Beechdean AMR - Looking to the skies for help in Monza

Still fighting the effects of an inferior performance criteria, the Beechdean AMR team face an uphill battle in this afternoons two hour race at Monza to overcome the continuing dominance of the prancing horse at their home circuit for the second round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup.

Testing earlier this week in the rain allowed drivers Ross Gunn and Andrew Howard to secure a top two placement over the wet morning and afternoon sessions on Thursday but once the track had dried out for the start of yesterdays Free Practice sessions, the #99 Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage was slowed but surely overwhelmed by the faster other platforms (especially the Ferrari 488's) to find itself ninth out of a ten car GT3 field at the end of FP2.


Despite Howard completing some of his fastest ever laps around the Royal Park in Milan, the #99 will start this afternoons race P8 in class and P26 out of thirty overall LMP3 and GT3 runners.

Tweeting after Qualifying, Howard said that "Okay - qualifier 8th - screen says everything - sad day when you hope for a wet race !!" Looking at the weather forecast for the local area, there are scattered thunderstorms predicated which (if they turn up on time) might just give the team that wish and a stab at the podium.

Last time out at Paul Ricard, the #99 started from the rear of the grid only to come through to finish P5 - a position that would have been much higher had it not been for a costly pit lane infraction during a Safety Car period. All is not lost just yet!

Photo credits - Le Mans Cup