Andrew Watson (racing driver)

Andrew Watson (born 21 January 1995) is a racing driver from Belfast, Northern Ireland, currently competing in the British GT Championship driving for the Von Ryan Racing team. In 2014, he finished 4th overall in the Ginetta GT Supercup.

Racing career

Early career

Andrew began his motor racing career at the age of 15, in the Ginetta Junior Ireland Championship, making regular podiums through to 2011. That year, Andrew joined Douglas Motorsport team to race in the final two rounds of the Ginetta Junior Championship at Silverstone.

2012 saw Andrew contest the entire Ginetta Junior championship season, again with Douglas Motorsport. The season saw him deliver 5th place in the Championship, achieving 6 podium places, including second places and his maiden victory, with only two non-finishes out of the twenty round season.

2013 – Ginetta GT Supercup

Watson's Ginetta Junior team decided to enter the senior competition, the Ginetta GT Supercup, using a Ginetta G55 car.

At the first meeting of the season at Brands Hatch Indy circuit, Watson qualified a stunning 2nd despite having little experience in the much more powerful G55 car. This translated to a 7th-place finish in round 1, followed by an 8th place in round 2, both on the Saturday. Round 3 was held on Sunday an even more impressive finish in 4th place cemented his arrival in the senior ranks.

Success at Donington Park at the second meeting of the year, was not so easy to repeat but Watson did qualify 3rd and managed to get the fastest lap in round 5.

Watson achieved his first podium in the GT Supercup, with a 2nd-place finish in round 7, at the year's 3rd meeting at Thruxton in Hampshire.

At Knockhill, Watson achieved pole position for round 18 (being the meeting's 1st race) on Sat 24 Aug Sadly, this could not be converted to a maiden race win in the GT Supercup owing to him having to serve a drive-through penalty. He eventually finished the race in 10th place.

In round 20 at Knockhill, Watson led the race for 23 of the 24 lap race however he was overtaken for the lead by championship leader Tom Ingram. A last corner overtake saw Matt Nicoll-Jones take second place with Watson gaining holding on to third place.

Watson finished the season in 7th place overall in the standings with 372 points.

2014 – Ginetta GT4 Supercup

For the now renamed 2014 Ginetta GT4 Supercup, Watson stayed with long-term team Douglas Motorsport alongside a new team mate, Harry Woodhead, winner of the 2013 Ginetta Junior Championship.

Success came early, with pole position, fastest lap and a win in the opening round at Brands Hatch, followed by second and third-place finishes in the next two rounds. A further win at Thruxton in round 9 of the series, saw Watson leading the championship with 230 points.

Watson eventually finished the season in 4th place on 640 points.

British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) Rising Star Scheme

In July 2014 Andrew was invited to join the prestigious British_Racing_Drivers'_Club Rising Star Scheme, following in the footsteps of former BRDC Rising Stars including Lewis Hamilton. The BRDC Rising Star scheme acknowledges exceptional young talent amongst British and Commonwealth drivers under the age of 24, across all four-wheel racing disciplines. Scouted by the BRDC from trackside, Rising Stars are invited to sport the unique ‘blue roundel’, symbolising their association with the highly respected organisation.

2015 – British GT Championship

In 2015, Andrew made a switch to the British GT Championship driving a McLaren 650S GT3 for Von Ryan Racing as part of the McLaren Young Driver Programme. He is competing in the GT3 class, a step-up from the GT4 class he previously drove in the 2014 Ginetta GT4 Supercup.

Andrew scored his best result of the season when he and fellow McLaren GT “Young Driver” Ross Wylie finished seventh in the Silverstone 500 in May 2015, only 20 seconds behind the podium places. The race at Silverstone was preceded by races at Rockingham and Oulton Park. At Oulton Park in April 2015, Andrew and his team mate Ross Wiley placed a ninth-place finish in the second race, whilst at Rockingham in May 2015, the team retired from the race on the opening lap following a collision.

Racing record

Complete Career results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position – 1 point awarded in first race) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap – 1 point awarded all races)