The chequered flag may have fallen upon the FIA World Endurance Championship season on Saturday evening but that wasn’t quite the end of it for both the Heart of Racing and Racing Spirit of Lemans teams as there was still that of the Rookie Test and Awards night on Sunday to round things off in style.

Having finished the year with another podium finish for the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 – it was a step up to the Hypercar class for driver Mattia Drudi as he and car regular Marco Sorensen put in some additional laps around the Bahrain International Circuit as part of the rookie test for the Italian.

 

The #59 Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin Racing Vantage LMGT3 of Clement Mateu, Erwan Bastard and Valentin Hasse-Clot missed out on the European Le Mans Series LMGT3 class crown after the final four-hour round of the Series from Portimao yesterday.

Having led the class after their class win at Spa Francorchamps, a more challenging round at Silverstone had seen the all French crew drop twelve points behind in the driver’s championship battle going into this weekend’s finale, but it was another crew who eventually came through to claim that prize at the end.

After three earlier Free Practice sessions, the grid has now been set ahead of tomorrow’s final eight-hour round of the 2024 World Endurance Championship from the Bahrain International Circuit.

This afternoon’s final Hypercar and LMGT3 class Qualifying sessions saw the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Racing LMGT3 of Ian James progress through to their Hyperpole session whilst the #777 D’Station Racing AMR of Clement Mateu narrowly missed out on that feat by finishing just 0.122 of a second of what was required for them to finish within the top ten and progress in the Hyperpole session as both cars had laps deleted for track limit violations.

 

Whilst today’s final race and championship results may not have gone in their favour, the Racing Spirit of Leman team have today announced news of their European Le Mans Series Rookie Test drivers as they now build for the future.

With their Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 powered drivers having competed within European based series such as the FFSA GT4 Series and GT4 European Series, three of those drivers were confirmed as taking part in tomorrow’s test with the teams AMR Vantage LMGT3.

One half of their FFSA GT4 Silver Champions in Mateo Villagomez as well as GT4 European Series racers Baudouin Detout and Kevin Kullmann join the test that follows on from today’s final round of the European Le Mans Series that ran today at Portimao.

Photo credits - Team

Yesterdays FIA World Endurance Championship’s Rookie test after the final round of that Championship at the Bahrain International Circuit on Saturday effectively saw the end of mainstream racing action this year with just a couple of events to help pass the time between now and the start of the 2023 season.

Six lucky drivers from around the world and from differing class/platform experiences enjoyed somewhat limited running between them in either the #98 Northwest AMR or #777 D’Station Racing AMR Vantage GTE’s with teenage Asian Le Mans/European Le Mans racer Finn Gehrsitz being the fastest of the guesting Aston Martin drivers in the morning session (with a lap time of 2:02:715) with Porsche Supercup/Carrera Cup racer Lorcan Hanafin being quickest in the afternoon session with a lap time of 2:02:717.

 

If this weekend hasn’t already been busy enough for the World Endurance Championship grid, many will stay on at the circuit tomorrow for the now customary Rookie Test with both TF Sport and Northwest AMR being part of that.

Another interesting selection of candidates from both teams with TF Sport running their #33 AMR Vantage GTE for Asian Le Mans Series and European Le Mans teenage racer Finn Gehrsitz sharing the Four Horseman’s sponsored car with IMSA GTD racer Ryan Hardwick.

The #98 Northwest AMR car meanwhile will be split between four drivers with former FIA F3 racer and last time Aston Martin Autosport Driver of the Year winner Jonathon Hoggard sharing track time along side ADAC GT4 Germany racer Indy Dontjie and former GT4 America/Michelin Pilot Challenge AMR racer Patrick Gallagher as well as Porsche Supercup and Carrera Cup racer Lorcan Hanafin joining the fray.

Photo credits – A Lofthouse / D Gibson / N Dungan

Another Rookie Test in the bag after the hugely successful return to the Bahrain International Circuit for the Aston Martin Racing team in Saturday's fourth round of the 2019/20 World Endurance Championship.

Despite what was previously published by both the team and the WEC, six drivers (according to the official timing providers on-line system at least) eventually took in laps around the 5.4km circuit, two of those being the crew of the third placed GTE Pro car in Saturdays eight hour marathon - Maxime Martin and Alex Lynn.

True to the earlier weather forecast, Bahrain was awash with heavy rainfall on Sunday morning and that otherwise limited the effective running time on track for all the teams that stayed behind for Sundays test giving Lynn and AMR Junior driver Andrew Watson just five and seven laps respectively apiece in the morning session.

As the rain subsided and the track began to dry, the team was finally able to get in some more laps for the factory and junior drivers before allowing their auditioning drivers some decent mileage aboard the race winning #95 Dane Train V8 Vantage GTE.


Having last driven the older iteration of V8 Vantage GTE Dane Train at the AMR Festival meeting at Le Mans in 2018 with Bennie Simonsen, Lasse Sorensen (brother of Marco) posted the fastest time of the three audition drivers just ahead of Gabriel Aubrey who had earlier raced in the Bahrain 8Hrs in his Jackie Chan DC Racing LMP2 car.

Last but certainly no means least was TF Sports British GT GT4 and 2019 AMR Drivers Academy winning Tom Canning who posted a lap time only 1 second slower than Sorensen despite never having driven a GTE before in anger and only having driven a new generation Vantage GT3 a few weeks before at Snetterton as he tries to mirror the success of the previous Academy winner - Ross Gunn.

With both Watson and Canning already 'on the books' at AMR, their time will eventually come just like it has with Gunn but as for the others, it's harder to say so to borrow the phrase of another "lets just wait and see"!!


Whilst the test was ongoing, we understand that TF Sport have managed to resolve the technical issues that prematurely ended their 8Hrs of Bahrain prior to all four AMR's and their ancillary equipment being containerised again ready for the long haul via sea to Florida and the 1000miles of Sebring in February.

Can't wait!!

Photo credits - AMR / Social media

The realisation of first having won the Aston Martin BRDC Autosport Young Driver of the Year at the weekend as well as the BRDC's Chris Bairstow Trophy the next day has presumably had little chance to settling in for winner Johnathon Hoggard before he picks up another spoil from his title winnings this weekend in Bahrain.

Part of his prize for winning the Aston Martin sponsored BRDC Autosport Award is a test within one of Aston Martin Racing's V8 Vantage GTE's at the Rookie Test after this weekends fourth round of the World Endurance Championship.


Originally not being listed upon the entry, both AMR Vantage GTE Pro class cars now appear on said entry list (with all six Pro cars now being in attendance) and features a list a familiar sports car and tin top drivers as well as all four AMR factory Pro drivers aboard the second car.

LMP2 racer Gabriel Aubrey, Garage 59 and Gulf Racing WEC driver Andrew Watson and brother of Marco Sorensen, Lasse Sorensen join Hoggard aboard the #95 car (subject to licence requirements) for Sundays, five hour test.

Joining that news out of Bahrain today is news that Paul Dalla Lana will indeed be rejoining his former duo of WEC co-drivers in Pedro Lamy and Mathias Lauda in an Aston Martin Racing factory supported Vantage GT3 at next months IMSA Daytona 24.


That trio will be joined by Ross Gunn at Daytona as the Canadian businessman continues his parallel racing commitments in both Daytona and possibly Bathurst - races that he has previously contested with both Mercedes AMG and Ferrari hardware. This trip would be Gunn's only second racing visit to the USA having raced with Automatic Racing and Akhil Rabindra in the Michelin Pilot Challenge at VIR but his first appearance in the headline 24hr event on that side of the pond..

Then, there are the rumours of a certain Dane featuring within the new Heart of Racing AMR GTD driving squad at Daytona as well - we shall await confirmation on that one before jumping to conclusions!! We think that that would be his first visit to Daytona as well!


***Update - Whilst things have gone quiet on Hoggard actually testing or not, it has been confirmed by AMR that their 2019 Aston Martin Racing Drivers Academy winner and reigning British GT GT4 Champion Tom Canning WILL be testing a GTE at the circuit on Sunday - probably with TF Sport all contrary to the previous Rookie Test listings

Happy days..........!!!

Photo credits - BRDC / AMR

Having had little time to recover from the celebrations that followed the championship(s) winning drive of the #95 Young Driver AMR crew on Saturday, the team and both GTE Pro cars were back at work on Sunday for the championship's now annual 'Rookie Test'.

Eight drivers finally made the teams driving roster for the one day, two session test after Ahmad Al Harthy and Khaled Al Qubaisi were granted last minute entries and having pounded around the Bahrain International Circuit all weekend long in an LMP2 it was Alex Lynn who stole the GTE honours in the morning session (and indeed the event) half a second up on fellow GP2 driver Jordan King.

Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup Team winners Salih Yoluc and Euan Hankey also had their first experiences of the GTE platform in readiness for what will hopefully be their full season ELMS entry next year as they build up to their automatic LM24 entry. Yoluc's best time over the two sessions would have placed him mid table in Saturdays race having enjoyed the most number of laps (51) in the AMR camp so that is promising.

Having not set foot in the GTE since this time last year at his AMR Academy final assessment (excluding his run up the hill at Goodwood) Ross Gunn ended his afternoon 40 laps second in the table overall proving that he is a talent worth nurturing.



Photo credit - Adrenal Media

The FIA WEC today confirmed an extended list of participants for this years Rookie Test in Bahrain following the final race of the 2016 season in three weeks time.

As usual, Aston Martin racing will be making both of its GTE Pro cars available for the test for with (at present) six announced drivers for both the at test and what we are sure will also become an extended Dunlop tyre development test for the factory team.

Joining the team will include the likes of Alex Lynn, Jordan King, Matt Parry and Ross Gunn, many of whom already have either LMP2 or GTE experience. Also joining the team for the test will be the driver pairing from the 2016 Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup Team Champions in Salih Yoluc and Euan Hankey preparing for their invitation to the Le Mans 24hr in 2017 for their GT3 LMC championship win.

Other drivers are likely to be shoe horned into the programme before the final classification from the WEC be confirmed a week prior to the Bahrain event.