Liam Talbot Secures GT Championship Victory in Adelaide

After an incredible 2023 season full of tight racing and drama, Shannons Audi driver Liam Talbot has secured his maiden title, the 2023 Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS Championship at the Adelaide 500 on the weekend.

Liam Talbot, with the help of Christopher Mies, delivered a third place in the championship's finale race, which was enough for the Audi R8 LMS Evo 2 pilot to claim his first title.

The title came after a weekend of fighting with Ema Motorsport's Yasser Shahin and Matt Campbell, who would go on to win Race 3 as Jamec Racing's Geoff Emery and Maximilian Hofer would finish second.

Reflecting on the season, Liam confessed piecing together a racing season is always difficult and highly unpredictable. "We started the season on a high with pole position and two race wins from two races, a perfect weekend. The next event, we had a lapped car make heavy contact, resulting in an unfortunate DNF."

However, they never gave up. "We continued to learn from each race weekend what we could improve and how to maximise each situation. At the halfway mark of the season, we also had the opportunity to do some testing, which again helped our championship aspirations," said Liam.

Liam had significant momentum in the lead-up to the finale with a run of podiums. The practice session had substantial rainfall, and while competitors, unfortunately, fell off the road and had some light contact, Liam maintained focus and topped both sessions.

"Qualifying was a mixed bag on a drying track. During the first qualifying, I committed to wet tyres and got pipped to pole position at the end, but it was nice to start on the front row. My co-driver, Chris Mies, found traffic and, unfortunately, started on the second row.

Our focus was on the championship, and our racing was very strong. We had podium finishes on all three races, but the win in race 2 was undoubtedly a highlight," said Liam.

After the final race of the season, the result was not in doubt, Liam had clinched the 2023 Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Championship. Liam admits, "Personally, this is a long time coming for me, but I wouldn’t change anything."

Next year's planning has already begun, and Liam is hungry for more race wins, pole positions and the big one... championships.

As a passionate supporter of Australian motorsport, Shannons has a long-standing tradition of fostering relationships with talented drivers who embody the spirit of the sport. With his dedication and skill, Liam Talbot perfectly encapsulates the essence of what it means to be a Shannons-sponsored driver.

Liam's performance throughout the championship was spectacular, and we are thrilled to be part of his journey to the GT Championship title.

The Shannons team congratulates Liam Talbot and his entire crew for their outstanding achievement.