Lyons gets factory Ferrari GT seat

Ex-Japanese Super Formula and Super GT champion Richard Lyons will race for the factory AF Corse Ferrari team in British GT this season.

Lyons, who claimed both titles in 2004 in their previous guise as the All-Japan GT and Formula Nippon championships, respectively, will race a 458 GT3 prepared by the World Endurance Championship-winning AF Corse team.

The 34-year-old, who is also a V8 Supercars race winner and former Team Ireland A1GP driver, has not raced in the UK full-time since finishing second in the 1999 Formula Palmer Audi championship.

"I am extremely excited and honoured that I will be back racing in Britain," said Lyons, who will partner 20-year-old Thai racer and Ferrari Challenge Asia graduate Pasin Lathouras.

"Most of the circuits I have raced on in the past with great results [and though] my teammate does not have experience racing on these circuits he has been very successful and super-fast in the Asian series. I think we can have a great partnership."