The raw results got in Czech Republic seem less "sexy" than the podiums climbed in England. But, if we have a closer look, HEXIS AMR needn't be ashamed of their course on Brno Circuit. While the training phase of the Aston Martin DB9 methodically continues, Jonathan Hirschi's and Clivio Piccione's superb fourth place in the FIA GT1 World Championship race confirms that the team did not graze victory by chance. At the same time, HEXIS AMR's Aston Martin DBRS9s involved in the FIA GT3 European Championship proved to be equal to their reputation and scored significant points too.

FIA GT1 World Championship

One of these past days outstanding events was the arrival in the team of Le Mans 24 Hours triple poleman Stephane Sarrazin that Peugeot Sport agreed to free for Brno and Paul Ricard. Stephane's reputation of eclecticism is not overrated. Master in prototype sports, he ran in Formula 1 before becoming Rally French champion! Despite an experience of Aston Martin Racing official driver in GT1 in the mid 2000s, he knew he will time to readapt at Brno. To complicate things, Makowiecki's and nd Accary's 2nd place at Silverstone led to the attribution of a 30-kg ballast for car #9, that was added to new data of the FIA balance of performance: 30 kg more and a smaller restrictor for all the Aston Martins entered.

Faced with this technical and human challenge, the team answered by striving doubly hard to improve a car difficult to drive on this layout as it was very understeering. All weekend long, they had also to adapt to an adherence that kept on evolving! Whereas they were away off for free practice and pre- qualifying, both cars hoisted themselves up to the middle of the table in qualifying. Then, they ranked in the Top 10 of qualifying race before playing the podium on D-day!

The verdict of the qualifying race places Fred Mako and Jonathan Hirschi at the 8th and 9th positions for the Championship Race start. The starting procedure was disturbed by the anticipated takeoff of Bertolini's Maserati, which would be later penalized. In the confusion, Jonathan pushed Fred who could not avoid touching Grosjean's Ford. The geometry of the Aston Martin #9's rear suspension got changed and the car would remain unstable until the arrival. Stephane Sarrazin passed the finish line at a deserving 9th place. The two points brought back from Brno enable Fred Mako to be fourth in the World Championship provisional standings. As for Jonathan Hirschi and Clivio Piccione, their ride ended at the 4th place, their best result to date. Their increase in strength, which has been emerging since Abu Dhabi, is today realized. The Aston Martin #10 made the 3rd time in race, conceding only one second and a half to the winner under the chequered flag, and passing by six tenths from the podium.

As far as engineering, exploitation and strategy are concerned, HEXIS AMR have reached a level of professionalism worthy of the 3rd place they are occupying at the provisional world Teams standings.

FIA GT3 European Championship

HEXIS AMR cumulated again GT1 and GT3 at Brno. In a race 1 made particularly difficult by a shower fallen just before the start, Aston Martins #2 and 1 did jointly a catching up by nine places. Luc Paillard and Thomas Accary ranked themselves 6th, just before Manu Rodrigues and Fred Makowiecki! The weekend's gag took place when drivers changed. During his stint, Manu got hit by a Corvette at the left door level. No way of opening the door! The team did not get flustered and the drivers passed over the relay by getting by the passenger door! The day after, Fred and Manu scored the 5th place points, while Thomas, after a stunning start, had to go a bit off-road to avoid an accident occurred just in front of him. Later, a collision unfortunately put an end to his rise.

Reactions

Clement Mateu: "Having Stephane in the team was a pleasure because he remains a simple man, who adapts to every situation. He was surprised by our logistics and know-how, compared with the team's youth. It was not easy for him with the ballast that has us lose three to four tenths a lap. But he is a great professional who has experience in leading-edge stables, and his feeling is not insignificant. Except that, we saw teams use compressed air bottles behind the mechanics' back for the tyre changes. We may have some too from Le Castellet."

Philippe Dumas: "We were expecting a weekend completely different from Silverstone. In the end, we are rather happy, especially as it is always difficult to handle a double meeting. There are various positive points. We arrived with a difficult car, then we missed Q3 from a hair's breadth, and at last we had a very competitive car for the race. We do not know the GT1 by heart yet, but we learned a lot at Brno. We were way better organised and more serene than at Silverstone. We could examine everything from all angles, anticipate this meeting and have some rest, which was not possible between Abu Dhabi and England. In GT3, I think it went well in the context of more competitive Corvettes and more or less off-rules driver crews. We are a bit stuck but we are going to get down to business to go back into the title race."

Rendezvous on June 19th/20th at Jarama (Spain) for the next rounds of the FIA GT3 European Championship, and on July 3rd/4th for the French leg of this exciting FIA GT1 World Championship. GT3s will also be on this Grand Touring big party on the Paul Ricard HTTT Circuit.

PR

Former British GT Championship-winning team, Barwell Motorsport, will be contesting this year’s Merdeka Millennium 12 Hour Endurance race at the Sepang F1 circuit on August 7th. Barwell, an Official Partner Team of Aston Martin Racing, will be campaigning the Frank Yu-owned Aston Martin DBRS9 GT3 car, in conjunction with top Asian team, Eurasia Motorsport, which is run by British ex-pat Mark Goddard. The Aston has recently been fettled in Barwell Motorsport’s workshops, and we have developed and fitted a Bosch ABS system – the first time one has been used on a DBRS9. The car was sent back out to Malaysia two weeks ago, where it was shaken down by former F1 driver, Alex Yoong.

Barwell has had continued success in both endurance and sprint racing over the last five years with the Aston Martin DBRS9, culminating in a competitive fourth place in GT3 (and 11th overall) in the 2009 FIA Spa 24 Hours. As well as providing its engineering expertise, Barwell has also placed current British GT driver and experienced DBRS9 exponent, Michael Bentwood, into the Merdeka squad to join car owner Frank Yu and Eric Cheung.

Hong Kong-based drivers Yu and Cheung also own Ginetta G50Z-Zytek machines, as campaigned successfully by Barwell in last year’s British GT series (using the Ginetta factory development car). We have recently completed full pre-season rebuilds on these cars, prior to them being shipped out for the first round of the GT3 Asia Championship at Sepang on May 15/16. Barwell’s Engineering Director, Chris Weeden, then joined the Eurasia crew to assist with their running at Sepang, where they recorded their best results to date.

Meanwhile on the European GT front, Barwell’s next event will be the British GT race at Spa on June 5th, where the grid will be combined with the Belcar GT Championship for a 2.5 hour endurance race. Following Paul Whight and Michael Bentwood’s podium finish in the Oulton Park British GT season opener, the team will be hoping for further success at Spa with Whight’s stunning Aston Martin DSBRS9. On the same weekend Barwell will also be competing at Oulton Park, with its Ginetta G50 Cup squad fielding championship runner Julien Draper in the fourth round of the TOCA one-make series.

PR

Darren Turner and Tomas Enge score first podium for Young Driver

Tomas Enge (CZ) and Darren Turner (GB) brought a first podium finish for Young Driver AMR in the GT1 World Championship. Enge/Turner finished second in their Young Driver AMR-Aston Martin DBR9 in Sunday's third round of the World Championship at Brno (CZ) and only missed the victory briefly with a gap of 0,7 seconds. Stefan Muecke (D) and Christoffer Nygaard (DK) had bad luck in the second Young Driver-Aston Martin DBR9 and retired halfway trough the race after a technical defect.

The start wasn't trouble free for Tomas Enge. The Czech started from second position into his home race, but as the grid wasn't properly sorted out at the start, Enge expected another formation lap and pulled off the gas. Although the pole starting car made a false start, there was no second formation lap, and as Enge backed off the gas, he found himself in the middel of the field before the first corner. From 16th position, the former Formula One driver battled back to the front and was already in 11th, when the pit stop window opened halfway trough the race during a safety car period. During the pit stop and the mandatory driver change, the Young Driver crew worked perfectly and performed one of the quickest pit stop of the race. When Darren Turner went out for the second half of the race he was in second position, so Enge/Turner had gained an unbelievable nine positions just with the perfect pit work by the Young Driver crew. Turner chased the leading Ford GT until the end of the race and finally finished second, only 0,7 seconds behind the leader.

Stefan Muecke had bad luck at the start in the second Young Driver AMR-Aston Martin DBR9. Due to a problem with the wheel hub, Muecke didn't make it to the starting grid in time and had to start from the pits. After the start he quickly battled through the field and set an impressive quickest lap of the entire race, but halfway through the race the problem with the wheel hub occurred again and Muecke had to retire.

Quotes:

Tomas Enge (#7 Aston Martin DBR9):
"The starting procedure was definitely not ok. I went already to the race director and told him about that. There was no green light, which means there will be another formation lap. But our fantastic pit work brought us to second position. The last laps were really thrilling with the great battle of Darren (Turner) with the leading car. It's a great comeback for the entire to finish second after our bad luck at Silverstone, and it's especially nice for me to come second in front of my home crowd."

Darren Turner (#7 Aston Martin DBR9):
"My car was really lovely through the race, just perfect. Our pit work is always great, but what our guys did today was unbelievable. Second place is great for the team that worked that hard, it's good to score points here."

Stefan Muecke (#8 Aston Martin DBR9):
"I had to start from the pits, but could quickly close the gap to the cars in front of me. I had some really nice fights and could make up some positions. It was a lot of fun, the car was really great. But unfortunately there was a problem with the wheel hub."

Christoffer Nygaard (#8 Aston Martin DBR9):
"Due to the retirement just when I should overtook the car from Stefan, there was no race for me. That's racing, next time we will attack again."

Hardy Fischer, team principal Young Driver AMR:
"Darren and Tomas drove a great race. But I'm even more impressed by our pit crew. We have a great team which does an absolute amazing pit work. I have really have to thank our mechanics and engineers for their work. The last weeks have been unbelievable busy for everyone. We had a damaged car at Silverstone and the crash at Spa, they had to work very hard and I'm really they have been rewarded with second place here. That wouldn't have been possible without their great work."

Imola has been the third race of the International GT Open series. Italian week-ends are always very exciting due to the large public present and for fans and sponsors crowding the pits. At last the “official” Vantage GT2 2010 has been delivered. “ Max Wiser and Lucas Guerrero have the task of running the race and developing the car at the same time. Such a commitment by pilots and staff has been rewarded with the second position in the Sunday race.
This result has arrived early as to the working program and this has given us hope for the rest of the season.

Gabriele Lancieri and Angelo Lancelotti have lived through a very unfortunate week-end. The third position on Saturday did no justice to the potential abilities of the team. On Sunday a contact during the race and a punched tire relegated the DBRS9 #52 at the bottom of the placings.

Gianandrea Crespi shared the seat of the DBRS9 #53 with Giovanni Sada, an expert pilot in the GT world and Italian Gt cup champion.

Their good feeling led them to the fourth position on Saturday. Halfway through the race, unfortunately though, they were forced to withdraw due to a gearbox breakdown.

On Sunday no mistakes brought them from the bottom of the placings to a seventh position with a good performance.

The Signature Plus team has this week carried out an important one-day test at the Magny-Cours circuit in France as part of their final preparations for this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans which takes place in just under one month's time.

Signatrure Plus heads to Le Mans, one of the most prestigious events on the international motorsport calendar, buoyed by some encouraging developments to the Dunlop-shod Aston Martin LMP1 car in recent weeks, with further progress made in this latest test.

A dry session at Magny-Cours enabled the team to make a useful validation of the set-up work that has been carried out during the opening two rounds of this year's Le Mans Series championship, as well as working on a range of procedures in anticipation of the unique challenges that Le Mans poses both to the team and the drivers. The test lasted for eight hours, running from 17.00 until 1.00am, allowing the team to simulate fully all the aspects of night-time driving.

Signature will be taking on the might of the Le Mans 24 Hours race for just the second time but this year they will be participating as Official LMP1 Partner of Aston Martin Racing. The team finished in 11th place in last year's event, but will be looking for improvements this time around, tapping into the team's experience from 2009, as well as benefitting from the technical support of Dunlop and Aston Martin.

Franck Mailleux
"Although we only tested for eight hours, it was a very productive session for all of us," said Franck. "Le Mans is the highlight of our season, so it is important we go there as well prepared as we possibly can be. We looked closely at the base set-up of the car, carrying out aerodynamic tests and tyre evaluations with Dunlop, while also acclimatising to the night-time aspects of driving, which is such a critical part of the Le Mans race. I have also started intensive physical preparation for the event with my sponsor Sojasun who have created a special Le Mans endurance diet for me, which is being developed alongside my training programme for what is a physically demanding event for drivers. Last year's Le Mans holds good memories for me, but I feel much more confident this time around."

Pierre Ragues
"After finding quite a competitive rhythm from the car at the last race in Spa, it has been good to keep that momentum going with our preparations for Le Mans, definitely my personal highlight of the year. Together with Signature we had a good event in 2009 and it hardly seems like a year ago that we were preparing for our first Le Mans race together. I think we have come a long way since then so our objectives are raised for this year. The Magny-Cours test allowed us to conduct some set-up, aero and tyre tests, as well as to get used to night-time driving again. It is the final chance that we have to get ourselves into the best shape possible before the event gets underway in just a few weeks. It is a demanding race for drivers, so I am also increasing my physical preparation with a thorough training regime. I have already received some fantastic words of encouragement from my sponsors, Groupe Auto Union, who are also looking forward to this fantastic race."

The team will not undertake any more tests prior to the Le Mans weekend with just a shakedown scheduled at Lurcy-Levis on Friday 4 June with scrutineering starting at Place des Jacobins from Sunday 6 June. The 78th Le Mans 24 Hours Race will take place on the weekend of 12-13 June.

PR

Darren Turner and Tomas Enge are now firmly on the FIA GT1 World Championship points table after two incredible runs to second in both of this weekend’s races at Brno in the Czech Republic.

During Saturday morning’s qualifying hour Darren and Tomas were running well inside the top four in each of the three sessions. Tomas nailed third place on the grid, behind two Maserati MC12s that seemed to be very well suited to the Brno track.

Darren started the qualifying race from third, dropping a place at the start to his good friend Peter Dumbreck in the Nissan GT-R. He and Dumbreck ran bumper-to-bumper throughout the first stint, providing some thrillingly close racing for the viewers.

“I had a good run on the second-placed Maserati up the inside at the start,” said Darren. “But all the action was on the outside and Peter made up some places. I was happy to tuck in there and just have a solid run before handing it over for the pit stops. I know our guys do a fantastic job in the pits every time so we could pass them there.”

His plan paid off and Tomas emerged in second place after the pit-stops and took it all the way to flag, earning his and Darren’s first championship points and a front row grid slot for today’s championship race.

The start of today’s race didn’t go quite to plan when some confusion caused Enge to drop right back to 16th place on the first lap. He immediately got stuck into his comeback drive and was up to 10th by the time the pit stop window opened and this is where it all turned around.

The Safety Car was out on track as the pits opened so all but six of the GT1 cars dived into the pit lane to do their driver change. Darren jumped in and, with the Young Driver AMR team being quick on their toes in the pits, he rejoined the race in second place!

The race order was now the Ford GT of Thomas Mutsch, Darren’s Aston Martin and Peter Dumbreck’s Nissan GT-R. In a remarkable demonstration of how evenly-matched these cars are, those three never had more than a second between them until the chequered flag fell at the end of the race.

“My heart is still pumping hard after being in that Ford-Nissan sandwich!” said Darren as he arrived at the post-race press conference. “Thomas made no mistakes in front of me and it was hard to attack him as I couldn’t risk making a mistake myself with Peter right behind me. Two podiums in one weekend is a great result and it feels very good to finally get some points on board. The car was lovely in the race and I’m delighted that the Young Driver AMR comeback has begun.”

PR

The Young Driver AMR team will start from the front row in Sunday’s Championship Race at Brno, the third round of the FIA GT1 World Championship. Darren Turner (GB) and “local hero” Tomas Enge (CZ) secured an excellent second place in Saturdays qualifying race in the Young Driver AMR-Aston Martin DBR9, which means they will start from second position into the Championship Race. Stefan Mücke and Christoffer Nygaard took a solid 11th place in the second Young Driver-Aston Martin DBR9.

Starting from third position in the Qualifying race, Darren Turner retained his position after the start and chased the second placed Nissan until the mandatory driver change halfway through the race. The Young Driver AMR team performed an excellent pit stop and beat the Nissan in the pits, Tomas Enge went back on the track in second position and finally finished second. Christoffer Nygaard started from 14th position in the second Young Driver AMR-Aston Martin and had a good run before he handed the car to teammate Stefan Mücke. A problem with the wheel nut at the tyre change cost valuable time and theNygaard/Mücke duo just missed the Top-10 finishing in 11th place.

Tomas Enge (#7 Aston Martin DB9):
“I love this point when I take after the car after the pit stop, put some heat in the tires and make up some ground in the first lap after the stop. Our team did a really great pit stop, which brought us to second position. I then chased the leading Maserati, but I saw that I had no chance to catch him, so I concentrated to finish second. I’m really happy to start from the front row into my home race”

Darren Turner (#7 Aston Martin DBR):
“At the start I overtook one Maserati, but a Nissan overtook me on the outside, so I was still running third. I had a nice fight with the Nissan until the driver change, but didn’t risk too much as I knew that our team does a perfect pit work and we had all the chance to beat them (the Nissan) in the pits. Tomas then had this kind of extra speed on his home track and I’m really happy we finally have a result and points after so much bad luck at Silverstone.”

Stefan Mücke (#8 Aston Martin DBR9):
“We had a problem with a wheel nut at the pit stop which cost valuable time. After that the gap to the competitors in front of us was a little bit too big. I could close the gap, but at this track it’s quite difficult to overtake.”

Christoffer Nygaard (#8 Aston martin DBR9):
“At the start I stuck a little bit behind some other cars, but then was able to gain on a position. I concentrated to drive a clean race and could make up some ground to our competitors. We planed to beat them in the pits, but then at the pit stop a problem unfortunately caused a bigger gap.”

Schedule GT1-World
16. – 17. April Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi (VAE)
01. – 05. May Silverstone (GB)
22. – 23. May Brno (CZ)
03. – 04. July Paul Ricard HTTT, Le Castellet (F)
30.07 – 01. August Spa-Francorchamps (B)
28. – 29. August Nürburgring (D)
18. – 19. September Autodromo Algarve, Portimão (P)
06. – 07. November Durban (ZA)
27. – 28. November Interlagos, Sao Paulo (BR)
04. – 05 December San Luis, (AR).

PR

Tomas Enge heads to start in his home round of the GT1 World Championship in Brno (May 21/23). Although Brno Circuit hosts the brand new GT1 World Championship for the first time, Gran Turismo races have had long tradition there. Tomas Enge will participate in the GT1 World in Brno together with his team-mate Darren Turner, and under the guise of Young Driver AMR team.

The very first Grand Turismo race took place in Brno in September 2000. One year later also Tomas Enge participated in Brno race in the GT2 class at the wheel of Porsche 996 GT3-RS, and finished seventh. In the following season Tomas Enge drove Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello in the premiere GT class for the first time there, but he withdrew. In following years he wasn’t able to fight for the highest positions due to the cars. This year, driving Young Driver AMR-Aston Martin DBR9 Tomas Enge will have a chance to reach a good result.

The Aston Martin DBR9 driven by Tomas Enge and Darren Turner obtained 30kg of the ballast and the air restrictor was reduced after the Silverstone race. Well, the crew hopes the car will be competitive even so.

Before the beginning of the GT1 World racing weekend, several events are waiting for Tomas. He is going to visit a fire station and then to be a guest in official press conference. Afterwards Tomas will prepare for the practice sessions, which start on Friday May 21st at 9:00 am.

The qualifying starts on Saturday May 22nd at 11:15 am. Qualification results determinate the grid of the qualifying race, which starts on Saturday at 5:30 pm, and rewards three first drivers by extra points. The qualifying race determinate the grid of the championship race, which starts on Sunday May 23rd at 2:15 pm.

Tomas Enge, Young Driver AMR team’s driver: “I am looking forward to Brno very much. I just hope the weather will be better during the weekend, especially due to the fans’ convenience. For me and Darren Turner and also for our car doesn’t matter if it’s raining. After the Silverstone race we obtained 30kg of ballast, but I don’t think it is so much it could avoid us to fight on the top.

I want to invite all fans to Brno. The GT1 World Championship brings six distinctive brands on the grid and more than forty experienced drivers, who are going be very competitive in both two races.”

Czech motorsport TV SPORT 5 will broadcast GT1 World Championship round in Brno LIVE.

GT1 World on SPORT 5:

Saturday May 22nd
12:00 Qualifying - RE-LIVE
17:10 Qualifying race - LIVE

Sunday May 23rd
13:30 Championship race - LIVE

Monday May 24th
10:15 Qualifying race - Repeat
11:30 Race - Repeat

PR

Circuits are linked together and rhythm is still as sustained for HEXIS AMR! The team press on their Old World tour and will go to Brno (Czech Republic) next week. On this weekend of May 22nd and 23rd: the FIA GT1 World Championship third leg, and the second one of the FIA GT3 European Championship. Brno represents a significant turning point in the sporting season of HEXIS AMR, who already is at the third of the GT3 Championship. Pressure will thus move up a notch for the Makowiecki/Rodrigues and Accary/Paillard duos, respectively at the wheel of the Aston Martin DBRS9s #1 and #2, who will have to win as many points as possible to keep their European title.

The DB9 GT1 #1 is going to have a new driver: Stéphane Sarrazin will run by Frédéric Makowiecki’s side for both the Brno and Paul Ricard (July 3rd/4th) legs. The other crews (GT1 and GT3) remain the same. Stéphane Sarrazin, Peugeot Sport official driver, will thus join the team for the next two legs of the FIA GT1 World Championship. First, let’s go back to his record:

Born on 02/11/1975 in Alès (France)
2009: Le Mans 24 Hours (Peugeot Sport) pole position, 2nd in race
Winner Petit Le Mans (Peugeot Sport)
Sebring 12 Hours (Peugeot Sport), 2nd
Rallye de Monte Carlo IRC (Peugeot 207 Super 2000), 3rd
2008: Le Mans 24 Hours (Peugeot Sport) pole position, 5th in race
Winner of Spa 24 Hours FIA GT (Maserati Vitaphone)
2007 : Le Mans Series Champion (Peugeot Sport)
Le Mans 24 Hours (Peugeot Sport), pole position, 2nd in race
2006: Aston Martin Racing official driver, American Le Mans Series GT1 vice-champion (6 podium finishes, of which 3 wins), 5th GT1 in Le Mans 24 Hours
2005: World Rallye Championship (Subaru Prodrive), FIA GT and ALMS championships, 3rd GT1 in Le Mans 24 Hours (Aston Martin)
2004 : French Rallye Champion (Subaru)
2003 : 2nd in Le Mans 1000 km, 5th in FIA Sports Cars, 8th in Le Mans 24 Hours (Courage Pescarolo)
1999-2002: Formula 1, Prost Grand Prix and Toyota 3rd driver, 1 Grand Prix (Minardi)
1998-2001: Formula 3000, 2 wins
1997: Formule 3 French Vice Champion
1994: Formula Renault French Champion
1991: French Karting double Champion

Albeit unexpected, the signature between Stéphane Sarrazin and HEXIS AMR is a nice wink! Indeed, it is in the early nineties that this young man meets the HEXIS company, which then becomes his sponsor in Formula 3. A few years and kilometres later, Sarrazin has HEXIS Racing discover an English brand … Aston Martin, and its manufacturer Prodrive! It goes without saying Sarrazin’s and HEXIS AMR’s fates have been closely tied for a while! Today, the driver is glad to join the team and find the Aston Martin DB9. These movements in a world championship will enable him to accumulate kilometres for Le Mans 24 hours with the Peugeot Sport team.

Finally, the details of the GT1 and GT3 programmes, with TV channels broadcasting the event (local time):

Saturday May 22ndt: 9h-9h50 Qualifying GT3
11h15-12h15 Qualifying GT1 (www.gt1world.com)
14h15-15h15 Race 1 GT3 (Motors TV, Bloomberg TV)
17h30-18h30 Qualifying Race GT1 (www.gt1world.com)

Sunday May 23rd: 9h-9h30 Warm Up GT1 (www.gt1world.com)
12h15-13h15 Race 2 GT3 (Motors TV, Bloomberg TV)
14h15-15h15 Championship Race GT1 (www.gt1world.com, Sport+)

PR

Aston Martin drivers Tomas Enge and Darren Turner are re-energised and ready for the next chapter of the battle of the brands at Brno this weekend, three weeks after being stripped of their win last time out at Silverstone.

The Young Driver pair crossed the line to take the chequered flag in Britain only to be later disqualified from the final standings because the underfloor skid plank underneath their car was worn beyond the permitted minimum thickness.

Although disappointed by the steward’s decision, their strong showing gives them the confidence to aim for another solid finish in the Czech Republic.

“The weekend at Silverstone was really nice and almost successful,” said Enge, who is racing on home soil this weekend. “The circuit suited our car well and I was obviously very happy to win the Tourist Trophy with a Brit, Darren.

“We were very proud because the Tourist Trophy is really valuable for British drivers. Naturally we were really sad being disqualified after the final scrutineering. The underfloor skid plank was worn beyond the permitted tolerance but I don’t think it gave us an advantage.

“I hope that the track at Brno will suit us as well as Silverstone did. To be able to repeat our strong performance at my home race would be really amazing. I hope for good weather, many fans in the grandstands and a strong battle on the track,” said Enge.

Enge’s partner in the No.7 car, Briton Turner, continues to stay positive and is looking forward to the challenges of the Brno Circuit.

He said: “Out of all the circuits on the calendar, Silverstone was always going to be good for us as it suits the Aston Martin DBR9. You could say that the car is least suited to Yas Marina and most suited to Silverstone.

“Brno is somewhere in the middle. I like the track as it’s made up of some good medium speed corners that all flow well together. There are elevation changes to deal with too as it is situated on a big slope. “

The disqualification means that the Aston Martin duo is yet to make a mark on the drivers’ standings after two races gone with eight remaining.

“Obviously the situation is a little bit complicated for us now because we have yet to score and we have only a few points from the other Young Driver car,” said Enge. “Now we need to be little bit more aggressive.

Turner echoed his team-mate's vision: “We didn’t get any points in Abu Dhabi and Silverstone so what we need to do is go to Brno and score some points so that we can start clawing our way back up towards the leaders.”

PR

British racing driver Sam Hancock will join the list of esteemed names to compete for Aston Martin Racing at the Le Mans 24 Hours this June (12/13) after being announced as an Official AMR Factory Driver.

Following a successful test at Motorland Aragon last week, the 30-year-old sportscar ace was selected as one of three drivers for the works squad’s #009 LMP1 coupe at La Sarthe, where he will partner fellow new recruit Juan Barazi and existing AMR Factory Driver Darren Turner.

Sam’s programme will also include the Le Mans Series season finale, the Silverstone 1000kms, in mid-September.

The former Le Mans Series LMP2 champion is no stranger to the unique challenge of Le Mans having raced there four times already in his career. His last appearance, in 2006, was as a factory Courage Competition driver when he ran as high as fifth overall in the team’s LC70 LMP1 entry before engine failure in the 15th hour.

Since then Hancock has turned his hand to the prestigious Porsche Carrera Cup GB in which he was a multiple winner, while also founding The Drivers Club, a highly successful and exclusive private driver coaching service.

Sam Hancock: “Becoming an official Aston Martin Racing Factory Driver represents the pinnacle of my career so far and a tremendous opportunity to return to top line endurance racing. It will be a real honour to pull on the Aston Martin overalls and follow in the footsteps of names like Shelby and Salvadori. It will be a challenge to emulate their Le Mans 24 Hours victory of 1959 against the diesel contingent but we’ll certainly be giving it our best shot and we’ll also be gunning for the honour of best-placed petrol car. This is amazingly exciting for me and I’ll be working very hard to repay the team’s faith in me.”

Aston Martin Racing made their successful return to prototype racing last season after a 20-year hiatus, winning the Le Mans Series title at the first time of asking. The team also finished fourth behind a trio of diesels at Le Mans, beating the next highest placed petrol car by three laps.

PR

May is undoubtedly the busiest month of the season for the Young Driver AMR team, with three races in only four weeks. The first half of May brought a lot of joy, but also disappointment for the team. After a brilliant win of Darren Turner and Thomas Enge in the Young Driver-Aston Martin DBR9 at Silverstone, the team lost the victory hours after the race when the car was excluded. The team has appealed this decision and awaits a final outcome by the end of the week. Only one week later, Young Driver AMR took part at the 1000km of Spa and was immediately among the quickest cars in class. An accident during the race prevented Young Driver AMR to score a well deserved result in Belgium. After so much bad luck, the Young Driver AMR team now travels to the Czech Republic for the third round of the GT1 World Championship at the epic track of Brno. Darren Turner (GB) and Tomas Enge
(CZ) as well as Christoffer Nygaard (DK) and Stefan Mücke (D) are highly motivated to turn the speed of their Young Driver-Aston Martin DBR9 into a good result at this weekend’s Czech round of the GT1 World Championship.

Brno is the second home race in a row for Tomas Enge. Second, as the former Czech Formula One driver also lives in the UK. “Brno is my home race and I really look forward to it”, says Enge. “I know the track very well, and drove there some thousands laps during my career. The last time I raced at Brno in a GT1 car in the FIA GT was in 2002 and took the Pole Position in that race. We will have a lot of support from the local fans at Brno, which gives some extra motivation. I’m sure we will deliver some great entertainment for the fans at Brno, and I really hope the weather stays good.“

Young Driver Christoffer Nygaard, who scored a fine fifth place at Silverstone with Stefan Mücke, learned the track during a test session in
March: „We tested in March at Brno with our Ford GT from the FIA GT3 European Championship. It’s a different car than our Aston Martin DBR9 in the World Championship, but it helped a lot to get a feeling for the track.
I like the track very much. It’s fast and has some really nice corners. As in Silverstone, I will again be on double duty and will also race in the FIA
GT3 European Championship.” The young Dane escaped a crash during the 1000km of Spa unhurt and is physically well prepared for the challenging up-and-downhill track: „The crash at Spa was quite heavy. I had some pain in my back and my neck for two days, but no injury and I’m well prepared for Brno now.”

Whilst Nygaard is fine, the Aston Martin DBR9 was a complete write off after Spa. The Young Driver AMR team burnt the midnight oil and built a new car in time for the third round of World Championship. With two well prepared Aston Martin DBR9, Young Driver AMR aims now to continue the success Aston Martin had at the last GT1 race at Brno back in 2008: Two years ago, a Aston Martin
DBR9 won the FIA GT race at Brno.

PR

For the sixth consecutive year, Aston Martin Racing confirms its participation and the driver line-up for this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours race taking place on 12-13 June.

Two blue and orange Gulf liveried Aston Martin LMP1 cars bearing the iconic 007 and 009 entry numbers will be piloted by Aston Martin’s existing works drivers; Adrian Fernandez (MX), Stefan Mücke (D) and Harold Primat (CH) in 007 who will be joined in 009 by Juan Barazi (DK), Sam Hancock (GB) and Darren Turner (GB) who has been involved with Aston Martin Racing since its inception in 2005.

Over the past five years, Aston Martin Racing has secured no less than four class podiums at Le Mans of which two were outright wins in the GT1 Class in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, their first year of competing with an LMP1 prototype car, the team secured fourth overall, placing themselves as the fastest petrol car in the field.

Team Quotes:

Team Principal, George Howard-Chappell: “We have another strong driver line-up for this year’s race. The works team have been gelling well and has gained some valuable experience with the car this season. We also have Darren who has competed in every Le Mans with Aston Martin Racing since it was formed and will feel completely at home in the car at this circuit. Complementing our existing team, I am pleased to welcome Juan and Sam who between them bring a wealth of experience.”

Darren Turner: “It’s always good to get back into the LMP1 seat - while I am competing in GT1 and GT2 this year. I am, as ever really looking forward to Le Mans and it will be good to work with two new team mates. I think it will be tough battling against the diesels once again, and I hope we can echo last year’s result finishing top of the petrol rankings. I know all the other competitors will have made good progress over the past 12 months, so it will make for a very competitive race.”

Stefan Mücke: “It is great to drive for Aston Martin at Le Mans, we had great success last year for our first time with the LMP1 car and I am really excited to take on the challenge of being the best and most reliable petrol car there again this year. I know my team mates well now, having driven with them in a variety of different races and we recognise that we have a very reliable car, so overall I am very confident.”

Adrian Fernandez: “You work everything around this race, and I am really looking forward to it. It is great to have such a familiar team; we have been working incredibly well together in the three races this year and I’m pleased to have my team mates around me. Le Mans in particular is a race I love and we have got the car set up well so I am hoping to be closer to the diesels and improve on last year’s position.”

Sam Hancock, 30, is from England and started his career karting moving up to single seater sports cars with significant success proceeding onto Vauxhall Junior and Formula Palmer Audi. Sam has had experience in the US racing in the Barber Dodge Pro Series and is not unfamiliar to the famous La Sarthe circuit having been one of the youngest drivers ever to compete in the 24 Hours

Sam Hancock. “It is incredible to be driving for the Aston Martin team. To be a British driver representing what is arguably one of the coolest brands in the world and at possibly the greatest race of the annual calendar, is a real honour and privilege. I am happy to have this opportunity to work with such a world-class skilled team which for any professional driver is a great prospect.”

Harold Primat: “This is my second year driving the Aston Martin LMP1 at Le Mans and it has already established itself in 2009, so I am confident for 2010. We also have a proven driver line-up having achieved podium finishes in every race we have run in this year. It is without doubt the most exciting brand to drive for at Le Mans and I have got to know the team well, so we should be strong for the race.”

Juan Barazi, 42, is from Copenhagen and has had significant experience in the LMP2 class having already competed four times in the famous La Sarthe endurance epic.

Speaking at a recent test session, Juan Barazi said: “I’ve been testing with Harold and Sam and it really is an honour to be driving with Aston Martin and all the heritage that goes with the marque. I’m going to give it my absolute best and have been familiarising myself with the car out here in Spain. The Aston Martin LMP1 is such a beautiful car to drive, and is incredibly quick and comfortable which will help with the long stints. You can definitely feel the DNA. I am also pleased to be working with a team with such a wealth of experience.”

PR

• Aston Martin takes double class podium at Nürburgring 24-hour race 2010
• Near production standard four-door Rapide takes second place in class in first ever competitive outing amongst field of race homologated cars
• V12 Vantage with new aerodynamic enhancements runs into problems after 17 faultless hours, but makes dramatic recovery to take third in class
• Majority of customer entries finish the 24-hour race
• Mathol Racing V8 Vantage records a SP10 class victory

Aston Martin triumphed over adversity in the closing hours of the 38th ADAC Nürburgring 24-hour race in Germany after encountering a number of challenges in a highly eventful final quarter of the race.
The new four-door Rapide recorded a hugely impressive podium finish in the SP8 class after running faultlessly throughout the 24-hours and customer team Mathol Racing notched victory in the SP10 class for GT4 cars, with their Vantage N24. Meanwhile, the factory-entered V12 Vantage having spent time out of the race owing to a combination of driveshaft and fuel pump issues mounted a dramatic comeback thanks to a blend of impressive lap times, efficient team work and a little help from another Aston Martin.

After taking the wheel for the final stint in the Rapide, Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “Our main objective was to come here with our new four-door Rapide, just as we would with any of our sports cars and prove its ability and reliability in what I strongly believe is the toughest race in the world. The car we ran in this race featured some weight savings, a standard production six-speed automatic gearbox, standard engine and FIA approved safety modifications. We have succeeded in what we set out to achieve.

“It is also very pleasing to see so many Aston Martins on the starting grid when as recently as 2006 there was only one.

“We have seen teamwork here throughout the weekend that fully represents the high standards of Aston Martin.”

The factory-entered Rapide, appearing in near standard-guise, just as the production car version starts to reach customers around the world, lodged a claim for one of the stand-out performers of the race having run faultlessly for the whole 24-hours. Enjoying consistent running at the hands of drivers Aston Martin CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez, journalist, Matthew Marsh, the company’s Nürburgring Test Centre Director, Wolfgang Schuhbauer and engineering manager, Chris Porritt, the Rapide rose from a qualifying position of 79th overall (8th in class) to take 34th overall and 2nd in class.

Meanwhile, the six privateer Aston Martin entries – together helping form a record Aston Martin entry at the Nürburgring 24-hour race – enjoyed varying degrees of success in the race. Mathol Racing took victory in the SP10 GT4 class having dominated for almost the entire race, scoring 27th overall. With two Aston Martins entered, Gentle Swiss Racing saw luck desert them as they narrowly missed out on a double podium in SP8 and SP10 – taking 5th and 4th respectively.

However, perhaps the greatest drama was reserved for the factory-entered V12 Vantage driven by experienced sports car racers Peter Cate, Oliver Mathai, journalist Richard Meaden and Chris Porritt who also undertook stints in the Rapide.

Having established an impressive class lead in SP8 for more than half the race, the number six car was pushing for a top 20 place overall in the early hours of Sunday morning before an unfortunate and extraordinary sequence of events. Oliver Mathai was taken ill on reporting for his second stint in the car prompting a swift re-shuffle of the driver duties and an early morning call for Richard Meaden. However, it was then fate dealt a second cruel blow as the car suffered problems with a driveshaft. A miraculous turnaround by the Aston Martin team saw the car returned to action inside 16 minutes, but still the drama showed no signs of abating as television pictures showed the V12 Vantage stationary mid-way around the 25.378km circuit.

It was then that some swift thinking and another Aston Martin came into play. Three team members headed for the Cygnet city concept car on display in the paddock over the weekend, which offered an ideal small car to negotiate a path through a packed paddock and busy surrounding roads to reach the V12 Vantage via perimeter roads and get the car towed back to the garage. From there technicians worked frantically to return the car to action, handing over to Chris Porritt who, recording lap times not too far off qualifying pace – later replicated by Peter Cate and Richard Meaden, capped the second half of a remarkable comeback.

Head of Motorsport, David King commented: “In the first instance we’re obviously delighted that the Rapide has achieved 2nd in class and 34th overall – amongst such a hugely competitive field of specialist race cars, it really is a fantastic achievement and testament to our new four-door road car. We came here to prove the Rapide in this toughest of tests and it has passed with flying colours.

“Secondly I speak for the whole Aston Martin team, when I extend congratulations to our customer teams who competed in the 24-hours and notably for Mathol Racing winning the SP10 GT4 class.

“Finally, I must pay tribute to our own team who under considerable pressure, showed calm and meticulous thinking to get the V12 Vantage back to the circuit and latterly our drivers, who pushed the car back up the order. The team have been nothing short of professional throughout and it has been a fantastic effort of which I’m very proud to have been associated with.”

Aston Martin Final Race Standings:

No. Team Class Car Class Position Overall Position
6 Aston Martin SP8 V12 Vantage 3rd 39th
7 Aston Martin SP8 Rapide 2nd 34th
59 Gentle Swiss Racing SP10 GT4 V8 Vantage N24 4th 46th
60 Mathol Racing SP10 GT4 V8 Vantage 5th 78th
61 Mathol Racing SP10 GT4 V8 Vantage 1st 27th
66 Privateer Entry SP8 V8 Vantage DNF DNF
67 Birchwood Racing SP10 GT4 V8 Vantage N24 DNF
74 Gentle Swiss Racing SP8 V8 Vantage N24 5th 84th

Provisional Results

Factory Teams

06 Aston Martin Rapide – 35th Overall (2nd in Class)
07 Aston Martin V12 Vantage – 40th Overall (3rd in Class)

Customer Teams

59 Gentle Swiss Racing V8 Vantage – 47th Overall (4th in Class)
60 Mathol Racing V8 Vantage – 81st Overall (5th in Class)
61 Mathol Racing V8 Vantage – 28th Overall (1st in Class)
66 Tim Schrick V8 Vantage – 146th Overall (9th in Class)
67 Birchwood Racing V8 Vantage – 143rd Overall (7th in Class)
74 Gentle Swiss Racing – 87th Overall (5th in Class)

As dawn breaks across the Eifel, all Aston Martins which started the race eighteen hours earlier, remain resilient in this annual endurance epic. The factory-entered cars; V12 Vantage and Rapide, both in near-standard guise, are currently placed 27st and 37th overall (1st and 3rd in class) respectively from a field of nearly 200 starters.

2010 boasts the highest number of Aston Martin entries to date; with all six customer cars continuing into the last six hours. Mathol racing remain in the top spot of the SP10 GT4 class with a convincing lead over the second placed car.

In the small hours of the morning Peter Cate guided the V12 Vantage safely through a minefield of incidents involving other competitors, while Chris Porritt drove Rapide without any issues. In a short pit stop, the Vantage was fuelled and Richard Meaden took over the driving seat from Cate. The Rapide received a new set of brake pads and an oil top-up before being sent out with Wolfgang Schuhbauer at the wheel. Oliver Mathai, suffering from a stomach complaint, sat his stint out to concentrate on a swift recovery. The team will reshuffle the driver order accordingly with the hope that Oliver may recover to make a stint towards the end of the race.

At 8.00am, the V12 Vantage was nursed home with a broken drive shaft having run faultlessly for the previous seventeen hours. The Aston Martin team changed two drive shafts, front brake pads and four tyres in a lightning sixteen minutes to send the V12 back out in its previous position of first in class.

Speaking shortly after 6.30am, Paul Thomas – Engineering Manager for Aston Martin and this weekend, engineer for the Rapide said: “Obviously we’ve had a bit of a challenge come our way with the driver line-up, but it’s certainly not insurmountable and we can deal with it. The car has been running smoothly and the only variance in pace and fuel consumption over night was because of traffic around the circuit. It’s nice to see dawn breaking now – it certainly starts to feel like you’re on the home stretch.”

David King, Head of Motorsport and Aston Martin Team Manager here at the Nürburgring 24-hour said: We have got successfully through the night. The drive shaft issue cost us a further sixteen minutes in the garage which was unfortunate but it is a testament to the team how quickly they managed to fix it. The second placed car in class is now incredibly close to us but we’ll aim to keep them behind us.”

“A further challenge was losing one our drivers due to illness, but we have a plan now which allows us to finish the race with the remaining six drivers but it will be tough with them doing double-stints.

“The Rapide continues without problem and the drivers say it is easy and fun to drive. I am very pleased with our customer teams who all remain in the race at this stage, with the Mathol Team leading their class.”

Aston Martin Race Positions at Twelve Hours:
No. Team Class Car Class Position Overall Position
6 Aston Martin SP8 V12 Vantage 1st 27th
7 Aston Martin SP8 Rapide 3rd 37th
59 Gentle Swiss Racing SP10 GT4 V8 Vantage N24 4th 53rd
60 Mathol Racing SP10 GT4 V8 Vantage 5th 59th
61 Mathol Racing SP10 GT4 V8 Vantage 1st 32nd
66 Privateer Entry SP8 V8 Vantage 10th 158th
67 Birchwood Racing SP10 GT4 V8 Vantage N24 7th 128th
74 Gentle Swiss Racing SP8 V8 Vantage N24 4th 59th

Aston Martin’s factory and customer entries continue through the night. A near production standard version of the V12 Vantage and the four-door Rapide lie first and third in the SP8 class at the halfway point in the Nürburgring 24-hour race. The six other customer Aston Martins remain in contention at various points throughout the field, with Mathol Racing leading the SP10 GT4 class.

The V12 Vantage remains on the verge of a place inside the top 20 overall, currently in 23rd position in the total standing. Meanwhile the Rapide is closing on an impressive top 40 position currently 44th in the remaining field of more than 180 cars.

In the second six hours of the race Peter Cate coolly guided the number six V12 Vantage steadily up the race order - a trend replicated by his successor Oliver Mathai who took over as darkness engulfed the Eifel. Richard Meaden then took to the wheel at around midnight for his second stint and ended with the V12 Vantage having moved from the top 30 to the top 20 overall.

In the Rapide, after Matthew Marsh had completed his opening stint he handed driver duties to Wolfgang Schuhbauer as the Rapide began to take advantage of a steady rate of attrition in this most gruelling of endurance races. As the race reached the halfway mark Chris Porritt was set to undertake the second half of his driver duties by taking over, having earlier driven the V12 Vantage for the opening stint.

After finishing his first drive in the Rapide Chris Porritt – an engineering manager at Aston Martin’s Gaydon headquarters – said: “I really enjoyed my last stint in Rapide; the car is easy to drive and I had fun. The traffic is still a bit difficult at times and there have been a few accidents around the circuit in the dark but nothing so far that has caused us a problem.”

Emerging from the V12 Vantage at around 2am on Sunday morning Richard Meaden said: “It is as chaotic now as it was in the first few hours of the race. There are cars going off the track, having blow-outs and making contact with each other. It is sometimes very difficult to negotiate through the slow traffic. The car however, is running superbly.”
Aston Martin’s Head of Motorsport and Team Manager for the factory effort at the Nürburgring, David King said: “The team are doing a great job and it’s encouraging to see our two cars doing so well in class but also in the overall standing. We’re also pleased to see our customers having a good run, in particular Mathol Racing who lead their class, with a number of the other teams enjoying a fine run.

“Just past the halfway mark we brought Kermit in for a slightly extended pit stop for a precautionary check but I’m pleased to report the car has rejoined the race without any problems.

“Our focus now is to maintain our steady progress and we’ll see how the race develops throughout the night.”

Aston Martin Race Positions at Twelve Hours:
No. Team Class Car Class Position Overall Position
6 Aston Martin SP8 V12 Vantage 1st 23rd
7 Aston Martin SP8 Rapide 3rd 44th
59 Gentle Swiss Racing SP10 GT4 V8 Vantage N24 5th 70th
60 Mathol Racing SP10 GT4 V8 Vantage 4th 55th
61 Mathol Racing SP10 GT4 V8 Vantage 1st 32nd
66 Privateer Entry SP8 V8 Vantage 11th 169th
67 Birchwood Racing SP10 GT4 V8 Vantage N24 8th 154th
74 Gentle Swiss Racing SP8 V8 Vantage N24 7th 93rd

A record entry comprising eight Aston Martins have reached the six hour point of the Nürburgring 24-hour race in Germany. The British marque is represented by a factory-backed dual entry, consisting of a near standard four-door Rapide and a V12 Vantage and joined by six other customer Aston Martins, including those from Birchwood Racing, Gentle Swiss Racing and Mathol Racing to bring the total to a record eight cars.

After a typically frantic start as a field of almost 200 cars fought for position, the race soon began to settle and at six hours the number six V12 Vantage holds 27th position and Rapide 65th position overall. This equates to 1st and 3rd in the SP8 class which has 12 entries.

The Aston Martin team had earlier deployed a deliberate strategy to pit early from the start – with Chris Porritt bringing the V12 Vantage in on his fourth lap and Wolfgang Schuhbauer following suit shortly afterwards in the Rapide – to capitalise on a quiet pit lane for the first re-fuel. After completing opening stints of around two hours Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez took the wheel of the Rapide for his first stint and Richard Meaden took over in the V12 Vantage.

Speaking shortly after his first stint in the V12 Vantage, Chris Porritt said: “I had really good fun. It is always busy at the start here; it’s just a case of gradually finding your way and getting used to so many other cars being around you.”

Journalist, Richard Meaden, who took over driver duties from Porritt added: “It’s pretty chaotic - there are a lot of accidents around the circuit and you have to be very careful. As there are repairs to barriers going on it is like negotiating road works in places.”

Wolfgang Schuhbauer, after his first stint in the number seven Rapide said: “I had a good start to the race, I did a double stint and the car was performing absolutely perfect. No issues, no problems and lap times are around 10 minutes which is exactly what we expected.”

Journalist Matthew Marsh said: “The car is enormous fun to drive and it’s quick, especially in the corners. At the moment we are trying to maximise the distance we can go on a tank of fuel and I am really pleased with our progress. The track has been dry but there have been a few oil spills to negotiate.”

Approaching the five hour mark the V12 Vantage benefitted from longer-than-expected pit stops by fellow competitors in the SP8 class to take the class lead, and break into the top 30 overall positions. Meanwhile the Rapide continued a steady rise through the order after Dr Bez guided the car through the second stint and then handed over to journalist Matthew Marsh who will be succeeded in the car by Chris Porritt at nightfall.

Aston Martin’s Head of Motorsport, David King said: “So far we are running smoothly and to plan which is clearly pleasing, but at just a quarter of the way in we are still at the very early stages of the race.

“The V12 Vantage has gradually started to move up the field now and we would expect the same of Rapide as the race develops. Our plan to make the first fuel stops early and make the most of a quiet pit lane should benefit us as the race develops.”

Aston Martin Race Positions at Six Hours:
No. Team Class Car Class Position Overall Position
6 Aston Martin SP8 V12 Vantage 1st 27th
7 Aston Martin SP8 Rapide 3rd 65th
59 Gentle Swiss Racing SP10 GT4 V8 Vantage N24 4th 70th
60 Mathol Racing SP10 GT4 V8 Vantage 3rd 58th
61 Mathol Racing SP10 GT4 V8 Vantage 1st 34th
66 Privateer Entry SP8 V8 Vantage 12th 180th
67 Birchwood Racing SP10 GT4 V8 Vantage N24 8th 179th
74 Gentle Swiss Racing SP8 V8 Vantage N24 9th 147th

Nürburgring, 14 May 2010 – A record entry of eight Aston Martins will join a grid of almost 200 cars in the 38th running of the ADAC 24-hour endurance race at the Nürburgring in Germany tomorrow after all cars safely negotiated two qualifying sessions both fraught with difficult weather conditions.

Aston Martin’s dual factory entry of a near production standard Rapide and V12 Vantage will start from 37th and 79th respectively (3rd and 8th in class). These two cars are joined by a host of other customer entries including those from Birchwood Racing, Gentle Swiss Racing and Mathol Racing bringing the total Aston Martin representation to a record eight cars.

After being dry for the majority of the day, the opening qualifying session on Thursday evening was compromised by changeable weather which included extremely cool temperatures and fog. Accordingly in keeping with the vast majority of the field, the Aston Martin team concentrated efforts on completing the mandatory two qualifying laps for each driver in both Rapide and V12 Vantage before the session was red flagged an hour ahead of schedule due to dense fog.

Friday afternoon’s session also suffered for the most part due to a damp track with most teams avoiding the unnecessary risk of posting more laps on the eve of the race. Aston Martin’s Rapide and V12 Vantage ran for minimal laps to complete final setup and driver familiarisation, although Oliver Mathai was able to post an impressive 9m11.909s lap in the production car-based V12 Vantage to land 37th place on a grid of mostly motorsport homologated cars.

Aston Martin’s Head of Motorsport, David King said: “The main objective for qualifying was simply to get each driver through the required two laps. The conditions were fairly restrictive so there was not a great deal we could gain by taking unnecessary risks.

“Grid positions are not overly important in a 24-hour race although Oliver managed to get a clear run in the V12 Vantage and should be very pleased with his time. Both cars are in good shape and we are looking forward to the race.

“We are also delighted to see such a strong customer presence in the race this year – we have come a long way since 2006 when we came here with just one entry. We hope all our customer teams finish the race and hopefully have some fun along the way too.”

Amongst the field of Aston Martins, the British marque’s double factory entry comprises near production standard four-door Rapide and V12 Vantage entries. The number seven Rapide, driven by Aston Martin’s CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez (D), journalist Matthew Marsh (HOK), the company’s Nürburgring Test Centre Director; Wolfgang Schuhbauer (D) and engineering manager; Chris Porritt (GB).

The number six V12 Vantage is piloted by experienced sports car drivers Peter Cate (GB), Oliver Mathai (D), journalist Richard Meaden (GB) and Chris Porritt, who will undertake stints in both the Rapide and V12 Vantage entries.

The 38th ADAC Nürburgring 24-hour race begins at 15.00 CET on Saturday 15 May 2010.

PR

The appeal hearing into the disqualification of the Young Driver Aston Martin No.7 from first place at the second round of the championship at Silverstone will take place next Tuesday, 18 May, the FIA has announced.

The car, driven by Darren Turner and Tomas Enge, was excluded from the results by the race stewards because the underfloor skid plank on the flat bottom of the car was worn beyond the permitted minimum thickness.

As a result of the exclusion, and a time penalty handed out to the second car over the line - the Aston Martin of Hexis Racing's Thomas Accary and Frederic Makowiecki - the Championship Race win was awarded to the Nissan GT-R of Jamie Campbell-Walter and Warren Hughes.

The hearing of the International Court of Appeal will take place at 10.00am at the FIA headquarters at Place de la Concorde in Paris.

PR

Aston Martin will be widely represented in the first qualifying sessions ahead of the Nürburgring 24-hour race – one of the most renowned endurance tests in motorsport - spearheaded by a race prepared version of the British marque’s new four-door sports car; Rapide and a V12 Vantage with aerodynamic enhancements based on the hugely successful road car.

Driving the Rapide will be Aston Martin’s CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez who will be joined by journalist Matthew Marsh (GB), the company’s Nürburgring Test Centre Director; Wolfgang Schuhbauer (D) and engineering manager; Chris Porritt (GB).

The V12 Vantage will be piloted by experienced sports car drivers Peter Cate (GB), Oliver Mathai (D), journalist Richard Meaden (GB) and Chris Porritt, who will undertake stints in both the Rapide and V12 Vantage entries.

Aston Martin’s Head of Motorsport, David King said: “This is our fifth consecutive year at the Nürburgring 24-hour race and it is remarkable to see how the manufacturer interest has grown as well as the pace and intensity of the racing.

“This year looks like being the toughest ever, particularly given the forecast of cold and wet weather throughout the race. However, we feel well prepared and we are ready for the challenge.”

The Rapide race car will be close to production standard with full FIA race safety modifications, interior trim removed to reduce weight, re-tuned suspension and will run on slick tyres designed for track use.
Based on the British marque’s hugely successful V12 Vantage road car and the near production standard race variant that secured a convincing class victory in the race in 2009, the V12 Vantage adds new aero dynamic enhancements to the original car which saw off a field of largely specialist race cars in the SP8 class last year. The car is intended as a technical exercise to allow the Aston Martin engineering team to explore further performance potential in the V12 Vantage with the new aerodynamic aids providing greater downforce through the Nürburgring’s myriad of corners and undulating surfaces.

The revised V12 Vantage has been tested in a limited number of exploratory sessions over the past few weeks in the UK and Germany but the Nürburgring 24-hour race will subject the car to a first major endurance test and provide further valuable learning for the Aston Martin engineering team.

The two factory entries will be joined by a number of customer entries who will also undertake qualifying today, adding to a strong Aston Martin presence.

Following a practice session this morning (Thursday), a night qualifying session starts at 17.15 CET. A further daytime qualifying session follows on Friday at 12.45 CET before the 38th ADAC Nürburgring 24-hour race begins at 15.00 CET on 15 May 2010.

PR

JMW Motorsport are delighted to announce American driver, Bryce Miller will complete the team’s driver
line-up for the Le Mans, driving alongside Rob Bell (GB) and Tim Sugden (GB).

This will mark Bryce’s debut in the prestigious Le Mans race, and will be his second major European
appearance. Given his first outing on this side of the Atlantic saw him take a GT2 podium finish in the 2009 24 Hours of Spa, he’s more than keen to repeat the feat! Seeing the JMW Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT2 as a great opportunity for Le Mans, the Marquis Jet and IPC Information Systems backed driver couldn’t choose a more exciting event to show the European audience the pace which has seen him garner success in America. Currently competing in the ALMS, and with additional appearances in the Grand-Am series, 27 year old Bryce has been a podium visitor over 22 times in his last four years of sportscar racing.

Team Principal, Jim McWhirter looks forward to welcoming the American hotshoe to the team for Le Mans. “I am delighted Bryce will join us for Le Mans where I am sure he will be a great asset to the team. He has shown great ability so far in his career and his enthusiasm was clear when he came to test for us; he is very much in the JMW Motorsport mould!”.

“Bryce is a very determined and talented young driver” said Tim Sugden, on JMW’s newest recruit. “I know the ambition he will bring with him marries perfectly to that of JMW Motorsport. Bryce will be a great addition to this chapter of JMW’s season. The team are very focused on the challenge of Le Mans and to show the world just what the Aston Martin is capable of”.

Bryce Miller was equally pleased to join the JMW Aston Martin for the most prestigious sportscar race in the world, adding “I am thrilled at the opportunity to compete at Le Mans with JMW Motorsport and Aston Martin. The team has championship winning experience and a tremendous appetite to win, something clearly evidenced in the short time I spent meeting and working with crew members and Dunlop during my test”.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place on 12-13 June 2010.

JMW Motorsport’s progress can be followed on their website at www.jmwmotorsport.com. People can also keep in touch via social networking with the JMW Motorsport Facebook group and on Twitter
(www.twitter.com, @JMWmotorsport). Bryce Miller’s website is www.brycemiller.net


PR

The Signature Plus team were forced to settle for a disappointing 13th position in the Le Mans Series 1000km of Spa-Francorchamps after an excellent qualifying performance on Saturday and an encouragingly competitive pace in the first half of race in Belgium.

Following a cold and wet opening day in Belgium on Friday, the Signature team worked hard to improve the handling of the car after difficult free practice sessions saw them languish in respective 11th and 14th positions. A set-up breakthrough from Saturday morning practice to the afternoon qualifying session enabled Franck to qualify with confidence, setting the eighth fastest time behind the four works Peugeots and three works Audi cars, and holding the honour of being the top petrol-powered car.

It was Pierre’s turn to start the race and he capitalised on the team's highly respectable eighth place on the grid and the team ran in the top six in just their second full race weekend as official LMP1 partners for Aston Martin Racing.
Frustratingly, a problem with the gearbox during Franck Mailleux's double stint required him to pit early to allow the team to replace the gear selector. Some sterling work by the team allowed third driver, Vanina Ickx, to get back out on track just 11 minutes later.saw.

The car's pace was once again strong but Vanina unfortunately miscalculated an overtaking manoeuvre which resulted in a trip to the gravel trap and cost further time to get the car back on track. Even after returning to the race, matters became more difficult with a late rain shower prompting the team to make the safe call for intermediate tyres. The rain, however, stopped quickly and the track dried up leaving Vanina no choice but to nurse the car home on worn tyres in 13th spot.

Pierre Ragues: "It has been a weekend of ups and downs, but it was a shame to end the race weekend in 13th place after the team had made such improvements with the car set-up during the weekend. On Friday, it was really cold and the car was difficult to drive; there just appeared to be a lack of outright pace, especially in the middle sector of the lap. The weather improved a bit on Saturday and the team had found some key improvements to the set-up of the car which gave us more confidence to drive. We were able to evaluate some slick tyres from Dunlop which gave good consistency and performance. Our qualifying result was good and that gave me a good starting position for the race. I encountered no problems during my double stint and was convinced we had the pace to challenge the top six. It was a shame that the gearbox gremlins found us during Franck's double stint and then with Vanina's problems we were well off where we should have been. Nevertheless, the performance of the car is a genuine sign of encouragement before Le Mans 24 Hours and the work of the team has again been tireless. The support of my sponsor Groupe Auto Union has again been fantastic, so I am looking forward to Le Mans where I am hopeful of our 2010 breakthrough."

Franck Mailleux: "Unfortunately we did not get the result in today's race to do justice either to the car's performance or the team's combined efforts. We started the weekend way off the pace and when I drove in second practice, I struggled a lot with oversteer. The car just didn't feel very connected, but the team found some big improvements for Saturday and we had a brilliant qualifying. Eighth on the grid at this race - which has more elite teams than usual - is a good result and we were the top petrol car which really showed our potential. The race didn't really go our way, though. When it came to my double stint, I started to have some problems with the gear selection and I couldn't downshift from fifth, so I had to come in early for the team to fix the problem, which they did really professionally. But by then we were too far down to make a real impact. It's a shame because the car had the pace for a top six finish and our overall package was strong. Dunlop did a fantastic job and we had some nice consistency from the tyres once we had found the right set-up. As a team, I feel we deserved more today, but thanks to them, as always for their hard work, and to my personal sponsors Sojasun as well. Le Mans is next up and we all know how special it would be to get a good result there, and that's my target!"

Tomas Enge (CZ), Christoffer Nygaard (DEN) and Stefan Mücke (GER) driving Young Driver AMR-Aston Martin DBR9 in the 1000 kilometres of Spa didn’t finish the race. Thus the preliminary mission for the 2010 24 Hours Le Mans hasn’t been completed as the team would like to.

Tomas Enge was chosen to start the 1000 kilometres of Spa for Young Driver AMR team, and started from the 29th on the grid. As the region of Belgium is noted for its changeable weather, already in the opening laps of the second Le Mans Series round started to rain. The rain then caused several accidents in Eau Rouge and Les Combes sections. Anyway, Tomas Enge demonstrated his driving skills with ability to cut through traffic and moved to 24th position in overall rankings and second position in GT1 class.

Tomas Enge handed over to Stefan Mücke after his opening stint in the 2nd position in GT1 class. The 1000KM Spa has been stopped just after the two-hour mark due to a major power cut affecting the Belgian circuit. The lack of power has affected communications for the past 20 minutes, and also knocked out the timing screens at the track. The red flag period has taken about half an hour, after that the race has been restarted.

During Stefan Mücke’s stint a mechanical problem has occurred, which saw Young Driver AMR mechanics work more than 30 minutes to replace the car’s water pump to allow the #52 Aston Martin DBR9 to continue in the race. However, it fell from the second to the last position in GT1 class.

Christoffer Nygaard took the car over from his team mate Mücke for the last stint. Unfortunately, in the very last hour Danish driver lost a control over the car, and in the fast section of Blanchimont in a speed over 250 km per hour he left the track and crash into tyre barrier.

Tomas Enge, Young Driver AMR team’s driver: “Immediately after the start I moved two positions higher, and after the restart I set about hunting down the lead GT1 car. I stayed behind him during the whole stint. I didn’t attack him, instead of it I played a waiting game, because the race in Spa has been the preliminary test for the 24 Hours Le Mans. Unfortunately, we suffered a mechanical problem during Stefan Mücke’s stint. He had to go for a pit stop to change the broken water-pump. As the third took over the car Christoffer Nygaard, who lost the control over the car in a high speed and left the track. The car is damaged quite a lot after the accident, but after the first view, it has seemed there shouldn’t be broken chassis. Well, we failed the preliminary race and have a lot to do until Le Mans.”

PR

Rob Bell returned to the track for the second round of the 2010 Le Mans Series at Spa Francorchamps with JMW Motorsport, driving with fellow Brit, Darren Turner, in the Dunlop shod Aston Martin Vantage GT2 race car. The team showed strong pace during practice but were unable to convert this into racing success after a stuck throttle put Bell into the barriers in the latter stages of the race.

The high of the weekend for Bell was topping the GT2 timesheets in the second practice session, giving him confidence for the race ahead. However Turner was less fortunate, with the JMW car suffering a technical issue in the final practice just prior to him putting on new tyres for a qualifying run simulation. This left Turner without any experience of a new tyre run for his first qualifying session in the JMW Aston Martin and he did well to post 10th fastest time.

Turner took the first stint behind the wheel at the Belgian track, improving to seventh place during the course of his drive, but dropping back after a sticking throttle pushed him off track. Turner continued on, battling not only with car problems but with the bizarre situation of the race being red flagged due to a power cut, which left the circuit without a timing system.

Bell took over the driving duties from Turner as the race settled down, turning good lap times and enjoying the challenge of the Spa track, but the earlier throttle issues returned and with the throttle stuck open Bell was also pushed off track and into the barriers at turn 8. Bell was able to limp back to the JMW garage and the crew set to work to make repairs. Although the team’s Spa race was over, they were able to get back out and use the remainder of the race time as a test session for the Aston Martin Vantage.

“It was an encouraging race weekend for us”, said Bell, “particularly in the early sessions when we could demonstrate the pace we have and use the development parts to our advantage. It was just small, niggly, issues that put paid to our hopes in the race. These are things which are difficult, if not impossible to predict, and it was a blow to us that we suffered in the race, as there was no shortage of effort from anyone in the team, from Aston Martin or Dunlop.”

Bell and the JMW Motorsport team now turn their attention to the famed Le Mans 24 Hours race in five weeks time. The Newcastle born driver will be contesting this blue riband event for the fourth time in his career.

PR

Darren Turner’s Spa 1000kms almost came to a sticky end yesterday when he and his JMW Motorsport team-mate, Rob Bell, found themselves battling with a sticking throttle in the No.92 Aston Martin Vantage GT2. Both drivers had off track excursions as a result of this so the race effectively became a test session. It was a fruitful one though and the throttle problem now seems to have been solved.

Both Darren and Rob showed great pace in the Vantage GT2 in the practice sessions at Spa. Darren qualified the car in 10th place after losing out in traffic when a red flag foreshortened the 20-minute qualifying session.

“I think we had the pace for the top five,” he said. “But I got stuck behind a Porsche on my flying lap. It wasn’t too much of a drama though as 10th is okay for an endurance race. The main thing is that we knew we had some good pace in the car.”

The start of the race on Sunday was full of drama and anyone who managed to stay on the slippery track was doing a good job. Darren had a clean start and moved all the way up to sixth before the throttle problem showed itself around 40 minutes into the race.

“The track was very slippery, especially at the top of Eau Rouge,” he explained. “You have to be careful to stay off the kerbs and keep it neat. We had this throttle issue at Ricard but it hadn’t shown itself since then so of course we thought it had gone away. It reappeared as I went through Les Combes and I managed to hold onto it but when I got to turn eight it fired me off into the gravel. Luckily I missed the wall so I could carry on, although my tyres were flat-spotted and I had been knocked down to 12th. I stayed out but it happened again four or five times during my stint. I also had a coming together with a prototype that decided to drive me off the circuit!”

After two hours on track, Darren pitted to hand the car over to Rob Bell. Rob later suffered the same fate as Darren at turn eight but he hit the wall and had to pit for lengthy repairs. The team worked hard to address the throttle problem and Rob returned to the track to complete the last hour of the race. There were no throttle issues from that point onwards.

“We didn’t get the result we wanted,” said Darren. “But we showed good pace, even when we were nursing a technical problem and it looks like we have found the solution to the throttle issue. This all bodes well for the team as they head to Le Mans in a few weeks. I look forward to being back with them for the next LMS round at Portimao in July.”

PR