EBM round off their Aston Martin - Asian Le Mans Series adventure on the podium again in Yas Marina

Unfortunately, the start of the race followed the traits of earlier races as contact within the mid pack saw another GT impact heavily into the barriers on the opening lap again bringing out another length red flag period as necessary repairs were made but at least this time, the half hour or so lost to that were added back to the race clock for a near four hour affair in prospect once the grid got back on the move.

This second rolling start saw the #89 Earl Bamber Motorsport of Gabriel Rindone hang onto his P3 starting position (for the second time of asking) whilst both the #19 Blackthorn AMR of Giacomo Petrobelli and the additional #98 EBM Vantage GT3 of Anderson Tanoto had each gained a place in P10 and P16 respectively.

With the threat of rain in prospect at the circuit, all the crews seemed keen to get on with the racing but that again lead to unnecessary contact that saw the first Virtual Safety Car period enforced for the recovery of debris after two twos had another ‘squabble’ on track. That gave all the teams the availability to pit for service (if required) before the Safety Car came out – changing the strategy of many in only the opening twenty minutes of racing.

Just before the end of the opening hour, some great racing from Petrobelli had seen him secure the GT class lead put his untimely depression of the accelerator at the wrong time over the kerbs saw him and his #19 car spin out of immediate contention and down into P11 in class as a consequence.

Again just like last time out, the #98 car of Tanoto was also going to be in the wars as the bronze rated driver performed another near identical manoeuvre into a tight left hander only to strike the rear of the car in front – spinning them off but avoided getting any similar drive through penalty himself for his efforts.

Eventually the race descended into something of a normal flow although the relatively short periods of caution came and went, the minimum drive time of the GT bronze drivers was coming to an end. Up ahead, the #89 EBM car of Rindone had persevered to be running second in class before he handed over to Mattia Drudi in a change to their routine last time out in both Yas Marina and the two previous races in Dubai.

Within the other two Aston Martins, Charles Bateman would take charge of the #19 Blackthorn car whilst Brenden Leitch would do likewise within the #98 EBM car and long a longer than usual stint of his own before he would hand over to Marco Sorensen for the closing stint.

Having lost out to a possible podium in yesterday’s race thanks to a drive through penalty applied to Jamie Day for contact, the body language of the #89 was highly suggestive that that wasn’t going to happen this time and despite a slight overnight balance of performance minimum weight week, the Italian looked more than racy!

Like Petrobelli before him, Drudi soon assumed the lead of the class and pitted from that position as Day took charge until the end. Despite dropping to P11 upon exiting pit lane through the circuits infamous tunnel soon saw the Dubai habiting young Brit try and move back up the order the class order within his available eight minutes of running.

By the end, the #89 EBM trio had achieved what they had set out to do and secured their second GT podium finish of their (for drivers Rindone, Day and Drudi) within their four race season in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi whilst its sister #98 car (with the crew that started the season within the #89 car in Sepang) only missing out on a possible P3 finish due to their immediate need to pit for fuel just minutes before the chequered flag. They would be classified with their best result of the season in P20 overall/P8 in class.

That left the #19 Blackthorn AMR team to wrap up their first Asian Le Mans Series together with Jonny Adam again bringing the car home after their earlier spin and ten second FCY transgression added to their final pit stop time for a very familiar P15 in class finish for their efforts with their mixed driver line ups throughout the year.

These provisional results see the #89 EBM crew of Rindone/Day and Drudi finish fifth in both the Teams and GT Drivers Championships whilst the #98 and #19 crews sadly finish at the other end of the table, all on zero points.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media