSA teammate Jack Hawksworth as one of the older competitors he watched and learned from.

In 2007, he clinched the WTP Cadet Open and Motors TV Cadet Karting Championship titles as well as becoming WTP "Little Green Man" Vice Champion. In 2008, he graduated to KF3 category in which he participated in the MSA Formula Kart Starts championship and Kartmasters GP. He did remarkably well in both, securing fourth in Formula Kart Stars and seventh at Kartmasters. Barnicoat returned the year after and won Kartmasters GP, Formula Kart Stars and finished Vice-Champion in the Super One Junior Championship. By 2012, Barnicoat had claimed the CIK-FIA KF2 European Championship too. In 2015, Barnicoat claimed the Kart Masters GP Trophy in both the Senior Rotax and Iame X30 class, becoming the first driver to take two Kart Masters Championships in one day. Barnicoat has since continued to compete in the Kart Masters event and is now the most successful driver with nine titles to his name. Claiming Snr X30 in 2017/18/19 and snr rotax too in 2019.

Formula Renault

In 2013, Barnicoat made his début in single-seaters, taking part in the Protyre Formula Renault Autumn Cup for Fortec Motorsports, and won the cup with two wins.

Barnicoat continued his collaboration with Fortec into 2014, competing in the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC and Formula Renault 2.0 Alps series.

European Formula 3

On 15 November 2015, it was announced that Barnicoat would race with Prema Powerteam for the 2016 season. However, it was later announced that Barnicoat would switch to race with HitechGP.

Sportscar career

Barnicoat made the transition from single-seaters across into GT racing in 2017. The following six seasons have seen him compete - and win - on some of the biggest stages in motorsport. Appointed Factory Driver with McLaren a year later, Barnicoat took on the pivotal role in the development of the brand's latest range of GT racing cars. Barnicoat has also proven himself on the world stage with podium results at the Bathurst 12 Hour, Asian Le Mans Series, Intercontinental GT Challenge, GT World Challenge Europe, Pirelli World Challenge & the British GT Championship in both GT3 and GT4 classes, as well as back-to-back outright victories at the Gulf 12 Hours.[citation needed]

In 2019, Barnicoat also made his LMP2 debut with Thunderhead Carlin Motorsport, competing in the European Le Mans Series, and finishing as runner up in the Asian Le Mans Series with two victories during the season.[citation needed]

2022 saw Barnicoat appointed as Factory Driver with Lexus Racing USA and Vasser Sullivan Racing, contesting the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the Lexus RC F GT3 with Jack Hawksworth. In his debut season, Barnicoat scored notable victories, including a podium at the season opening Dayton 24 Hours, and a season finale victory at Petit Le Mans, en route to finishing second in the championship. Alongside this impressive debut full season of US racing, Barnicoat also secured the Asian Le Mans Series GT3 title, he successfully defended his title at the Gulf 12 Hours with 2 Seas Motorsport, and campaigned at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for a second year.[citation needed]

2023 saw Barnicoat return to the IMSA championship, delivering an impressive run of form. Nine podiums, including two victories, from the season's 11 rounds delivered a first GTD Pro championship title for Lexus Racing, Vasser Sullivan, and Ben only in his second year competing in the championship. He completed the year by taking part in the Official Rookie Test for the World Endurance Championship, testing the Toyota GR010 Hybrid Hypercar.

Barnicoat returned in 2024 to defend his IMSA title, taking victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring and on the streets of Long Beach, with an additional podium finish in Detroit. Alongside his GT3 efforts, Barnicoat also secured LMP2 Pro Am victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and made his Super Formula debut in Japan with Itochu Enex Team IMPUL at Autopolis.

FIA Formula 3 Championship

On 30 July 2020, Carlin Buzz Racing announced that Enaam Ahmed and his sponsors had separated from the team, and that Barnicoat would be replacing him at the team. In four races, he scored one point - a tenth-place finish in the first race of Silverstone.[citation needed]

Other racing activities

On 20 November 2021, Barnicoat raced a BriSCA F1 Stock Car at Skegness Stadium. He won the Consolation event, which allowed qualification for the meeting Final event, in which he finished in second place.[citation needed]

Karting record

Karting career summary

Racing record

Racing career summary

† As Barnicoat was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points. * Season still in progress.

Complete Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Formula Renault 2.0 Alps Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

† As Barnicoat was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points

Complete Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete FIA Formula 3 European Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete GT World Challenge Europe results

GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup

GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup

† Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

Complete British GT Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

† As Barnicoat was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points. * Season still in progress.

Complete European Le Mans Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete FIA Formula 3 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

* Season still in progress.

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Super Formula results

External links

• career summary at DriverDB.com