Aston Martin Racing

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Aston Martin Racing is a British auto racing team established in 2004 as a partnership between automobile manufacturer Aston Martin and engineering group Prodrive. The partnership was initially created for the purpose of returning Aston Martin to sports car racing with the DBR9, a heavily modified variant of the Aston Martin DB9. Since the DBR9's racing debut in 2005, Aston Martin Racing has expanded to build a variety of cars available to customers, as well as development of Aston Martin's V12 engine for Le Mans Prototype use. Aston Martin Racing's program has earned several successes over the years.

United Kingdom Aston Martin Racing
Founded2004
Team principal(s)Paul Howarth
Current seriesFIA World Endurance Championship
Former seriesAmerican Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series, GT4 European Cup
Noted driversIan James, Daniel Mancinelli, Alex Riberas
Aston Martin Racing's DBR9 which won the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans LMGT1 Class
Sponsored by Gulf Oil, one of Aston Martin Racing's 2008 DBR9
An Aston Martin-powered Lola B08/60 run by Charouz Racing System and backed by Aston Martin Racing
The new Aston Martin Vantage AMR which competes in the 2018–19 FIA World Endurance Championship

Although all cars are built by Prodrive at their factory, Aston Martin plays an integral part in designing the race cars, as well as integrating elements of the race cars back into Aston Martin's road cars.

On 23 April 2009, Aston Martin chairman and Prodrive founder David Richards announced his intent to return to Formula One in 2010 with the possibility of using the Aston Martin name,[1] however this never materialised. Aston Martin had previously raced in the 1959 and 1960 Formula One seasons but failed to score points in either year.

Cars

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Aston Martin Racing built cars for international grand tourer classes. The team itself ran a squad of DBR9s in the former top class, GT1, while other cars were offered to customers. The GTE class (formerly GT2) became their next target after the failure of the 2011 season, and the car is based on the V8 Vantage. The V8 Vantage also featured in GT3 and GT4 classes. Before the GT3 Vantage was introduced the DBRS9 solely raced in GT3.

In 2008, Aston Martin Racing entered into the Le Mans Prototype category with the aid of Charouz Racing System, installing a DBR9 V12 into a Lola B08/60 LMP1 prototype.

On 27 January 2009, the team announced a full works entry in the Le Mans Prototype category for the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans[2] with the Lola-Aston Martin B09/60. The entry marks the 50th anniversary of its last outright win at Le Mans. The 2009 programme got off to an unfortunate start at the pre season Paul Ricard test on 8 March when Tomáš Enge destroyed the 007 car in an accident. Aston Martin Racing subsequently took delivery of a new Lola to replace the written off chassis.[3] The team entered two LMP1 cars bearing the iconic blue and orange livery of Gulf Oil. The aim was to emulate the achievements of the 1959 race win with the DBR1 driven by Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori. At Le Mans the AMR Eastern Europe 007 car of Jan Charouz, Tomáš Enge and Stefan Mücke finished fourth behind the factory entries of Peugeot and Audi, as well as being the highest finishing petrol-fuelled car. The 008 car was running as high as 3rd overall in the morning until Anthony Davidson had a collision with a GT1 Aston. Subsequent repairs and a 5-minute stop and go penalty—for causing the collision—dropped the car out of contention. The 009 car was retired after 252 laps.

Three cars were also entered in the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans, although only the 007 and 009 cars were run by Aston Martin Racing; the 008 car was run by the French team Signature-Plus. Both the 008 and 009 cars suffered from problems and had to be retired, leaving only the 007 to finish 6th overall and completing 365 laps, less than it did in 2009.

In 2011 the B09/60 was succeeded by the Aston Martin AMR-One, powered by a downsized, 2.0 litre turbocharged straight six petrol engine. Initially, the car was running very poorly. In its first racing event, the 2011 6 Hours of Castellet, it was only as fast as some of the LMP2 cars in qualifying and was plagued with mechanical issues. It completed only 96 laps. They then decided not to race it in the rounds of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup leading up to Le Mans so they can continue private testing with the troubled car in order to sort out the mechanical issues. So around came Le Mans and despite the testing and extra car, they were still lapping in the middle of the LMP2 pack in qualifying and in the race it was much a much worse scenario. Car #009 retired after only two laps around the Circuit de la Sarthe and car #007 retired two laps later on lap four. Both cars completed a combined six laps at the 79th Grand Prix of Endurance. After this shocking result, the team raced the old B09/60 for the remainder of the season although a much downgraded version in order to comply with the new 2011 regulations.

For 2012, Aston Martin Racing returned to GT racing with the V8 Vantage GT2. They entered two cars at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans with one in the LMGTE-Pro class and one in the LMGTE-Am class. They also had a third Vantage in the GTE-Pro class as a reserve entrant. One of the existing AMR-One's has been sold to Pescarolo Sport who are set to compete with that car and naming it the Pescarolo 03. They will use an engine from Judd Power rather than the Aston Martin powerplant. The other AMR-One has formed the base for the new DeltaWing project which debuted at Le Mans in 2012 with Highcroft Racing. The DeltaWing uses the AMR-One's carbon fibre tub.

In 2013 to celebrate the centenary of the marque, the team entered two 2013 specification Aston Martin Vantage GTE's in the LMGTE PRO class and two 2012 specification Vantage GTE's in LMGTE AM.[4] The team also competed in the full season of the FIA World Endurance Championship with the same cars.[5] Ex-Formula 1 driver Bruno Senna joined the team for the season[6] in the one of the GTE Pro cars partnered by Frédéric Makowiecki and Rob Bell. The main GTE Pro car featured AMR regulars Darren Turner and Stefan Mücke joined by Peter Dumbreck for the 24 hours of Le Mans and the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.

On 21 November 2017, Aston Martin revealed the new Vantage: a dynamic successor to the biggest-selling road car in the British marque's history. This evening, in an unprecedented synchronised launch, Aston Martin Racing revealed the new 2018 Vantage GTE: the spectacular new FIA World Endurance Championship challenger poised to replace the team's most successful competition car of all-time, the multiple Le Mans-winning V8 Vantage GTE. Aston Martin Racing has confirmed it will race two brand new Vantage GTEs in the GTE Pro category of the 2018–19 WEC super season.

On 23 December 2020, Aston Martin Racing announced their decision to end their World Endurance Championship LMGTE Pro career and their Vantage GTE factory program in order to focus on their Formula One effort, as well as their LMGTE Am program, which will be funded by Paul Dalla Lana.

On 24 April 2023, Dalla Lana retired from racing and withdrew his NorthWest AMR team with immediate effect a week before the 6 Hours of Spa. Heart of Racing took over the entry, but kept the NorthWest AMR name and number to conform with the championship regulations.

Factory drivers

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Current

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Results

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Since the team's debut at the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring, Aston Martin Racing has earned several important victories in their career. Their very first race actually earned them their first victory, defeating the Corvette Racing squad at Sebring. The RAC Tourist Trophy was also won later that year.

For 2006, Aston Martin Racing entered the full American Le Mans Series season, earning five victories including the Petit Le Mans, and finishing second in the GT1 championship, three points shy of Corvette Racing. In 2007, Aston Martin earned their first victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since the company's overall win in 1959 by overcoming the Corvette squad. This feat was repeated once more in 2008 in GT1, while the team also had involvement in the Lola B08/60 LMP1 Coupe run under the Charouz Racing banner

For 2009 Aston Martin Racing entered two of their new prototypes along with Aston Martin Racing Eastern Europe which completed the works trio of DBR1-2 or Lola-Aston Martin B09/60. The team's greatest success with the new prototype came with the 2009 Le Mans Series (LMS) where in the first round in Barcelona the team won the 1000 km de Catalunya outright and with a string of podiums and a 1-2-3 sweep of the ADAC 1000 km Nürburgring and a podium at the Autosport 1000 km of Silverstone sealed the 2009 drivers title for 007 and Jan Charouz, Tomáš Enge, Stefan Mucke and the constructors title for Aston Martin-LOLA as well as the team title for Aston Martin Racing.

Since 2012 Aston Martin Racing has been racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the Aston Martin Vantage GTE, earning them several wins and titles. During the inaugural season of the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2012 Aston Martin Racing finished runner-up in the LMGTE Pro Trophy. In 2014 they won the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGTE Am Teams and Drivers with Danish duo Kristian Poulsen and David Heinemeier Hansson. During the season they also won the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMGTE Am category. In 2016 Aston Martin Racing managed to take the crown in the World Endurance Cup for GT Drivers with Nicki Thiim and Marco Sørensen. They also won the LMGTE Pro Teams’ championship. The 2017 season saw them win both the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championship in the GTE Am category. In June 2017 Aston Martin Racing also won the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans in GTE Pro with Darren Turner, Jonathan Adam and Daniel Serra driving the winning Aston Martin Vantage GTE.

 
An Aston Martin Vantage GTE running in the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans

24 Hours of Le Mans results

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Year Entrant No. Car Drivers Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2005   Aston Martin Racing 58 Aston Martin DBR9   Tomáš Enge
  Peter Kox
  Pedro Lamy
GT1 327 DNF DNF
59   David Brabham
  Stéphane Sarrazin
  Darren Turner
333 9th 3rd
2006   Aston Martin Racing 007 Aston Martin DBR9   Tomáš Enge
  Andrea Piccini
  Darren Turner
GT1 350 6th 2nd
009   Pedro Lamy
  Stéphane Ortelli
  Stéphane Sarrazin
342 10th 5th
2007   Aston Martin Racing 007 Aston Martin DBR9   Tomáš Enge
  Johnny Herbert
  Peter Kox
GT1 337 9th 4th
009   David Brabham
  Rickard Rydell
  Darren Turner
343 5th 1st
  Aston Martin Racing Larbre 006   Roland Bervillé
  Patrick Bornhauser
  Gregor Fisken
272 29th 13th
008   Christophe Bouchut
  Casper Elgaard
  Fabrizio Gollin
341 7th 3rd
  Aston Martin Racing BMS 100   Fabio Babini
  Jamie Davies
  Matteo Malucelli
336 11th 6th
2008   Charouz Racing System
  Aston Martin Racing
10 Lola B08/60-Aston Martin   Jan Charouz
  Tomáš Enge
  Stefan Mücke
LMP1 354 9th 9th
  Aston Martin Racing 007 Aston Martin DBR9   Heinz-Harald Frentzen
  Andrea Piccini
  Karl Wendlinger
GT1 339 16th 4th
009   David Brabham
  Antonio García
  Darren Turner
344 13th 1st
2009   AMR Eastern Europe 007 Lola-Aston Martin B09/60   Jan Charouz
  Tomáš Enge
  Stefan Mücke
LMP1 373 4th 4th
  Aston Martin Racing 008   Anthony Davidson
  Darren Turner
  Jos Verstappen
342 13th 11th
009   Stuart Hall
  Peter Kox
  Harold Primat
252 DNF DNF
2010   Aston Martin Racing 007 Lola-Aston Martin B09/60   Adrián Fernández
  Stefan Mücke
  Harold Primat
LMP1 365 6th 5th
009   Juan Barazi
  Sam Hancock
  Darren Turner
368 DNF DNF
  Signature Plus 008   Vanina Ickx
  Franck Mailleux
  Pierre Ragues
302 DNF DNF
  Young Driver AMR 52 Aston Martin DBR9   Tomáš Enge
  Peter Kox
  Christoffer Nygaard
LMGT1 311 22nd 3rd
2011   Aston Martin Racing 007 Aston Martin AMR-One   Christian Klien
  Stefan Mücke
  Darren Turner
LMP1 4 DNF DNF
009   Adrián Fernández
  Andy Meyrick
  Harold Primat
2 DNF DNF
  Kronos Racing[7]
  Marc VDS Racing Team
22 Lola-Aston Martin B09/60   Vanina Ickx
  Bas Leinders
  Maxime Martin
328 7th 7th
  Gulf AMR Middle East 60 Aston Martin Vantage GT2   Fabien Giroix
  Roald Goethe
  Michael Wainwright
LMGTE Am 141 DNF DNF
2012   Aston Martin Racing 97 Aston Martin Vantage GTE   Adrián Fernández
  Stefan Mücke
  Darren Turner
LMGTE Pro 332 19th 3rd
99   Christoffer Nygaard
  Kristian Poulsen
  Allan Simonsen
LMGTE Am 31 DNF DNF
2013   Aston Martin Racing 97 Aston Martin Vantage GTE   Peter Dumbreck
  Stefan Mücke
  Darren Turner
LMGTE Pro 314 17th 3rd
98   Bill Auberlen
  Paul Dalla Lana
  Pedro Lamy
221 DNF DNF
99   Rob Bell
  Frédéric Makowiecki
  Bruno Senna
248 DNF DNF
95   Christoffer Nygaard
  Kristian Poulsen
  Allan Simonsen
LMGTE Am 2 DNF DNF
96   Jamie Campbell-Walter
  Roald Goethe
  Stuart Hall
301 30th 6th
2014   Aston Martin Racing 97 Aston Martin Vantage GTE   Stefan Mücke
  Bruno Senna
  Darren Turner
LMGTE Pro 310 35th 6th
99   Alex MacDowall
  Darryl O'Young
  Fernando Rees
0 WD WD
95   David Heinemeier Hansson
  Kristian Poulsen
  Nicki Thiim
LMGTE Am 334 19th 1st
98   Paul Dalla Lana
  Pedro Lamy
  Christoffer Nygaard
329 26th 6th
2015   Aston Martin Racing V8 99 Aston Martin Vantage GTE   Alex MacDowall
  Fernando Rees
  Richie Stanaway
LMGTE Pro 320 34th 6th
  Aston Martin Racing 95   Christoffer Nygaard
  Marco Sørensen
  Nicki Thiim
330 27th 4th
97   Rob Bell
  Stefan Mücke
  Darren Turner
110 DNF DNF
96   Francesco Castellacci
  Roald Goethe
  Stuart Hall
LMGTE Am 187 DNF DNF
98   Paul Dalla Lana
  Pedro Lamy
  Mathias Lauda
321 NC NC
2016   Aston Martin Racing 95 Aston Martin Vantage GTE   Marco Sørensen
  Nicki Thiim
  Darren Turner
LMGTE Pro 338 23rd 5th
97   Jonathan Adam
  Fernando Rees
  Richie Stanaway
337 24th 6th
98   Paul Dalla Lana
  Pedro Lamy
  Mathias Lauda
LMGTE Am 281 DNF DNF
99   Liam Griffin
  Gary Hirsch
  Andrew Howard
318 36th 7th
2017   Aston Martin Racing 95 Aston Martin Vantage GTE   Marco Sørensen
  Richie Stanaway
  Nicki Thiim
LMGTE Pro 334 25th 9th
97   Jonathan Adam
  Daniel Serra
  Darren Turner
340 17th 1st
98   Paul Dalla Lana
  Pedro Lamy
  Mathias Lauda
LMGTE Am 329 36th 8th
  Beechdean AMR 99   Oliver Bryant
  Ross Gunn
  Andrew Howard
331 30th 4th
2018   Aston Martin Racing 95 Aston Martin Vantage AMR   Marco Sørensen
  Nicki Thiim
  Darren Turner
LMGTE Pro 339 23rd 8th
97   Jonathan Adam
  Alex Lynn
  Maxime Martin
327 37th 13th
98 Aston Martin Vantage GTE   Paul Dalla Lana
  Pedro Lamy
  Mathias Lauda
LMGTE Am 92 DNF DNF
2019   Aston Martin Racing 95 Aston Martin Vantage AMR   Marco Sørensen
  Nicki Thiim
  Darren Turner
LMGTE Pro 132 DNF DNF
97   Jonathan Adam
  Alex Lynn
  Maxime Martin
325 44th 12th
98 Aston Martin Vantage GTE   Paul Dalla Lana
  Pedro Lamy
  Mathias Lauda
LMGTE Am 87 DNF DNF
2020   Aston Martin Racing 95 Aston Martin Vantage AMR   Marco Sørensen
  Nicki Thiim
  Richard Westbrook
LMGTE Pro 343 22nd 3rd
97   Alex Lynn
  Maxime Martin
  Harry Tincknell
346 20th 1st
98   Paul Dalla Lana
  Augusto Farfus
  Ross Gunn
LMGTE Am 333 33rd 8th
2021   Aston Martin Racing 98 Aston Martin Vantage AMR   Paul Dalla Lana
  Marcos Gomes
  Nicki Thiim
LMGTE Am 45 DNF DNF
2022   NorthWest AMR 98 Aston Martin Vantage AMR   Paul Dalla Lana
  David Pittard
  Nicki Thiim
LMGTE Am 342 36th 3rd
2023   NorthWest AMR[a] 98 Aston Martin Vantage AMR   Ian James
  Daniel Mancinelli
  Alex Riberas
LMGTE Am 310 33rd 6th
2024   Heart of Racing Team[8] 27 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo   Ian James
  Daniel Mancinelli
  Alex Riberas
LMGT3 196 DNF DNF
  D'station Racing[8] 777   Erwan Bastard
  Satoshi Hoshino
  Marco Sørensen
279 36th 9th

Notes

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  1. ^ Paul Dalla Lana retired from racing and withdrew his NorthWest AMR team with immediate effect a week before the 2023 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Heart of Racing took over the entry, but kept the NorthWest AMR name and number to conform with the FIA WEC championship regulations.

References

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  1. ^ "Richards keen on Formula One return". BBC News. 23 April 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
  2. ^ "Aston Martin to challenge for overall Le Mans win". Aston Martin. 27 January 2009. Archived from the original on 31 January 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2009.
  3. ^ "What economic downturn? Aston Martin unveils new supercar". PopSci.com.au. 30 January 2009. Archived from the original on 31 January 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  4. ^ "2013 24 Hours of Le Mans Entry List". 4 February 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Aston Martin Racing Unveil Strong WEC Line-Up - 24 Hours of Le Mans, American Le Mans Series, FIA WEC - The Checkered Flag". 5 February 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  6. ^ "Bruno Senna Hunting Race Wins With Aston Martin Racing Move - 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA WEC - The Checkered Flag". 6 February 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  7. ^ "Kronos Racing-Marc VDS Excited About Le Mans Event". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  8. ^ a b Newbold, James (16 February 2024). "WEC's new LMGT3 class will see "much closer" racing - Sorensen". Autosport. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
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