BMW works driver Nick Yelloly is not just racing in the German GT Championship with Schubert Motorsport, but is also working for the Aston Martin Formula 1 team. The English driver explains how he supports Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll in top-flight racing, why things are going so well in the ADAC GT Masters and why he is looking forward to the new BMW M4 GT3.
Formula 1 has been an integral feature of Yelloly’s professional life. He has been under contract with BMW since 2019 but his career began in the Grand Prix world. Since 2014, the English driver has been a simulator driver for Aston Martin and their predecessors, the Force India and Racing Point teams. This task has become indispensable for the teams, as new parts, race strategies or set-ups for unfamiliar circuits can be tested in detail in the simulator. When Sebastian Vettel or Lance Stroll celebrate successes in Formula 1 races, Yelloly has also played his part.
“I spend around 50 or 60 days a year in the simulator. So, I’m not just sitting on the sofa when I come home after race weekends, but I head right to work,” says a smiling Yelloly. In 2016 and 2019, he was even able to test a real Formula 1 car on the track. However, he still sees his future in GT racing: “Of course, I would like to continue working with BMW. GT racing is booming and has become a real alternative. It would be a dream to be involved in the new LMDh project for BMW.”
Delighted with the new BMW M4 GT3
For now, Yelloly is looking forward to the BMW M4 GT3, which is set to debut in the German GT Championship in 2022. “I have had seven or eight days of testing in the M4 GT3. It represents a great leap forward in practically every area. It is easier to driver, tyre management is better, it is much more comfortable for drivers – which is especially beneficial for the non-professional drivers –, the setup window is much larger and it is easier to maintain. I am already looking forward to competing regularly with the car next year and then to seeing plenty of customer cars. It would be great to see loads of them in the ADAC GT Masters.”
The current season – Yelloly’s second in the ADAC GT Masters – has been going very well for the 30-year-old and his Finnish partner Jesse Krohn. They remain the only driving crew to have reached the podium on each weekend thus far. At the opener in Oschersleben, Yelloly/Krohn claimed fourth place on Saturday and then the duo finished second a day later. “We had not expected to be so competitive,” concludes Yelloly. “We even did well in the dry conditions on the Saturday, that was really great.” These performances allowed the Schubert drivers a degree of optimism as they headed to the Red Bull Ring, a circuit where the BMW M6 GT3 claimed both wins in 2020. Things were looking good as Yelloly began Saturday’s race from the front of the grid. However, the Englishman’s faultless drive came to an end after just five laps – with him in the lead. Damaged shocks. “I am not sure if we would definitely have won, but we could have got second place at least. We were way out in front when we retired. We were really unlucky as the shocks were new and it is probably the track that best suits us. But something like that can always happen. We made an early stop on the Sunday and then had plenty of free laps to make up time. After the late appearance of the Safety Car, I was then able to grab third place just before the finish, which was some consolation after our retirement the day before.” The third race weekend in Zandvoort resulted in the next podium. “Of course, it is fantastic to have secured a podium finish at each race weekend that has taken place so far,” says the 30-year-old. “The reworked circuit in Zandvoort really suited our car. The new asphalt is easier on the tyres and the banked turns definitely suit the car better. Unfortunately, qualifying did not go well on the Sunday and we were involved in a collision early in the race. If you don't start in the top 6 or 8, there is always a risk that something like that can happen.”
Detailed preparations for the season by Schubert Motorsport
For Yelloly, one of the main reasons for the great form has been the continuity at Schubert Motorsport and for the driving duo. “In 2020, the team had to get used to the BMW again. Testing and preparation were also affected by the Coronavirus and didn’t go as we would have liked. That’s why the team did a lot of detailed work over the winter. We were able to build on the experience we had gained. We also now have two works drivers in the car, who are pushing one another all the time. And we have done more testing.” In contrast to last year, Schubert is only competing with one car but Yelloly does not view this as a disadvantage: “That shouldn’t be a problem with two professional drivers. The team is able to concentrate perfectly on our car.”
Jesse Krohn is an ideal team-mate for Yelloly. “We have known one another for many years. We competed against one another in the British Formula Renault in 2010. We were both with BMW in 2019 and we have driven together in Asia. So, I knew how fast he is and that we have similar ideas for the car. That made it likely that we would work together well.”
The driver from Solihull is delighted with the ADAC GT Masters: “I have already driven sprint races in single-seaters, in GP2, GP3 or the Renault World Series. I like the format, it is a lot of fun. The ADAC GT Masters has top-quality drivers, there are some really strong teams and a lot of works support. It is a very balanced field. It is certainly the best race series that I have competed in over the past few years.”
The English driver prefers not to make too bold a prediction regarding the upcoming races in the ADAC GT Masters: “We will see what is possible from race to race. Things went well in Oschersleben, on a circuit that actually doesn't suit us so well, so it's difficult to predict anything. We have to capitalise on the moments when the car and the circuit are a good match. It is important to score points consistently and to minimise our errors. We would have been in a really good position without that retirement and the accident. Out of all the circuits, it is the Sachsenring that should suit us. In 2020 – I couldn't make it that weekend – the team put on a great chasing performance there and I claimed victory at my last appearance on the circuit in the Porsche Carrera Cup.”