Young Driver AMR are ready for their first season in the ADAC GT Masters with the new Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3. The teams two cars were tested at Silverstone on Saturday before being delivered to the team on Sunday. All four drivers got the chance to test the new Aston Martin during at Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport before the team started their journey to Oschersleben for the first round of the ADAC GT Masters . On Wednesday Ferdinand and Johannes Stuck, the sons of racing legend Hans-Joachim Stuck, and the Danish duo of  Kristian Poulsen and Christian Nygaard will test the V12 powered car before the ADAC GT Masters race weekend starts on Friday.

"The roll-out with our new Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 very satisfactory," said team boss Hardy Fischer. "All four pilots had the opportunity to become familiar with the new car. The new Aston Martin makes a very good impression, Aston Martin Racing has built a fantastic race car. Now we are very excited about the first race. A prognosis is still very difficult to wait for the one you have, such as the Balance of Performance 'impact on our Aston Martin, on the other hand are also the first time this year used Yokohama tires new to all participants. "

The 600-hp Aston Martin V12 Vantage Aston Martin Racing GT3 was completely redesigned for the 2012 season. Young Driver AMR is the only team in the ADAC GT Masters who will race the new Aston Martin.

Ferdinand Stuck (# 32 Young Driver AMR Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3): "I am now looking forward to the first real test of our race car for the 2012 season. I am delighted that I will compete again this season and together with my brother. However, I also expect that the season is more difficult this year because the competition has become stronger again. With Young Driver but we have a good team with a lot of experience behind us, in that I have much confidence. "

Johannes Stuck (# 32 Young Driver AMR Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3): "A forecast for the start of the season is difficult for me because not only do we start with a new car and team, but there are many other new competitors and new tires . This is of course always the balance of performance '. I'm very excited at our first real test on Wednesday. Our goal this year is we increase with the new car from race to race and not to make mistakes. Last year, surely no one would have expected us to finish the season as runner-up. I hope that we succeed in a similar surprise this season. "

Kristian Poulsen (# 33 Young Driver AMR Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3): "I have followed the ADAC GT Masters in recent years been extensively and am happy that now have the chance to Young Driver and the new Aston Martin in this great racing series to start. The series and the cars are new territory for me, but I've driven a few times GT sports car. For me it is currently difficult to estimate what will happen in the season, except for Oschersleben all tracks are new to me. My goal is, of course together with Christoffer retract such good results as possible. "

Christoffer Nygaard (# 33 Young Driver AMR Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3): "Oschersleben is very exciting, not least the 'Balance of Performance' and the new tires from Yokohama will make the first event very interesting. At Oschersleben, I personally have fond memories, the Young Driver AMR-sister team Fischer Racing I was already running a race won the FIA GT3 European Championship. The series and the car is still new territory for the team though, so I hope that we can access through the weekend and end up with a good result will retract. "

The 2012 British GT season got underway yesterday at a sunny Silverstone. Beechdean Motorsport’s Jonny Adam and Andrew Howard were in attendance with their Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3, taking the opportunity to give the car shakedown ahead of the upcoming season.

"We did some testing at a very snowy Brands Hatch and then we did a few days in Spain which was fantastic” said Howard."We ran on the new tyre but most of it was just gaining familiarity with the car. We’re at the start of what we hope will be a five year program with the car, our job really is just to finish and see how we get on. It literally is a brand new car, it’s the first one and there is a lot of development we’ve got to do, so our expectation is for reliability and to finish. That’s what we’ve been working on and it’s been going really well so far."


Generation AMR were also present, making their British GT début at the test day.  2011 VW Cup champion Steve Chaplin was on hand to test the GT4 Aston Martin Vantage. The team started the day with the Vantage in 2011 spec before adding the 2012 aero package to the car later in the day. Generation AMR are expected to field a second Aston Martin during the season.

The British GT season will get underway at Oulton Park April 7th.

Images: British GT

On its debut competitive outing, Aston Martin’s Vantage GTE scored its first class podium in the new FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at the 60th anniversary running of the 12 Hours of Sebring. Covering 292 laps and over 1000 miles of the punishing 3.7-mile Sebring International Raceway, the Aston Martin Racing machine finished 3rd in the WEC and 10th of the combined WEC and American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GTE Pro competitors.

Factory driver Stefan Mücke had qualified the #97 Vantage GTE in ninth position in its class on Friday with a lap that was 1.5 seconds faster than 2011’s pole time. Team-mate Darren Turner drove the first stint of the race, which got underway at 1030hrs on Saturday morning, and promptly battled his way up the order. After one hour and 20 minutes of intense action, Turner had fought his way into the overall GTE lead to prove the debutante’s potential among the more established GTE racers.

The Aston Martin Racing team and the Vantage GTE performed faultlessly over the first six hours of the race, at which point no fewer than seven GTE cars were on the lead lap. Despite the fierce level of competition in the class, the factory V8-powered Aston Martin was on course to score third in the GTE category and second among the WEC runners.

The only blot on an otherwise immaculate copybook was an incident around the seven hour mark that cost the Aston Martin Racing team 25 minutes. The left-rear wheel of the Vantage GTE broke free, leaving the #97 car stranded until it could be recovered to the paddock. Swift action from the Aston Martin Racing technicians saw the car repaired and back onto the circuit with the team’s hopes of a WEC podium still intact.

Between them, Mücke, Turner and Adrian Fernandez (MX) guided the Vantage GTE into the darkness and towards the chequered flag without any further significant faults or issues, at times close to the team’s qualifying performance in a superb display of the car’s impressive durability. A minor power steering issue in the very closing stages of the race caused the team to exercise caution in the final 15 minutes, but didn’t threaten the podium result.

John Gaw, Team Principal for Aston Martin Racing, praised the team’s performance: “Our objective on the car’s debut was to complete the race competitively and score maximum points for the WEC. Not only did we exceed our expectations on the both the qualifying and race pace of the car, but to record a podium result and score the associated 15 points for the team and drivers in the WEC is a terrific outcome. We plan now to stay at Sebring for an extended endurance test to both continue to develop the car and to push it to its limits at one of the toughest tracks in sportscar racing. We expect to continue to develop the Vantage GTE over the coming months and look forward to our next race at Long Beach next month in the ALMS.”

Turner was encouraged by the result as he looked ahead to the rest of the season: “This result is a great building block for the rest of the season. We hit the first target, which was to finish Sebring, and we did it with a podium result. We had some really good pace in the race and now we have two days of testing here next week to find even more speed and iron out the small issues. The main thing is that the guys did a fantastic job and we showed what the Vantage GTE can do.”

Mücke, meanwhile, was pleased with the car’s performance during the demanding 12 hours: “I’m very happy with how the Vantage GTE performed in the race, it was even better than we could have hoped for. Unfortunately we had the issue with the wheel, which cost us some time, but apart from that the car was really good. It’s quite amazing because we ran the car for the first time earlier this month and now we have completed a 12 hour race and scored a podium. The team did a great job to prepare a new car and I’m sure we’ll have more good results throughout the season.”

Fernandez, making his GT racing debut, was thrilled to exceed his own expectations: “My debut GT race went much better than I expected. The car was more competitive than we thought it would be in the race and I had fun fighting with many cars in our class. To finish the race was very important and my team-mates helped me improve a lot in the car – I was very happy with my pace. The more I drive the Vantage GTE the more comfortable I get in it.”

The Vantage GTE – which bears a close relation to Aston Martin’s road-going Vantage as the two cars share a bonded aluminium structure and fundamental engine and suspension designs – made its competitive debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring as part of Aston Martin Racing’s FIA World Endurance Championship programme in the hotly-contested GTE Pro class. The team’s next outing will come at the second American Le Mans Series round at Long Beach, California, on April 13/14.

Aston Martin Racing

With a little under four hours to run at the 12 Hours of Sebring, Aston Martin Racing’s #97 Vantage GTE lies third in class among the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) runners having lost 25 minutes when it became stranded on the circuit after losing its left-rear wheel. The V8-powered racer had performed faultlessly up until that point and held a strong second position in class and third overall in GTE. With the WEC and American Le Mans Series GTE runners combined, the Aston Martin Racing machine lies in tenth position following the small delay.

The car was recovered to the paddock where the team’s technicians effected rapid repairs to ensure the Vantage GTE could returned to the action as quickly as possible. Darren Turner (GBR), who had been driving at the time and had delivered an outstanding stint handed the driver’s seat over to Adrian Fernandez (MX), who has set about climbing back up the order.

The car run very competitively for more than seven hours with the drivers consistently recording lap times that were within hundredths of a second of the qualifying benchmark. Such is the level of competition in the production-based category that at that the mid-point of the race, five marques covered the top five positions with just 10 seconds between them. The Aston Martin Vantage GTE had been running in third and challenging the leaders.

Despite the incident, Aston Martin Racing is still on course to finish on the podium among the WEC runners in the GTE category and inside the top 10 overall in GTE.

John Gaw, Team Principal for Aston Martin Racing, said: “It’s unfortunate to have lost time when we were running so competitively. There wasn’t any other immediate damage and the team did a brilliant job to get the car back into the race super quickly. The competitiveness of the car has, I am sure, surprised many. To arrive back in GT racing, the most competitive class in sportscar cars currently, and immediately challenge the established runners who have improved cars for 2012 is a clear sign that Aston Martin Racing will be a force to be reckoned with across the year. We have our eyes firmly focused on the goal this weekend of scoring big points in the WEC, and currently running P3 is a strong position to be in.”

The team – which will shortly face a new challenge as the sun sets over Sebring – will aim to reach the end of the 12 hour marathon without any further incidents and at the same strong pace that it had managed for the opening seven hours of the race.


Aston Martin Racing

At the four hour mark of the 60th anniversary edition of the 12 Hours of Sebring, Aston Martin Racing holds third position among the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) runners in the GTE Pro category and fifth when combined with the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) competitors following the team’s strong start to the celebrated endurance race.

Darren Turner (GBR) occupied the driver’s seat for the opening stint of the race. At the 30 minute mark, a full course caution gave the team the opportunity to pit the Gulf-liveried Vantage GTE for tyres and fuel without losing too much time to its GTE rivals. Turner increased his speed after the perfectly executed pit stop to run at a pace that was consistently within a second of yesterday’s qualifying time.

Following an hour and 20 minutes of competitive action, Turner was able to improve on the #97 Aston Martin’s grid slot for the start of the race to lead all of its GTE rivals in both the WEC and ALMS categories. A pit stop for fuel and tyres after one hour and 30 minutes saw Turner make way for fellow factory driver Stefan Mücke (D), who rejoined the action in third position in the WEC GTE Pro class.

The German driver pitted for fuel from second in the GTE class at the two and a half hour mark. However, a full course caution as Mücke left the pit lane halted his charge and gave the team’s rivals the opportunity to pit under the yellow flag. With the race back up to full speed, Mücke handed over to team-mate Adrian Fernandez (MX) after three hours and 15 minutes hours during the third yellow flag interruption of the race, which was caused by the erstwhile GTE class leading car colliding with a prototype. After four hours, Fernandez holds 30th overall in the #97 Aston Martin.

John Gaw, Team Principal for Aston Martin Racing, was thrilled with his team’s performance during the opening four hours: “There’s a very long way to go yet, but we have every reason to be pleased given our strong start. The drivers are very happy with the car’s performance and we haven’t had any technical issues. The pace of the GTE category is very quick indeed and we still have our sights on a class podium.”

Mücke added: “It’s all good so far. We haven’t had any problems or dramas and our race pace is good. There have been lots of yellow flags, but we’ve stayed out of trouble ourselves so I’m very happy at the moment.”

Aston Martin Racing

Under blue skies and a blazing sun, Aston Martin’s Vantage GTE qualified fourth in the FIA World Endurance Championship GTE Pro class at the season opener in Sebring. Factory driver Stefan Mücke piloted the #97 Aston Martin Racing machine around the 3.7-mile circuit in a time of 2m 0.174s to line up in 39th position overall – ninth in the fiercely competitive GTE Pro class when combined with the American Le Mans Series runners – for the start of the 60th anniversary edition of the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Florida’s Sebring International Raceway witnessed the debut competitive outing of the V8-powered Vantage GTE, which forms the basis of Aston Martin Racing’s return to production car-based motorsport. Following four practice sessions – during which the team finely-honed the Vantage GTE’s set-up for the notoriously bumpy Sebring International Raceway – Mücke judged the heavy traffic expertly to make the most of the frantic 15-minute session and set a competitive lap time.

John Gaw, Team Principal for Aston Martin Racing, praised the team’s efforts: “To come here with a new car and record a lap that was 1.5 seconds quicker than last year’s pole time is very encouraging, so we’re confident that we will be very competitive in the race. We know from testing that the Vantage GTE has terrific reliability, and we now know that it also has the potential to be very quick, too. There is lots of pace still to be found in the car because it’s very early on in the development cycle and the team is looking forward to demonstrating its potential over the course of the season.”

Following his strong performance, Mücke added: “I’m really pleased with how the car performed in qualifying. Getting a clear lap was always going to be the key, so we got out of the pit lane as early as we could to get some clear running. The team worked hard during practice and found a good set-up, so I was able to push really hard for a few laps. We also know that we have a great race set-up for the car, so I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into the 12 hours.”

The Vantage GTE is making its debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring as part of Aston Martin Racing’s FIA World Endurance Championship programme. The team completed an intensive test programme at Road Atlanta in neighbouring Georgia prior to the season opener as it continues to develop its new racer, which shares its bonded aluminium structure and fundamental engine and suspension designs with Aston Martin’s Vantage road car.

Aston Martin Racing

 Pamela Anderson is now adding Race car Team Owner to her long list of unique dream inspired projects.

The world famous actress has expanded her business empire by launching her own Race car team, called, Downforce1 by Pamela Anderson, and she will go trackside and be close by all the racing events she can to see her team winning and give personal support during the racing season.

Pamela has always been a Huge fan of racing. From NASCAR to Formula 1. This is a dream come true for her and her boys.

Pamela Anderson the Baywatch Series Star...at a NASCAR event where she was brought out to say the iconic phrase "gentleman start your engines!" She told the media "Fast Cars and Fast women go together and here we are surrounded by men I love it" The entertainment Agency ICM have been very creative and successful working with Pamela with her unique list of desires and talents.

Long time International Sportscar Team Manager, David Prewitt and the team will give their best to honor Pamela and bring the Car and the Drivers to the Podium

Marketing Chief and Team Coordinator is Racer Markus Fux will also drive in some races this year for the Team.


Pamela and Markus have a great chemistry. And are looking forward to the excitement and fun this will be.

Downforce1 by Pamela Anderson will start 2012 in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) with an Aston Martin Vantage GT2 and also in the International GT Open Series. The Invitation for the Team presentation get out soon.

In addition Pamela is extremely excited to build up a NASCAR race Team for 2013. “I’m so proud of the Downforce 1 team. These gentleman have achieved the impossible and built up a team in just 4 months so I cannot wait to see my Cars on the Racetrack it's hard to believe until I see it. Look for us in white and blue - my signature color" said Pamela Anderson.

Hello Everyone,

I am happy to say that the past few weeks have been extremely busy, which to me means that the start of a new racing season is around the corner at long last. All of the off-season development, planning and preparation became a reality three weeks ago when Aston Martin debuted our new Lowe’s Vantage GTE sports car at an unveiling in London. It was a first-class event, one of the best presentations that I have ever been a part of with Prodrive/Aston Martin and very well-attended by our sponsors and the media.

The car is beautiful and, obviously, one the highlights for me was the chance to get behind the wheel for the first time. We went to Donington, a track that I know but haven’t driven in over 25 years. Unfortunately, it was raining but I did have a chance to develop a feel for what a GTE car is like. I have driven many cars in my career but never a GT so this was a totally new experience for me. Luckily, my teammates Stefan Mucke and Darren Turner have a lot of experience in these cars and finished second in the FIA GT1 World Championship last year. They are helping my learning curve go a lot quicker.

I have to say that Aston Martin Racing is very motivated and very committed and I feel they made the right choice to not only go to the GTE but with the new FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) which will have great rounds of racing around the world and also to contest some American Le Mans Series races in the U.S. I have not been competing in a full championship schedule since Fernandez Racing in 2009. For me, it is great to be back in a series championship and to have the opportunity to challenge for a series title in addition to race wins.

We have a very strong lineup of drivers and I feel we have a shot at going for wins from the start. It may be a little bit early to say, but I think we will be good. The core strength of the team – from drivers to principals, engineers, mechanics, etc. – is very strong with a lot of experience and we will be able to capitalize on that.

I am very confident and optimistic after our test at Road Atlanta last week. The three days were really intense and we went through a lot of things. To me, the car felt pretty reliable. I have nothing to compare it to but my teammates do and they felt the car is quite good. I was able to do a lot of miles and I kept getting better. The first day, I was nine-tenths of a second behind my teammates’ times. The second day, I was sixth-tenths off. By the third day with the help of my teammates and the team, I was within one-tenth of a second of their best times. I wouldn’t say I was 100 percent consistent, but I was pretty consistent and the more I drive, the more knowledge I gain and the better I will get. I was very happy with my third day in the car.

I have to say this car is a totally new environment for me – the way you feel inside the car and the positioning and the banging around. It is definitely a lot harder to drive then a prototype because the car is always on the edge and it moves around a lot more. The car is heavier so the braking is different. We have good power but the car reacts slower than a prototype so I have been working on changing my driving style.

I am a bit sore from the banging around inside the car but there are a few things that I need to do to get more comfortable and this is normal. The Sebring track is a lot rougher so I will make sure I am prepared. Sebring is a track that I know very well and have probably logged thousands of miles over the years. The race is March 17 and it is a tough race physically for the drivers and mechanically for the cars so it is one of the ultimate tests.

With the number of entries, this is going to be an extremely competitive event and one to which I am looking forward. After missing Sebring last year, it will be great to catch up with a lot of friends I haven’t seen in awhile and to visit with the fans who turn out in huge numbers for this event.

I am really excited about the WEC and hope that my fans in America, Mexico and around the world will follow us in the championship. Hopefully, we will be in the hunt for the series title and a win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Thank you for your support,

Adrián

www.fernandezracing.net

Two drivers from Denmark complete the driver line-up of Young Driver AMR in the German ADAC GT Masters series. Christoffer Nygaard and Kristian Poulsen will share a new Young Driver AMR-Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 in Germany’s booming sportscar series. Nygaard and Poulsen will be teammates to third generation racers and brothers Ferdinand and Johannes Stuck in this years ADAC GT Masters.

Christoffer Nygaard follows Young Driver AMR in their switch from the GT1 World Championship to ADAC GT Masters. The young Dane from Copenhagen is a long-time driver of Young Driver AMR and it’s sister-team Fischer Racing. Nygaard is part of Young Driver AMR since 2010 and was also part of the Fischer Racing-ADAC GT Masters-campaign back in 2009.

Nygaard will share driving duties in the ADAC GT Masters with fellow countryman Kristian Poulsen. Touring car specialist Poulsen, reigning winner of the Independents Trophy of the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), makes the change to GT-racing with Young Driver AMR.

“I’m really happy that we could sign a strong driver paring also for your second Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 in the ADAC GT Masters”, Young Driver AMR-team principal Hardy Fischer says. “Christoffer Nygaard is a key member of our team for more then five years now and Kristian Poulsen is a great addition and a perfect fit for our team. With our “Danish Dynamite” and the Stuck-brothers, we have a strong driver line up and I can’t wait for the season to begin.”

“I race since 2007 for Hardy Fischer and I’m happy that I will be part of the team in this season”, Nygaard says. “I raced in 2009 in the ADAC GT Masters and have some very good memories to the series. Since then, the series developed quite well and is now one of the strongest GT series in Europe. It will for sure be a very interesting season with 44 cars confirmed to start in the ADAC GT Masters and I’m really looking forward to race the brand new Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3. After racing the last two seasons in the FIA GT1 World Championship, this is a new challenge for me. I’m really excited about our new car, I heard a lot of good things about the car. It’s great to share the car this season with a fellow-countryman. Kristian Poulsen is a quick guy and he’s also a great character.”

Young Driver AMR is the only team which campaigns the new Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 in the ADAC GT Masters.

Valmon Racing Team Russia will represent Aston Martin in the 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship, the team will be supported by 2011 FIA GT3 European team LMP Motorsport who will run the cars in partnership with Aston Martin Racing.

Valmon Team Russia has rising Russian star Mikhail Aleshin, who has progressed through the open-wheeler ranks with impressive results. In 2010, he was the Formula Renault 3.5 Series champion, his partner will be announced shortly.

The second car is likely to bring together the talented Spaniard Andy Soucek, a former FIA Formula Two champion and the experienced Austrian Andreas Zuber, who drove for Corvette in the 2010 and 2011 FIA GT1 World Championship.

The team will start the season with the DBRS9 before switching to the new for 2012 Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3.

The 60th anniversary edition of the 12 Hours of Sebring (17 March) will provide an appropriately illustrious backdrop for both the competitive debut of the Aston Martin Vantage GTE and the first ever round of the new-for-2012 FIA World Endurance Championship. Florida’s Sebring International Raceway will host the 12-hour epic, with Aston Martin Racing’s sights firmly trained on a strong GTE Pro class result.

Carrying the iconic Gulf colours, the factory team’s V8-powered Vantage GTE will arrive in Sebring off the back of a three-day test at the Road Atlanta circuit in neighbouring Georgia. The team was able to cover significant mileage in preparation for the 12 hour race, while works drivers Darren Turner (GBR), Stefan Mücke (D) and Adrian Fernandez (MX) used the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the Vantage GTE as Aston Martin Racing makes its much-anticipated return to production car-based motorsport.

John Gaw, Managing Director and Team Principal of Aston Martin Racing, said: “Everyone in the team is eager to get back into competition. Indeed, many were at Sebring when Aston Martin Racing won on its debut with the DBR9 back in 2005. The GTE category is highly competitive and with over 20 cars on the grid at Sebring and many top class manufacturers it is going to be a terrific fight. We are realistic about our chances on our debut, but we always compete to win and from pre-season testing we know we have a competitive car. For us a top five finish this weekend would be a terrific result, and we know there is more to come from the Vantage GTE as the season progresses.”

Based on the Vantage road car – and sharing its bonded aluminium structure and basic engine and suspension designs – the Vantage GTE is the culmination of Aston Martin Racing’s seven years of experience at the forefront of international motorsport. During that time, the team achieved back-to-back class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2007 and 2008 with the DBR9 GT1 racer, as well as winning the 2009 Le Mans Series with its LMP1-class DBR1-2 prototype.

The 12 Hours of Sebring has become recognised as one of motorsport’s most celebrated endurance races having first been held in 1952 at the former US Army Air Force base in central Florida. Aston Martin Racing enjoyed its first taste of victory at the demanding circuit as its V12-powered DBR9 stormed to class victory on its competitive debut in 2005, narrowly missing out on an overall podium.

Darren Turner was part of the winning line up that weekend and is looking forward to returning to Sebring: “We’ve just completed a very positive three-day test at Road Atlanta with the new Vantage GTE. I think everyone has been pleasantly surprised with initial performance and reliability, which bodes well for Sebring and the season ahead. It's always great to race in the USA as I love the circuits; they are always very challenging and usually don't leave any room for error. Sebring in particular is one of my favourite circuits as it’s very old school and bumpy!

“After racing in the FIA GT1 World Championship for the last two years it's great to be starting another year with the new FIA World Endurance Championship. Le Mans is always the jewel in the crown so to have that race as part of a world championship is amazing. It’s going to be a very exciting year.”

Team-mate Stefan Mücke continued: “The car ran really well in testing and we all have a good feeling with it. I’m looking forward to returning to Sebring. It will only be my second time at the circuit, but in 2010 I scored an overall podium with Aston Martin Racing. The track is probably the most demanding for the car and driver of the whole season, so the first challenge is simply to complete the full 12 hours.”

Adrian Fernandez added: "The Sebring race is always a special event for me and to compete in the 60th anniversary running makes it even more special. I have logged thousands of miles here over the years so I know this circuit well. I am also really optimistic after our test at Road Atlanta last week. I have driven many cars but never a GT so this was a totally new experience for me. I was able to do a lot of miles and I went from being nine-tenths of a second off my team-mates' times to one-tenth on the third day. Obviously, I had tremendous help from Stefan and Darren. They have a lot experience in these cars and finished second in the FIA GT1 World Championship last year, so they are really helping my learning curve. It may be a little bit early to say, but our feeling is that we will be strong and, hopefully, challenging for wins in the #97 Lowe's Vantage GTE."

Aston Martin Racing

Win or lose, Le Mans is and always will be an enduring classic, a rolling masterpiece. That’s why Club Tertre Rouge organises an event every year and would be delighted to host and entertain you at this year’s spectacle, with our programme of first class residential hospitality, live entertainment, secure car parking, exclusive trackside vantage points and of course experienced guides over the weekend.




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With the latest Aston Martin Vantage road car set to debut at next week’s Geneva Motor Show, a revised version of its closest circuit-racing sibling made a debut appearance of its own at Silverstone on Friday (2 March). The 2012 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 features an all-new aerodynamic package plus further improvements to the rollcage and fuel tank.

For the first time, the Vantage GT4 gets a carbon fibre rear wing, working in conjunction with a larger front splitter to increase downforce for greater dynamic performance, while also adding visual tension to the muscular Vantage bodywork. The re-designed rollcage conforms to the latest FIA regulations and improves access and legroom, while the mid-mounted, 115-litre fuel tank lowers the centre of gravity for better weight distribution. The fuel tank’s twin quick-fill entries in the rear quarter-lights are directly carried over from the recently launched Vantage GT3.

John Gaw, Managing Director of Aston Martin Racing said: “We have taken the opportunity to make some quite dramatic aerodynamic enhancements to the Vantage GT4, which will close the performance gap between this entry level GT car and the GT3.  We have also fitted the car with the same roll cage and fuel tank configuration that’s found in the Vantage GT3 and GTE. We are about to sell our 100th Vantage GT4 and since its launch it has been one of the most successful cars in its class; the Vantage GT4 and its predecessor, the Vantage N24, scored many 24 Hour race class victories, the 2010 European GT4 Cup title and also back-to-back championship victories in the Nürburgring VLN series in 2010 and 2011.

“The revised version has very large boots to fill, but given the effort we’ve put into developing the upgrades and following a successful first outing, we’re very confident that the 2012 Vantage GT4 will pick up where its predecessor left off.”

David King, Head of Motorsport at Aston Martin Lagonda, added: “The launch of the 2012 Vantage GT4 completes the comprehensive overhaul of Aston Martin’s race car line up. Late last year we revealed the V12-powered Vantage GT3 and last month our new Vantage GTE – which Aston Martin Racing will run in the FIA World Endurance Championship and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – made its debut in London.

“All three models benefit from Aston Martin Racing’s seven years of experience in international motorsport, during which time we scored back-to-back GT1 victories at Le Mans. Not only have all of our racing cars been revised or completely overhauled for the 2012 season, they are all now based on Aston Martin’s sportiest road car, the Vantage.”

The road-going Vantage will show off its most comprehensive raft of improvements since 2008 at the Geneva Motor Show, including aerodynamic enhancements that draw inspiration from Aston Martin Racing’s GT motorsport programmes. The Vantage GT4 benefits from the road car’s exceptionally rigid bonded aluminium chassis, basic suspension design and 4.7-litre V8 engine while the compact dimensions lend themselves perfectly to circuit racing.

Costing from £119,500, the 2012 Vantage GT4 will be officially presented at the GT4 balancing test at Zandvoort, the Netherlands, on 6-7 March and will be eligible to race in all GT4 series including the European GT4 Championship, Blancpain Endurance Championship, the VLN series, British GT, Britcar, Brazilian GT, Belgian Endurance Championship, Dutch GT Championship, GT Asia series and most national series with a GT4 category.

GPR Aston Martin Racing will return to the Blancpain Endurance Series this year with their Aston Marin DBRS9 before takeing delivery of a brand new Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 later in the season. Two of the three drivers are confirmed, namely Tim Verbergt and newcomer Ronnie Latinne.

"There are several reasons for this choice of the Blancpain Endurance Series, explains José Farasyn, Aston Martin Brussels. First, it is a magnificent international competition, where all the major brands are represented in GT, Ferrari to Porsche, McLaren, BMW and Mercedes. It is therefore a must for Aston Martin to be in the Championship. The entry list has great pace, both in quantity or quality. It is therefore a great challenge for our team. The second main argument, it is the 24 Hours of Spa. This legendary race, played in our country, is the highlight of the season. The stands are usually packed, and the inimitable atmosphere. Finally, there is a third point much less positive. In Belgium, there is no national championship for now, which prompted us to look to the international stage."

Belgian Ronnie Latinne is the newcomer in the team, and after a great season in Belgian Touring Car Series, is ready to make his international debut. "Firstly, I'm thrilled to be joining Aston Martin Brussels - GPR. This training is very motivated to do things well, in a family spirit. I am very happy to share the car with Tim, with whom the agreement is already very good, and I'm sure I could count on him and experience to move quickly. Aston Martin is really a brand that makes me dream! The DBRS9 with which we will start the season has proved, especially reliability side, and she will have new developments, starting with the ABS. I am very optimistic about the performance of the new Vantage GT3 that we will use later in the season. This program would not be possible without the loyalty of my main sponsors, Ets Latinne ® Technology and society, not to mention my new partner Lens Car. Anyway, I'm really excited to take part in first practice, to reconcile myself to the car and starting work on the track at Paul Ricard!''
The Blancpain Endurance Series season will get underway at Paul Ricard on March 20 and 21 for the official test, while the first race will be held on April 15 at Monza, Italy.