The Washington Redskins have given seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams permission to seek a trade, multiple sources told ESPN's Dianni Russini.

"I'm just happy this situation seems to be heading towards an end," Williams wrote in a text to ESPN.

Williams has been at odds with the organization for most of the past year, citing concerns over how they handled his medical condition. Williams had a cancerous growth removed from his scalp last offseason. Williams said he had lost trust in the organization, specifically former team president Bruce Allen as well as the medical staff. But numerous sources said the Redskins believed -- and still believe -- that money was at the root of Williams' displeasure.

The Redskins fired Allen after the season as well as head athletic trainer Larry Hess. But those moves, and conversations with new coach Ron Rivera, did not soften Williams' contract demands. Williams has one year remaining on his contract, which will pay him $12.5 million. But none of it is guaranteed.

Multiple sources said they believe he would like to become the highest paid tackle, given his resume. That title currently belongs to Philadelphia's Lane Johnson, who signed a deal in November worth $18 million per year. Houston could extend Laremy Tunsil, which would then push that top number higher. Several sources say Williams wanted more than $20 million.

There have been two trades involving left tackles in the past six months. Tunsil was the key part of a bigger package, netting Miami two first-round picks and a second-rounder. On Thursday, Rivera's former team, Carolina, traded right guard Trai Turner to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for tackle Russell Okung, who is the same age as Williams.

Williams made seven consecutive Pro Bowls from 2012-18 but also has dealt with numerous injuries over the years. He hasn't played a full season since 2013. In 2016, he missed four games because of a suspension -- his second -- for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

"Trent Williams and I have had our conversations, we've talked. And again, that's a work in progress," Rivera said at the scouting combine last week. "We'll see how things unfold, but again, it's just a fluid situation."

Multiple sources said Williams had one face-to-face conversation with Rivera that lasted five minutes; one source termed it a "good conversation." Williams reported to Washington shortly before the trade deadline expired in October. The Redskins failed his physical because they didn't have a specialized helmet to fit him properly following his surgery. They soon placed him on the non-football/injury list, ending his season without him having played a game.

Houston was among the teams that had interest in Williams last year, until trading for Tunsil. Cleveland also showed interest and still has a need at left tackle and hired Williams' former line coach in Washington earlier this offseason -- Bill Callahan. The former Redskins coach often praised Williams, even after it was clear he would not play last season.

There were multiple reports stating the Redskins received a first-round offer for Williams, though multiple Redskins sources denied that was the case. Williams said he felt the Redskins didn't aggressively shop him before the deadline, further upsetting him.

Information from John Keim was used in this report.

Free-agent guard Dion Waiters is finalizing a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources told ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

The Lakers worked out Waiters earlier this week, after clearing a roster spot by waiving guard Troy Daniels on Sunday.

Waiters played only three games this season for the Miami Heat -- the last on Jan. 28 -- because of suspensions and poor conditioning. He has shown himself to be a talented scorer and playmaker in past seasons with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Lakers have been interested in acquiring another scoring playmaker for their second unit.

Waiters, 28, has averaged 13.2 points per game in his career.

THE TORONTO RAPTORS needed a bucket. Time to target James Harden, right?

Down six points against the Houston Rockets in the closing minutes of a Dec. 5 game at Scotiabank Arena, the Raptors cleared out on the left side of the court and tossed the ball to their go-to guy, Pascal Siakam. He caught the pass a couple of steps above the block and went to work, a skilled 6-foot-9 scorer eager to exploit Harden with his 4-inch height advantage.

Siakam faced up and took one left-handed dribble before turning his back to the basket again. But Harden didn't budge.

Siakam pounded his dribble once, twice, three times with his right hand. It was an old-school, Charles Barkley-esque approach, but Siakam was the one getting bullied.

Harden muscled him farther and farther away from the hoop.

After Siakam finally picked up his dribble just inside the elbow, back still to the basket, he pivoted as though he was going to shoot a turnaround over his right shoulder. Harden forced an awkward air ball when Siakam attempted that shot on a post-up in the third quarter, and Siakam was hoping to create some space by getting him to bite on the fake this time. Harden wasn't fooled.

With Harden still within whiskers' distance, Siakam settled for a tightly contested jump hook from just inside the free throw line that never had hope of going in. The ball clanked off the front of the rim, too low to even have a chance at a lucky bounce.

"We switch so much that they've got to target somebody," Harden recently told ESPN. "I play so many minutes that they feel like they can just exploit me. I mean, it hasn't worked."

Giannis Antetokounmpo eagerly reminded people of Harden's defensive reputation after the All-Star Game, blurting out after his team's come-from-ahead loss that their strategy during the fourth quarter was "just trying to find whoever James Harden was guarding."

Harden has been a defensive punch line for the majority of his career, a label attached to him years ago in large part because of moments of embarrassing indifference. The reality: Harden holds up remarkably well when opposing offenses target him in isolations, which happens more often than with any other player in the league.

He's one big reason the Rockets have gotten away with exclusively playing small ball, daring offenses to choose one of two paths: Try to push them around or go small themselves and play right into Houston's hand.

During a 9-3 February that included double-digit wins over the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz, the 6-foot-7-and-less Rockets remarkably generated a top-seven defense. Even if they regress closer to league average on that end, this small but powerful defensive unit might be enough to sustain a contender with a relentless offensive machine.

"You can't try to play matchup basketball," a Western Conference head coach said. "That's what they want. You have to beat them with [ball] movement."

Harden hopes teams take Antetokounmpo's advice and make picking on him the focal point of their game plan.

"Come try it," Harden said, "and the s--- won't work."

MORE: Which teams will win the big NBA playoff races?

THE BIG QUESTION in Houston: Can the Rockets survive defensively playing so small?

It seems that opponents ought to be able to beat up on Houston with a simple game plan. Just dump the ball to your big guys on the block and let them be bullies.

The problem, as Celtics coach Brad Stevens put it: "It's hard to post linebackers."

That starts with P.J. Tucker. He's officially the shortest starting center the NBA has seen in ages, packing 245 pounds and a ton of attitude on his 6-foot-5 frame. Like a middle linebacker, he's also the loudest voice on the defense, as Tucker's baritone is constantly barking instructions, communication that is critical in a switch-everything scheme.

Whether Tucker actually plays center in the Rockets' defense depends on the matchup. It's more accurate to refer to Tucker as the Rockets' defensive stopper, as he typically takes the toughest frontcourt assignment. The Rockets coveted Robert Covington -- coughing up a first-round pick in addition to center Clint Capela to get him -- because they considered him a perfect fit for the style they planned to play, a forward who spaces the floor as a 3-point threat and is capable of defending multiple positions.

The 6-foot-7, 211-pound Covington is more volleyball player than linebacker, a term that Golden State coach Steve Kerr has also used to describe the Rockets. With a 7-foot-1 wingspan and 36-inch vertical leap, Covington is the closest thing to a rim protector in the Rockets' rotation, having averaged 2.5 blocks in his 10 games with Houston, almost all coming as a help defender.

"Teams think they have a mismatch by going inside, and they don't." An Eastern Conference scout, on Houston's small-ball defense

Two of the Rockets' top guards -- 6-foot-3, 215-pound Eric Gordon and 6-foot-5, 220-pound Harden -- are both comfortable banging against taller foes who want to catch the ball on the block.

"It's kind of a unique team in that our little guys can guard big guys," Houston coach Mike D'Antoni said, citing a significant factor in the Rockets' decision to commit to small ball, a style that has unleashed Russell Westbrook to wreak havoc with the floor wide open because of shooting threats surrounding him.

Opponents might be able to shoot over Tucker, Gordon or Harden, but it usually won't be from the spot they want, and they won't elevate with great balance as the shot is released.

"Teams think they have a mismatch by going inside," a scout from an Eastern Conference team said, "and they don't."

That's especially true with Harden, who often starts games with the opposing center as his primary defensive assignment, allowing Tucker to defend the most dangerous frontcourt scoring threat. According to NBA Advanced Stats, Harden has defended a league-high 101 post-ups this season, allowing only 0.60 points per possession on 29.5% shooting. That's tied for the stingiest of the 50 players who have defended the most post-ups.

This isn't a statistical fluke.

Harden allowed 0.68 points per possession on a league-leading 212 post-ups defended last season. That tied for second stingiest among the 50 highest-volume post defenders, behind only Gordon (0.55). His numbers were similarly impressive the season before.

"He's strong as hell and smart as s---," a rival Western Conference assistant coach said of Harden.

The Rockets essentially invite teams to pound the ball inside by playing small and switching every screen. Pick-and-rolls, the bread and butter of the modern NBA offense, tend to break down into post-ups or isolation plays.

After Boston's second loss of the month to Houston, Stevens explained why the Celtics were so reliant on isolation play. He credited Houston's defensive execution, saying the switches forced Boston away from the rim while the Rockets thwarted slipping screeners.

"Their physical presence is real," Stevens said.

If the hope is to keep up with Houston, then come up with something smarter than trying to exploit Harden. Although he isn't dominant as an isolation defender, Harden is by no means an easy mark. He has the second-most isolations defended in the league this season (98) and has allowed 0.82 points per possession, ranking in the 61st percentile. He allowed similar marks the past two seasons.

In other words, it's a bad idea to put a bull's-eye on Harden unless you have one of the league's few elite isolation scorers.

"I'm a competitor. I'm a beast," Harden said. "Whatever teams' schemes are, we switch everything, and they've got to find a way to attack us. It's not going to be perfect. Some guys are going to score on me. That's a part of the game, but more times than not, we're going to get a stop and they'll shy away from it."

PLENTY OF SKEPTICS remain after the Rockets' month-plus sample size of small-ball success. "I think they really undervalued Capela," one NBA general manager said.

One theme pops out from the Rockets' three losses since they dealt Capela: Houston was dominated in the rebounding department, losing the battle on the boards by an average margin of 21 in losses to the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz and New York Knicks.

The letdown factor likely played a role in the losses to the Suns (the night after beating the Lakers, with Westbrook resting because of the back-to-back) and Knicks (two nights after a win in Boston). The Rockets' leaders were critical of their effort and intensity on those two occasions. There's an understanding that attention to detail in rebounding must be a major emphasis for Houston to succeed with this style.

"You have to box out hard," D'Antoni said. "Before, we didn't box out. Now, you better box out, so it's got their attention."

The other weakness created by not playing a center -- Tyson Chandler guarding the inbounds pass when Utah's Bojan Bogdanovic hit a buzzer-beater is the only possession logged by a traditional big man for the Rockets since the trade -- is a lack of rim protection.

This was the primary concern cited by the skeptical general manager, and it was an issue the Jazz exploited to fuel a comeback in the game they won in Houston, when guards Jordan Clarkson and Mike Conley were able to comfortably finish after beating their primary defender off the dribble. The West assistant coach who heaped praise on Harden's post defense mentioned that the best way to attack him when he's guarding a center was to force him to be a help defender near the rim.

"There are going to be holes," D'Antoni said. "It's not going to be like it's going to be an easy win. They're going to exploit things if we can't stay in front of our guys. Now it becomes, can you guard the guy in front of you?

"But it's them, too. And we happen to think we have the best two one-on-one players in the league. Where's their rim protection when we're shooting 3s out there? If we can play our style the right way, then they've got to make a choice also."

ESPN Daily Newsletter: Sign up now!

HOUSTON'S MOST RECENT trip to Staples Center on Feb. 6 wasn't just another regular-season game. D'Antoni called it "a big test" of the Rockets' all-small approach.

There was no turning back, not after the trade deadline passed hours earlier. The Rockets were being mocked on NBA Twitter for their plan to try to slay the West's giants without a traditional big man in their rotation. Tucker found humor in the criticism, posting on Instagram a picture someone photoshopped to put him on stilts while he was standing in a defensive position.

In the caption, sandwiched by a bunch of laughing emojis, Tucker wrote: "the internet is 1000000000000000000 and 0 yo."

Houston was 10-1 in games Capela missed thanks to injury, so the Rockets had reason to be confident entering the meeting with a Lakers squad that featured a frontcourt standing 7-foot, 6-foot-10 and 6-foot-9, the latter two perennial All-NBA talents in Anthony Davis and LeBron James.

The Rockets' bet is that they can make their foes blink first, playing opposing big men off the floor by exploiting their vulnerabilities defending in space. The Lakers indeed blinked, as big men JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard combined to play only 20 minutes in L.A.'s loss. The centers' only playing time in the fourth quarter came in garbage time.

Harden started that game guarding the 7-foot, 270-pound McGee. He finished it defending either Danny Green or Alex Caruso and came up with a couple of critical defensive plays during the Rockets' 9-0 run that iced the win.

When LeBron James attempted a lob from half court to Caruso -- a pass that would have led highlight shows and subjected Harden to ridicule if completed -- Harden read the play and tipped the ball away before recovering it and hitting Westbrook with an outlet pass.

A couple of possessions later, Harden was in help position as James drove down the lane, with Covington staying in front of him, and delivered a kick-out pass to Green in the corner. Harden closed out quickly enough to keep Green from shooting off the catch and mirrored his steps when the Lakers guard drove to his left. After a spin move, Green attempted an off-balance floater that Harden contested. Harden grabbed the rebound, pushed the ball in transition and got the hockey assist on a dagger 3 by Covington.

"A lot of this is having a firm belief in it, players believing in it and then imposing our will," D'Antoni said several days later.

"Then our strengths become what wins. But if they impose their will -- if they outrebound us and knock us around and we don't root 'em off and all that, if we don't guard at all -- yeah, then it's crazy and we won't win."

ESPN's Tim Bontemps contributed to this story.

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Bryce Harper launched an opposite-field shot for his third homer in two days, prompting a few fans to yell "M-V-P" as he circled the bases.

It's only spring training but expectations are high.

"I'm OK with it," manager Joe Girardi said of his star right fielder after the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 Thursday. "He's been doing it for a long time. He was 16 when he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He's had a lot of practice. He has a personality where he's able to stay focused on what he needs to do and he doesn't get caught up with what's going on around him."

Harper embraces the pressure and says he loves playing in Philadelphia because fans hold him "accountable." He told a Philly radio station before the game that he wants "to run through a wall for this city."

The slugger is entering his second season with the Phillies after signing a $330 million, 13-year contract last year that was the richest in baseball history until the Mike Trout got a record deal from the Angels a few weeks later.

The Phillies are counting on Harper, 27, to help them end an eight-year postseason drought. The six-time All-Star was a box office hit in 2019 when the Phillies had the largest increase in attendance in the majors. They drew 569,297 more fans than 2018 while the league average attendance overall in dropped 1.7 percent.

But the team finished 81-81 and manager Gabe Kapler lost his job.

"We need to take that next step and we actually have to do it," Harper said. "We can't just talk about it."

Harper batted .260 with 35 homers and a career-high 114 RBI last year when he missed the first couple of weeks of spring training because he was still considering where to sign in free agency. His life is less hectic now that he's settled into Philadelphia and doesn't have to think about buying a house and everything else that goes with moving. Harper and his wife, Kayla, welcomed their first child last August so he has also settled into fatherhood.

At the plate, he's in midseason form.

Harper crushed a homer way out to right field and also drove one out to left-center on Wednesday. He's 4-for-10 with 10 RBI in five games.

"That's always a good sign and he's always done that," Girardi said of Harper's opposite-field homers. "He has power to all fields. When hitters are able to do that, they're in a good spot and the big key is we have three weeks left. We don't want our guys to get bored or peak too early so you try to manage his workload the rest of the way but he's in a good spot right now."

Girardi is most impressed with the way Harper handles his business.

"How professional he is, how hard he works and how hard he plays," Girardi said. "He has a plan every day and that's one thing that we talk to the players about, have a plan every day, what are you going to do to get better every day and that's something that comes natural for him and he understands what he needs to do and he just goes and does it."

Harper spent his first seven seasons in Washington and was the 2015 NL MVP. He went to the postseason four times but the Nationals didn't win a series. After Harper left, the Nationals won the World Series. But Harper said he wasn't bitter.

"They did such a great job and I was so happy and excited for them and the players I played with," Harper said.

MIAMI -- The Clevelander nightclub at Marlins Park didn't make the team this year.

The club beyond the left-field wall at field level has closed. It included a swimming pool, dancers and DJs, and had been a staple at the ballpark since it opened in 2012.

The space still will be accessible to fans with different seating and without the pool, but the bar remains.

"We are excited about the future use and potential of the field-level space as a fan destination within Marlins Park for a wide variety of audiences," Marlins chief revenue officer Adam Jones said in a statement Thursday.

Marlins Park has undergone a gradual makeover since Derek Jeter's group bought the team in late 2017. Before the 2019 season, Jeter removed the kitschy home run sculpture from the outfield, and it has a new home in a plaza outside the ballpark.

DUQUOIN, Ill. – Dave Mac Motorsports has added a second car to its assault on this weekend’s fifth annual Shamrock Classic, taking place Saturday inside the confines of the Southern Illinois Center.

Team owner Dave McIntosh has tabbed Trey Robb, from Newcastle, Okla., to pilot the squad’s familiar No. 08 Spike/Toyota during the $5,000-to-win, 50-lap NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series event.

Robb, a veteran of micro sprint competition in the Midwest, will make his return to midget competition for the first time in more than a decade and is excited about the shot he’s been afforded.

“This will be my first midget race in 10-plus years and I can’t think of a better car to be driving,” noted Robb, who will steer the same chassis that Michael Faccinto drove to a Chili Bowl preliminary night podium finish in January during the Shamrock Classic. “Thanks to Dave (McIntosh) and Cody (Cordell, crew chief) for putting together a top notch car and giving me this opportunity.”

Robb will be teammates with Ace McCarthy, who is running the full POWRi National Midget League schedule for Dave Mac Motorsports, during the DuQuoin weekend special.

From the ownership side, McIntosh is not only eager to bring Robb into the fold, he’s looking forward to putting the car that won last year’s Shamrock Classic – the No. 08 – back on the DuQuoin dirt Saturday.

“It started with us having a car available, but I think Trey has been itching to get back in a midget,” McIntosh told Sprint Car & Midget on Thursday. “I think it’s been quite some time since he’s been in one. So we talked, and we had a great car available that probably should have been locked into the Chili Bowl A-main if not for circumstances … so we got it together and now we’re ready to go.

“I’m excited and ready to go rip with both Trey and Ace,” he added. “Obviously with Trey running the No. 08, we know what that car did last year with Cannon (McIntosh) behind the wheel, so we’re hopeful we can go out and replicate that again this weekend.”

With McCarthy running his familiar No. 28 for the POWRi season, McIntosh added that it was meaningful to him to be able to put the family’s No. 08 – which has made waves in recent years with his son, now-Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports driver Cannon McIntosh – back on the track again.

“That number is important to me and my family and just the tradition of racing, for four generations now. So it’s exciting it’s going to be there,” Dave McIntosh noted. “Ace has got his reasons for his (No.) 28, so I didn’t want to put pressure on him to get away from his number. But with Trey coming in, it’s good. We’ve got the No. 08 back on the race track now, so I’m excited for it.”

Though McIntosh will field two cars of his own this weekend in DuQuoin, he knows that both of his drivers will race directly against his son, as Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports looks to reclaim the Shamrock Classic crown it first held two years ago, when Logan Seavey won the event as a rookie.

That means there’s a balance between team owner and father, but McIntosh is more excited to see how the event plays out than anything else – and he also knows that his personal goals as a car owner mean he’ll be up against his son more often than not as the season rolls along.

“I can’t be prouder of my kid, and I tell everyone that. He’s had help getting to where he is now, through history, life and racing since he was a kid, but he’s kind of paved his way,” McIntosh relayed. “He’s in a great position to do great things with Keith (Kunz) and Pete (Willoughby). But I’ve got my own goals in mind. I’d love to get my name, as a car owner, in a Hall of Fame one day. Those are things that I look forward to. And I’m gonna strive to get my team to compete at the highest level, just like the other top teams do.

“We’ll see where it goes here and see where it ends up, but every journey starts somewhere, and for us, the next chapter starts this weekend with Trey and Ace and we’re ready to get it started.”

FREDERICTON, New Brunswick – The Atlantic Modified Tour has released its schedule of events for the upcoming season.

Much like the previous season, the tour will visit the three premier ovals within the Province of New Brunswick with a total of 12 events scheduled beginning in May.

The green flag will wave for the Atlantic Modified Tour on Saturday, May 30 with a visit to Speedway Miramichi in Miramichi, New Brunswick. The historic oval on New Brunswick’s North Shore will host the Series five times in 2020, including the season opener and the finale during The Very Best Fall Shootout on Saturday, Oct. 3. Three mid-season dates in Canada’s Irish Capital will go a long way in determining a 2020 champion on Saturday, July 25, Saturday, Aug. 8 and Saturday, Sept. 12.

Petty Int’l Raceway will play host to five Atlantic Modified Tour events. Two of those events will be on the undercard of the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour on Saturday, June 27 and Saturday, Aug. 22. The Series will contest their penultimate event of the season on Friday, Sept. 18 during the Mike Stevens Memorial Weekend. The Tour will also make stops to the high banked River Glade, New Brunswick bullring on Saturday, June 13 and Saturday, Aug. 15.

Speedway 660 will see the Modifieds hit the track twice this season. The open wheeled chariots will visit the track on Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, Sept. 6. The September date is a part of SpeedWeekend 2020 and will serve as one of the opening acts to that evening’s 20th Annual Pro Stock 250.

“Brenda and I are very excited about the opportunity to help develop and grow the Atlantic Modified Tour,” said Glyn Nott of Bryn Enterprises. “We are looking forward to supporting local tracks and grass roots racing in New Brunswick. We are making final arrangements to be at Radical Speedsport in April at the Moncton Coliseum. We hope to see familiar faces in Moncton from April 17-19 as well as our season opener on Saturday, May 30 at Speedway Miramichi.”

SILVERSTONE, England – World’s Fastest Gamer season two winner James Baldwin has joined 2009 Formula One champion Jenson Button’s GT team – Jenson Team Rocket RJN – for the upcoming GT World Challenge Endurance Championship.

Baldwin will race across Europe in a McLaren 720S GT3 in the team that was formed in 2019 between eButton, his close friend Chris Buncombe and long-standing team owner, Bob Neville.

The British gamer won his $1 million prize by competing against 10 of the world’s best esports racers in a 12-day final on the west coast of the USA in October last year. From simulator races, to challenges of physical strength and real-world track time, Baldwin emerged on top of the competition and was crowned the winner of the second season of World’s Fastest Gamer.

“I’ve seen in the past how it’s possible for virtual racers to make it in the real-world racing such as Jann Mardenborough who I raced against for the past couple of seasons in Super GT,” Button said.

“And, of course, I am always proud to support another young British Driver getting his chance in motorsport, no matter how he gets into the sport. I look forward to welcoming James to our team and wish him all the best in his inaugural season.”

Jenson Team Rocket RJN Team Principal Bob Neville saw Baldwin perform during his training and development programme and was immediately impressed, opening the door for the gamer-to-racer to drive for the team on some of the biggest stages in GT racing.

“When I got the news that I would be racing GT3, I was really excited; it’s very cool. But, at the same time, I don’t want it to overwhelm me. It’s an opportunity I want to make the most of,” Baldwin said.

“My expectations for 2020 are get used to it as quickly as possible, be clean, be fast and, if it’s possible, to win the pro-am championship—I think that has to be the goal.

“Without World’s Fastest Gamer, I wouldn’t be racing right now. I’m eternally thankful for that. But, now I’ve got it, and it’s time to do the business and not keep seeing it as a dream, because it can be a reality, it’s not far away. Now I just need to excel on track.

“I’m so thankful to WFG and Torque Esport for the opportunity and for putting this together. Learning from such an experienced group of individuals involved in the team and racing at events like the Spa 24, it exceeds any expectation I could have ever had.”

The World’s Fastest Gamer programme is just one of a number of innovative esports initiatives from Torque Esports. The global esports organisation includes World’s Fastest Gamer creator, the Silverstone-based IDEAS+CARS; racing simulator manufacturer, Allinsports; esports data streaming analysis experts, Stream Hatchet, and online esports tournament creators, UMG Games.

“James Baldwin has impressed all observers with his pace and professionalism since he arrived at our finals in Las Vegas last year,” Torque Esports President and CEO, Darren Cox, said.

“The jump straight into the hugely competitive GT3 series is huge, but we all believe James can handle it with his talent and our experience of training gamers for the virtual and real worlds.

“To have Jenson Team Rocket RJN trust James shows the confidence that team boss Bob Neville has in our ability to spot talent.”

Jenson Team Rocket RJN Team Principal Neville agrees with the assessment and also thinks Baldwin will excel in his first year of GT racing.

“Our team has huge experience of working with gamers, and they have surprised many people in motorsport with their results,” he said.

“James is the next in the long line of gamers that Darren Cox and the team have identified and coached to a position where we are happy to trust them with our new McLaren and the reputation of our team.”

Baldwin will join teammate Chris Buncombe at the pre-season test for the GT World Challenge Endurance Championship at Circuit Paul Ricard on March 12-13. Their final teammate for the endurance championship will be revealed soon.