Aston Martin Brussels and GPR Racing AMR will celebrate the 100th birthday of the prestigious British make mainly on Belgian home soil. The magnificent Aston Martin Vantage GT3 will be one of the stars on the grid of the Belgian BRCC Championship, and of course, the car will be present during the one of the most prestigious GT races in the world, the Spa 24 Hours. A further part of the car’s programme could be a selection of races in the International GT Open series. In the BRCC, the car will be driven by Damien Dupont, Tim Verbergt and newcomer in the team, Bert Redant.

A hundred years of history, a landmark for the make indeed, and this birthday calls for a stylish celebration. José Farasyn, the team manager explains:

“A 100 years ago, racing competition was the feeding ground for the first Aston Martin. Lionel Martin raced in the Aston Hill Climb, thereby writing the first chapter of a magnificent history. Aston Martin became a big name in racing, when American Caroll Shelby and his British teammate Roy Salvadori raced to victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours edition of 1959. But for one lap, this edition could have been won by the Belgian Aston DBR 1 of Paul Frère and his French teammate Maurice Trintignant. 2007 and 2008 saw further Aston Martin Le Mans victories in the GT class. We are thrilled to celebrate this rich racing heritage with an ambitious entry in the BRCC, the Belgian Endurance championship. Our drivers Damien Dupont, Tim Verbergt and Bert Redant will have to face fierce competition from other reputed teams, and the whole team is really motivated to have a go at the title! Details of our BRCC programme will follow shortly.”

The BRCC is the Belgian Endurance championship, with six races of mostly 3 hours. The opening round will take place during the weekend of the FIA GT Series at Zolder, while other rounds are planned during the weekends of the Spa 24 Hours and the GT Open at Spa.

A new name in the team’s trio of drivers is Bert Redant, who finished second last year in the Zolder 24 Hours. Says Bert Redant: “I am extremely happy to be part of this magnificent team. Already the fabulous name of Aston Martin appeals to everybody’s imagination. I guess that Damien’s speed, Tim’s experience and my input will be most important to play a leading role in the championship. It ‘s clear that I can’t wait to start the 2013 season!”

Last but not least, Michael Schmetz and Pierre Grivegnée will also defend the team’s colours in the BRCC Endurance, this time at the wheel of an Aston DBRS9, the first GT3 of the British make. Rendezvous for the season’s opener on the 20th and 21st of April at Circuit Zolder!

Aston Martin Racing has qualified on pole and in second place in both of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) GTE classes at the season-opener, the Six Hours of Silverstone.

Under the new regulations, which require two drivers to complete two laps each with the average of the two best laps counting as the qualifying time, the Gulf-liveried #97 Vantage GTE, driven by Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan Mücke (D), took the GTE Pro pole with a time of 2:00.566.

In the GTE Am class, Stuart Hall (GB) and Jamie Campbell-Walter (GB) also put their Vantage GTE (#96) on the front row for the start of tomorrow’s race, with an average time of 2:01.531.

The #99 car, driven in qualifying by Frédéric Makowiecki (FR) and Pedro Lamy (PT) qualified in second in the GTE Pro class and third GT overall, with the #95 driven by three Danes Christoffer Nygaard and Allan Simonsen taking the second place spot in the GTE Am class.

Darren Turner comments: “It’s a great way to start to the 2013 WEC. We’re all very proud of the boys who have really been up against it to get four cars ready for this weekend; it’s a lovely reward for them to see both cars take pole. Yesterday was tricky; we missed the first session so have been playing catch up a little. Also, with the mixed conditions no one has an idea what their cars will be like in the race.

"The qualifying format is different to what anyone is used to and our directive was to go flat out. To get a good result for Aston Martin this weekend is fantastic. It’s an important year for us and we want to hit the ground running. Qualifying isn’t that important in endurance racing, but it’s certainly a nice birthday treat.”

Jamie Campbell-Walter comments: “Obviously, we arrived at Silverstone with the same specification car as the one that won in Shanghai at the end of last year. This has enabled us as a team of three drivers to feel comfortable in the car very quickly. Aston Martin Racing did a fantastic job and we all pushed hard. It’s the home race for Aston Martin in its centenary year so it’s a great way to kick the season off.”

Stuart Hall comments: “It’s my second WEC race and it’s my second WEC pole. I qualified on pole here at the Six Hours of Silverstone last year and to repeat it is awesome. I’ve got two great team mates and if we all do a good job tomorrow, we’ll start 2013 off on the right foot.”

John Gaw, Team Principal at Aston Martin Racing, concludes: "It's nice to start our home race from the front row in both classes. However, there are no points for qualifying and points are what we want to take away from the first race of the WEC season. Running four cars allowed us to experiment with tyre compounds in the final free practice session and, in the dying minutes, as it dried, we had some surprising but positive results that we took that forward into qualifying. It looks like we found something our competitors did not at this stage, given the limited running time we have all had in good conditions. We are looking forward to the race tomorrow and it looks like conditions will be favourable.“

The WEC Six Hours of Silverstone gets underway at 1200h tomorrow (Sunday 14th April). Follow the team’s progress at www.astonmartin.com/racing on Facebook at www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing and on Twitter using @amr_official.

At the four hour mark of the Six Hours of Silverstone, the FIA World Endurance Championship’s opening round, Aston Martin Racing is leading both of the GTE classes.

In the GTE Pro class, Stefan Mücke (D), Darren Turner (GB) and Bruno Senna (BR), each completed stints at class-leading pace to maintain the Gulf-liveried #97 Vantage GTE’s pole position advantage and extending the lead from the #71 Ferrari to more than 50 seconds.

Allan Simonsen (DK) in the #95 GTE Am car started the race with a double stint before handing over to Christoffer Nygaard (DK), who continues to race at the four-hour point. In the second half, teammate Kristian Poulsen (DK) will take of the wheel aiming to maintain the first place position that the team has held since the start of the race.

The second of the team’s GTE Pro cars, the #99 Vantage GTE, piloted by Pedro Lamy (PT), Paul Dalla Lana (CN) and Frédéric Makowiecki (FR), crosses the four hour point in third position and closing in on the #71 Ferrari in second.

The #96 GTE Am car of Jamie Campbell-Walter (GB), Roald Goethe (D) and Stuart Hall (GB) heads into the second half of the six-hour race in seventh.

John Gaw, team principal at Aston Martin Racing comments: “So far, so good. There have been some tricky conditions in the first half of the race but, so far, the technicians, engineers and drivers have all done what we expected of them. We’re hoping for a clean run to the end of the race.”

Darren Turner comments: “Stefan had a great first stint and when he handed the car over to me had a lead of around 11 seconds. I’m happy with my stint; there was a bit of traffic towards the end, as this is when most gentlemen drivers take over, but the car is running absolutely perfectly. Bruno is doing a great job in the car at the moment. We just need to keep this momentum going until the end of the race.”

Allan Simonsen adds: “It was a good start. I stayed put behind the #96 car to avoid any incidents and looked after my tyres; the plan was to double stint the tyres and get a good lead. It was interesting to see if the tyres would hold up but they did and the plan worked out well.”

Follow the team’s progress throughout the race at www.astonmartin.com/racing, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/racing or on Twitter using @amr_official.

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Aston Martin Racing’s 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) programme got off to a near perfect start at the Six Hours of Silverstone today (14 April) with a double victory in the GT class.

The #97 V8-powered Vantage GTE, driven by Darren Turner (GB), Stefan Mücke (D) and Bruno Senna (BR), finished in first place in the GT Pro category, while the #95 car of Danish trio Christoffer Nygaard, Kristian Poulsen and Allan Simonsen triumphed in the GT Am class. 

At Aston Martin Racing’s home round of the WEC in Northamptonshire, UK, Pedro Lamy (PT), Paul Dalla Lana (CN) and Frédéric Makowiecki (FR) also put in an impressive performance with third position in the #99 car in GT Pro, crossing the line a single lap behind the #97 machine and within 13 seconds of the second-placed car after six hours.

The fourth Gulf-liveried Aston Martin, the #96 car of Jamie Campbell-Walter (GB), Roald Goethe (D) and Stuart Hall (GB), finished fourth in GT Am having been in contention for a podium for the entire race.

After a successful qualifying on Saturday, which saw the team secure first and second position in both GT categories, Aston Martin Racing further proved its class-leading pace by setting the fastest lap of all the GT runners; the #99 car recorded a best lap of 2:01.426 after five hours, although competitor cars were very close behind in a super-competitive category.

While celebrating a near perfect start to Aston Martin Racing’s world championship bid with a faultless lights-to-flag victory, Darren Turner said: “That was an amazing result! We couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season. Stefan, Bruno and myself all pushed hard throughout what was, at times, a difficult race. However, the car was prepared perfectly with a lot of hard work and the result is a great reward for everything. Praise to our chief engineer, Dan Sayers, who has done a great job with the 2013 car and given us a package that should see us have a solid season.”

Making his WEC debut, Bruno Senna added: “I’m really happy to start my GT career with a win. It’s been great joining Aston Martin Racing and to get a pole position and win and go home from our first WEC race of the year with so many points for the championship is unbelievable. It was a tough race; we had to push hard while avoiding accidents, but my team did a great job. We must now keep pushing hard; the competition here is very, very strong.”

Allan Simonsen, speaking for the #95 GT Am-winning car, comments: “I’m very happy on behalf of the whole team. It was a big push to get us here and to start the season with points is fantastic. To do it on Aston Martin Racing’s home turf is even better; we couldn’t be happier.”

John Gaw, Team Principal at Aston Martin Racing, concluded: “Today’s outcome was better than we anticipated. We got much more than we expected out of the first race of the season; we came here aiming to score points with all four cars. This certainly bodes well for the championship.

“To do this at our home race in Aston Martin’s centenary year is extra special. I’d like to particularly thank the technicians and engineers and all others who have worked tirelessly since Shanghai to expand to this four-car effort. We look forward, as a team, to challenging for more race wins.”

The race-winning 2013-specification #97 Vantage GTE – which shares its bonded aluminium structure and basic engine and suspension architecture with Aston Martin’s sportiest road-going model, the V8 Vantage – completed 171 laps of the 3.7-mile Silverstone circuit, equating to a total race distance of more than 630 miles at an average speed of 108mph.

The FIA World Endurance Championship resumes in Belgium next month at the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps with the race due to start at 1430hrs (CET) on Saturday, 4 May.

Aston Martin Racing was delighted to start a new relationship with Horsepower Racing last week, when the team found itself without a car just days before the opening round of the 2013 Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship at Donington Park, UK.

The day after team-owner and driver Paul Bailey called the Banbury-based team, the V12 Vantage GT3 was delivered, and the following day it competed in the three-hour race finishing 2nd overall and recording the fastest lap of the day by more than half a second.

The Vantage GT3 was quick from the off-set; when Bailey and teammate Andy Schulz drove the car in Saturday’s warm-up session, it was fastest on track, as the pair quickly adapted to the new car. In qualifying, Schulz stunned on-lookers as he put the car 3rd on the grid in his first competitive outing in the V12 charger.

In the highly-competitive race, the Pro-Am team used the Vantage GT3’s pace and reliability to push hard to the end, taking the second place position and finishing two laps ahead of the third place car.

Paul Bailey comments: “At Donington Park on Thursday, the engine blew up on my Ferrari 430 GT2 and I couldn’t source a new engine. At half-past four, I called Aston Martin Racing and asked if I could have a car, spare parts and technician and the answer was yes! The car was delivered with the correct livery and transponder set up on Friday evening.

“We shocked the whole of the grid; 22 hours after our engine blowing up and we were back with a brand new, stunning looking car. And then it really delivered. This is only my third year in endurance racing but I took to the Vantage GT3 immediately; even in the treacherous rain.

“Thanks to Aston Martin Racing, Scuderia Vittoria and my financial management company, Vestra Wealth, who made the process as easy as possible. I’m sure no other team of people would have achieved this.”

Andy Schulz adds: “The GT3 performed faultlessly straight from the factory.
We were really pleased with the performance, especially with Paul's pace; his lap in qualifying was faster than he's achieved before in any car.

“The car felt very good, even in the difficult and slippery conditions, and inspired confidence to get on the pace straight away, enough for us to lead the race for a good period and try to push for the win rather than just getting us to the end of the race.

“Many thanks to AMR for their support over the weekend and for getting the car ready at such short notice, they did a great job on the set up and all the guys at Scuderia Vittoria were very professional in adapting to the new car and helping us fight right to the end.

“I feel very positive we can improve our performance with this car through the season and I'm sure we will win races.... we can't wait for the next one!”

John Gaw, team principal at Aston Martin Racing, concludes: “We’ve been looking to establish a relationship with both Horsepower Racing and Scuderia Vittoria as we know they have the potential to win the Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship. Amid the first round of the World Endurance Championship, in which we have four cars, the team at Aston Martin Racing all worked hard to get the Vantage GT3 ready and delivered to Paul. The result speaks for itself. The car is easy and comfortable to drive from the second you step into it and the team proved it can prepare a car that needs minimal set up time.

“Paul and Andy did a fantastic job and we look forward to racing with them in the future and supporting them with the am of race and championship wins.”
The next round of the Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship takes place on 10/11 May at Silverstone International Circuit.

Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship Calendar

10/11 May – Silverstone
31 May/1 June – Rockingham
28 July – Brands Hatch GP
17 August – Snetterton
20/22 September – Silverstone 1000k
30 October/2 November – Donington (night race)

Notes to editors:

Aston Martin Racing is the motorsport arm of Aston Martin. In 2013, it will contest the FIA World Endurance Championship with its Vantage GTE. It also has customer teams competing in major championships around the world in its Vantage GT4, GT3 and GTE cars, which all share a bonded aluminium chassis and fundamental engine design with Aston Martin's road-going V8 Vantage.

Follow the team's progress at www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing on Twitter using @amr_official and on the website www.astonmartin.com/racing.

(LONG BEACH, CA) April 22 - TRG-AMR North America made a big statement in their debut in the Pirelli World Challenge today at Long Beach. Both Aston Martin Vantage GT4s showed fantastic speed, perfect reliability and drove up through the field in a solid display of racing excellence. It was a great first step for the team, Aston Martin, and the partnership with the new series while the race proved to be an exciting one across the board. 

After a shortened qualifying session that saw the VIZIO/Hulu Plus No. 26 start in 17^th, Damien Faulkner was a man on a mission, piloting the car all the way up to sixth by the end of the race, that finished under Yellow Flag. In the HP No. 27, two-time Long Beach winner Brandon Davis went from eighth to running much of the race in the top 5 and finishing an outstanding 4th in Class.

As the sun set on Long Beach, the track was slick, but the Vantage GT4s proved to be solid in the warm conditions, with both drivers actively conserving the tires to make a late run. The race ended under yellow, but the team was thrilled to get this result the first time out.

This was the first race in Pirelli World Challenge for both cars, and to come out with a strong showing was definitely important.



Brandon Davis on how the car felt: "The Vantage GT4 felt pretty good, we were battling a bit of understeer during the weekend, but the crew were able to fix most of it by the time the race started, and the brakes were great. The car was very predictable, easy to drive and easy to be consistent which is what you need for the race."

Brandon Davis on running at Long Beach in the Pirelli World Challenge: "The deal here is that we're running a series where people are prepping the whole year, and for us to come out here with relatively low track time says a lot about TRG-AMR North America and the Aston Martin's quality right out of the box. The atmosphere is great, with so much going on. Even at the end of the day where the track is slick, we were able to persevere and move up after starting 8th."

Damien Faulkner on the car: "The car felt very, very good. I felt like the car had more than I was giving it, which was an excellent feeling, because I could keep pushing it. I was being smooth, conserving the tires so we could have something at the end. The car was very well-balanced, a dream to drive, really. I learned a lot today, the tires and car are different from what I'm used to, but I'm very happy to bring home a good result considering our disappointing qualifying."

Damien Faulkner on the finish: "To finish 6th is fantastic. There were some great drivers there, and the Pirelli World Challenge showed it's got some great competition. It's an awesome series and I'd love to be back."

Kevin Buckler on the race and the next event: "That was about as good as we could have hoped for, I think we really hit our marks. It's a fantastic weekend for the Aston Martins to debut. Long Beach is such a great track, and the weekend is really alive with events. This is an exciting weekend for Pirelli World Challenge, and we were thrilled with where we ended up.

Representing such an amazing brand here in North America and showing the competitiveness of these race cars really made this weekend complete. A big shout out to our partners at VIZIO and Hulu Plus.

It is just awesome to have two cutting-edge companies joining us on this strong partnership with our Aston Martin Racing program. Also, the series was so welcoming and the fans were so excited to see the Aston Martins on the grid. I've never seen anything like it.

Looking ahead, we just made our three entries for COTA and we're going to be selecting our drivers in the next week."

Gaydon, 26 April 2013 - Aston Martin Racing has confirmed it will run a fifth car at the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, with Richie Stanaway (NZ) completing the 15-strong driver line-up while Rob Bell (GB) and Peter Dumbreck (GB) make their season debuts for the team.

The team will travel to Spa, Belgium, fresh from its double victory at the opening round of the championship at Silverstone a fortnight ago (14 April). The four Gulf-liveried Vantage GTEs – two GTE Pro and two GTE Am cars – will be joined by a third GT Pro car (#99), which will be driven by Stanaway, Pedro Lamy (PT) and Paul Dalla Lana (CN).

In preparation for the third round of the WEC at the 24 Hours of Le Mans the remaining Vantage GTEs – which share the same bonded aluminium structure and basic engine and suspension architecture with Aston Martin’s sportiest road-going model, the V8 Vantage – will run with the driver line-ups planned for June’s 24-hour race. 

As announced earlier this year, Dumbreck will join Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan Mücke (D) in the #97 and Bell (GB) will join Bruno Senna (BR) and Frédéric Makowiecki (FR) in the #98 GTE Pro cars. The two GTE Am cars will remain the same as Silverstone; Christoffer Nygaard (DN), Kristian Poulsen (DN) and Allan Simonsen (DN) in car #95 and Jamie Campbell-Walter (GB), Roald Goethe (D) and Stuart Hall (GB) in car #96.

The driver line-up for Le Mans will remain the same as at Spa except for Stanaway who will be replaced in France by American Le Mans Series racer, Bill Auberlen, who celebrated victory at Long Beach last week.

Stanaway, who tested with the team at Road Atlanta and Sebring earlier this year, comments: “I’m really looking forward to going back to Spa. It’s the last place I raced last year and it’s somewhere I’ve got a lot of experience. Testing with the team earlier this year gave me the opportunity to race here but it also gave me a lot more. Working alongside Darren Turner, Stefan Mücke and Bruno Senna was a really good experience for me. They are so professional and knowledgeable and, really quick.”

Turner adds: “Winning at Silverstone was a great way to start to the 2013 season and now, three weeks later, we head into one of the best circuits in the world; it’s in my top three, anyway. The circuit is actually very similar to Silverstone in that it has medium to high-speed corners, it’s really just the change in elevation that makes it different. This means that we can carry our race-winning set-up over from Silverstone and we should be competitive. The main goal is to get more points in the bag and to keep the cars in one piece ahead of Le Mans.”

Aston Martin Racing’s Team Principal John Gaw comments: “It will be a big task running five cars at Spa but it’s good preparation for Le Mans and we need to ensure that our extremely high standards we set ourselves are maintained. We showed at Silverstone that we have not only managed to build, develop and prepare four cars, but we have done so to such a standard that we had no issues to speak of with any of the cars throughout the six-hour race. This is thanks to our hard-working team, which has worked tirelessly to get us off to such a solid start to the season.

“To be leading both the GT classes and to have scored points with all of our cars going into Spa is a good place to be. We hope to add to our points tally next weekend.”

The FIA World Endurance Championship Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps begins with qualifying on Friday, May 3, with the race due to start at 1430hrs (CET) on Saturday, May 4. Follow the team’s progress at www.astonmartin.com/racing, on Facebook www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing or on Twitter using @AMR_Official.

Driver line up for Spa:

#95 Nygaard/Poulsen/Simonsen
#96 Campbell-Walter/Goethe/Hall
#97 Dumbreck/Mücke/Turner
#98 Bell/Makoweicki/Senna
#99 Dalla Lana/Lamy/Stanaway

Aston Martin has secured its place in the history books with a world first hydrogen-fuelled zero CO₂ emission lap of the 24 km Nordschleife circuit in Germany.

The lap was completed on Saturday (27 April) with Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer Dr Ulrich Bez at the wheel of the prototype Aston Martin Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S, and was a perfect test run ahead of a formal record-breaking attempt at the ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of Nürburgring (N24) next month.

Aston Martin engineers were using the four-hour ADAC ACAS H&R-Cup VLN series race as a shake-down and test session ahead of the gruelling 24 hour race next month in which the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S will line-up alongside a world-class field of some 200+ GT cars.

Development of the ground-breaking hybrid system – created by technical partners Alset Global and pioneered by Aston Martin in the race – has exceeded expectations, leading to the historic hydrogen-only lap of the infamous ‘green hell’ on Saturday afternoon.

Dr Bez said: “I am incredibly proud of the Aston Martin team, and our partners Alset Global. We have written a little motorsport history with this qualifying lap as well as finishing the four-hour race on hydrogen and, of course, it bodes extremely well for our participation in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in three weeks’ time.

“To have run full laps on hydrogen gas alone during the four-hour event is an exceptional ‘first’. We continue to improve the system and I now hope that we can complete the 24-hour race on May 19 with many zero CO₂ emission laps.”

David King, Director of Special Projects at Aston Martin and the man leading the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S project, said: “This achievement should leave no one in any doubt that the system we have developed with Alset Global is a viable and exciting option for the future.

“The creation of the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S was, for Aston Martin, another high profile way for us to mark our centenary in 2013, and to demonstrate our engineering capabilities in the most demanding environment of a major endurance race. This is the ultimate expression of our long term strategy of using the Nürburgring 24h race to publicly demonstrate the abilities of our cars and our people.” 

When it competes at N24 the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S – based on Aston Martin’s new four-door, four-seat sports car – will become the first hydrogen-powered car to compete in an international event as well as the first zero CO₂ emissions sports car to complete a race pace lap at the Nürburgring 24-hour race. The car will compete in an experimental class (E1-XP) having passed rigorous technical and safety assessments by the German motorsport authority the DMSB to be granted approval to race.

It will be able to complete full laps with zero CO₂ emissions and will be refuelled after each stint with 3.5kg of hydrogen as well as gasoline.

Working in partnership with hydrogen experts Alset Global, Aston Martin’s engineers have developed a prototype twin turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 engine that powers the Nürburgring car.

Capable of running on pure gasoline, pure gaseous hydrogen, or a blend of both, the Hybrid Hydrogen race car showcases Aston Martin’s commitment to engineering innovation. In pure hydrogen mode the car emits virtually only water from the exhaust.

The Hybrid Hydrogen system comprises a hydrogen fuel rail, storage tanks and proprietary engine management system. Safety is paramount and the system includes four ultra-high strength carbon fibre tanks holding a total of 3.5kg of hydrogen stored at a pressure of 350bar.

The race car is based on the new Rapide S four-door sports car arriving in Aston Martin showrooms worldwide this month.

Aston Martin competes in the ADAC Zurich Nürburgring24 Hours on May 19-20 for the eighth successive year.

Aston Martin Racing has qualified on pole in both of the FIA World Endurance Championship’s GTE classes at the second round of the series, the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, for the second consecutive race.

Under new regulations, each car must complete at least four laps with two drivers, with the qualifying lap calculated from the average of the best four laps.

In the 30-minute session, which took place on a dry track, Bruno Senna (BR) and French GT ace Fred Makowiecki put in four consistently fast laps to take pole position in the GTE Pro class with an average time of 2:19.811. Rob Bell (GB) will start the #98 2013 Vantage GTE in tomorrow’s six-hour race.

Bruno Senna comments: “We’re really happy with qualifying. We put in a very strong performance, which was helped by lots of running in practice to understand the car. It’s great to be in front in Spa. I love this circuit and I normally do well here so I’m really enjoying it.”

Fred Makowiecki: “Yes, it was a great qualifying session. It’s really close between all the teams here with 0.042s separating first and second, so we will have a really nice race where we’ll have to push to the max. We have good set up and the car feels really comfortable for the race; it should be good for us.”

In the GTE Am class, Allan Simonsen (DN) and Christoffer Nygaard (DN) topped the time sheets once again in their 2012-specification Vantage GTE, by an even smaller 0.030s margin with an average lap time of 2:21.265. Team-mate Kristian Poulsen will complete the all-Danish trio for the race.

Christoffer Nygaard: “The car feels great here; it definitely suits both Spa and Silverstone, where we able to win last month. But, it’s a long race. We have three good drivers but we all need to do a good job on the day.”

Allan Simonsen: “It was a fantastic session and everything went to plan. We were lucky to get some clear laps and put the car on the front row for the race. The aim is to get a good start, like at Silverstone.”

Completing the five-car line up, the #97 GTE Pro car, which won the Six Hours of Silverstone last month, will start from fourth on grid with the #99 close behind in fifth and the #96 GTE Am car in third in class.

John Gaw, Team Principal at Aston Martin Racing concludes: “So far so good at Spa this weekend. Running five cars is a big task but everyone has stepped up to the task and we’re working well as a team.

“The lap times are much tighter here than at Silverstone as our competitors seem to have closed the gap significantly, but we will push incredibly hard in the race for more great results from all the cars. We aim to take as many points as we can before we head to Le Mans for the 24-hour race in June.”

The Six Hours of Spa starts at 14:30 CET on Saturday 4 May. Follow the team’s progress at www.astonmartin.com/racing on Facebook www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing and on Twitter using @amr_official.

Spa-Francorchamps, 4 May 2013 - Aston Martin Racing has finished second in both GTE classes at round two of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.

The Gulf-liveried #98 Vantage GTE Pro car, driven by Bruno Senna (BR), Fred Makowiecki (FR) and Rob Bell (GB), took second place in the six-hour race following a competitive performance by all three drivers. Their prospects of challenging for the race win were dashed when an untimely safety car interruption caused them to fall behind their competitors in the early stages of the race.

Danish GTE Am trio Allan Simonsen, Kristian Poulsen and Christoffer Nygaard also finished second in class having pushed their 2012-specification #95 Vantage GTE to its limits for the duration of the six hours. The result completed a double podium success for Aston Martin Racing and backs up the #95 car’s convincing race win at the season opener at Silverstone.

The #97 Vantage GTE Pro car of Darren Turner (GB), Stefan Mücke (D) and Peter Dumbreck (GB) was unable to repeat its Silverstone victory as its also fell foul of the early safety car period. Having shown competitive pace through the weekend, it narrowly missed out on the podium to finish fourth in class as the chequered flag fell. Pedro Lamy (PT), Paul Dalla Lana (CN) and Aston Martin Racing newcomer Richie Stanaway (NZ) finished in seventh in the identical #99 car.

In the GTE Am class, the #96 car piloted by Jamie Campbell-Walter (GB), Stuart Hall (GB) and Roald Goethe (D) finished fourth in a highly competitive pack of nine cars.

Bruno Senna comments: “It’s a great result and we’re pleased to get so many points in the bag, but we also had a lot of bad luck today. The safety car came out after the Ferrari had pitted and before we had, so it played to their advantage. Still, we adapted our strategy and double stinted our tyres. It worked well and we made up time but we just didn’t have a enough left in the tyres for Fred to catch the lead Ferrari.”

Rob Bell comments: “It’s fantastic to get a podium on my first race with Aston Martin. However, we always race to win so we’re not completely happy. What we have proven is that we have the pace to be competitive at Le Mans and that Bruno, Fred and I work well as a team; we’ve really gelled.”

Allan Simonsen adds: “We had bad luck today and it cost us the win, but getting second place points to add to our win at Silverstone has given us a solid start to the season. We are leading the GTE Am class and that’s a strong position to be in so early on in the season. We are looking forward to challenging for the win at Le Mans.”

John Gaw, Team Principal at Aston Martin Racing comments: “Like at Silverstone, we came here with the objective of scoring maximum points and preparing thoroughly for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Unfortunately, the timing of an early safety car effectively ended our hopes of repeating the Silverstone double victory, but surprisingly we were able, with the reliability and pace of the cars, to almost close back the full half lap we lost.

“As expected, our competitors have made significant steps forward since Silverstone so we look forward to getting back to the workshop and working on the cars ahead of Le Mans. We are particularly encouraged to once again to finish the weekend without a single issue with any of the cars. The drivers - having had an error-free weekend - are, like the cars, well prepared for the 24-hour race.

“Thanks to all the team and partners who have enabled us to head into the most demanding race of the year leading the championship.”

The FIA World Endurance Championship resumes with the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 22/23 June. The five Aston Martin Vantage GTEs – which all share their bonded aluminium structures and basic engine and suspension architecture with Aston Martin’s sportiest road-going model, the V8 Vantage – will next be on track at the Le Mans test day on 9 June. 

Aston Martin Racing and Craft Racing AMR have formed a partnership that sees the Asia-based race team responsible for developing the Aston Martin Racing brand in the region, through its participation in some of the major Asian racing series.

The Asian team will also collaborate on technical development with Aston Martin Racing, provide support for customer racing teams, as well as promote the sales of the Vantage-based race cars.

Craft Racing AMR is regularly regarded as one of the top motorsport teams in Asia and its founders and team have been involved in motorsport in the region for more than two decades.

Since 2010, the team has enjoyed a strong and successful relationship with Aston Martin Racing and will be racing a Vantage GT3 in the GT Asia championship, one of the most exciting and intensely competitive major pan-Asia series, which concludes this year at the immensely popular Macau Grand Prix where works driver Darren Turner (GB) will pilot one of Craft Racing AMR's Vantage GT3s.

The team is also planning to take part in the highly anticipated inaugural Asian Le Mans series - the class winners of which will be qualified to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans - scheduled to begin in Korea, and then on to Japan, China, and finally to Indonesia.

This experience and understanding of the car made the team the perfect choice for Aston Martin Racing when looking for a partner team that would focus on key championships on the other side of the world from its head-quarters in Banbury, UK. 

James Walters comments: “This isn’t something we step into lightly. Last year we announced that The Racer’s Group would play a similar role in the USA and we’re delighted that our relationship with Craft Racing AMR has grown so strong that we can do the same with them, but to cover the Asian region."

“Our range of Vantage-based race cars offer a highly-competitive option for a wide scope of Asian GT championships and endurance races and I’m sure that together, we will grow the presence of Aston Martin Racing at each event.” 

Mark Goddard, Team Principal and Craft Racing AMR Team co-founder comments: “We are extremely happy to take our relationship with such an iconic brand to a higher level and we are confident that Craft Racing AMR will bring further success to Aston Martin Racing in both GT Asia and the Asian Le Mans Series. We also have a programme of long distance races, such as the MME 12 Hours of Sepang and the Dubai 24 Hours.” 

Craft Racing won the GT Asia Team Championship at its first attempt back in 2010. The team has since won numerous races in Asia and is the 2012 MSS GT3 champion. The best result to date, as Craft Racing AMR, was the 24 Hours of Dubai, which saw the team take an impressive third overall in their debut 24-hour endurance race. 

Aston Martin Racing’s works driver Stefan Mücke (D), who raced with the Craft Racing AMR team in Dubai, will race alongside Frank Yu throughout the GT Asia series, which begins at Motegi, Japan on 11/12th May 2013.

Follow the progress of Aston Martin Racing’s customer teams at: www.astonmartin.com/racing

About Aston Martin Racing

Aston Martin Racing is the motorsport arm of Aston Martin. In 2013, it will contest the FIA World Endurance Championship with its Vantage GTE. It also has customer teams competing in major championships around the world in its Vantage GT4, GT3 and GTE cars, which all share a bonded aluminium chassis and fundamental engine design with Aston Martin's road-going V8 Vantage. Follow the team's progress on facebook,on Twitter using @amr_official and on the website www.astonmartin.com/racing. For more information about Aston Martin Racing customer programmes contact:

James Walters
Aston Martin Racing

T: +44 (0) 1295 273 355
E: jwalters@astonmartinracing.com

Gaydon, 14 May 2013 - Aston Martin Racing will return to the Nordschleife next weekend (17-20 May) when it races its stunning Bilstein-liveried V12 Vantage GT3 in one of the most challenging and demanding endurance races in the world, the ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24 Hours (N24).

Aston Martin’s relationship with the Nordschleife is deep-rooted; it won the Nürburgring 1,000 km race in 1957, ’58 and ’59 and, as well as entering the 24-hour endurance race since 2006, the manufacturer has regularly taken part in the circuit’s own series, VLN. Further, many of its current sports cars have been developed and signed off on the legendary track.

This year, Aston Martin’s centenary, marks the brand’s most ambitious assault on the 25.9 km circuit to date. Aston Martin Racing is entering a V12 Vantage GT3 as it embarks on its most dedicated attempt yet to challenge for an N24 win.

Earlier this year, Aston Martin announced a racing partnership with leading damping and suspension specialist Bilstein, appointing it as primary technical partner for N24. The new agreement builds on the existing long-term relationship between the two companies – Bilstein dampers are fitted as standard to all Aston Martin road cars – and sees the companies working as a team on the N24 race programme and the iconic Bilstein branding applied to the V12 Vantage GT3.

Taking time out from the FIA World Endurance Championship – which the team is currently leading in both the GTE Pro and GTE am classes – Aston Martin Racing’s works drivers Darren Turner (GB), Stefan Mücke (D), Allan Simonsen (DN) and Pedro Lamy (PT) will drive the Bilstein-sponsored car in the race that starts on Sunday 19 May.

David King, Director of Special Projects and Motorsport at Aston Martin, said: “This remarkable race, with more than 200 starters, has grown enormously in status since we first entered a nearly standard V8 Vantage back in 2006. It is fitting that our most ambitious and competitive entry yet coincides with our centenary year, but we face a tough challenge from more than 30 world-class GT3 entries, with the German sports car manufacturers in particular represented in force.

“Bilstein is a key long term partner of Aston Martin, and has contributed greatly to the success of our road cars, so to take this relationship onto the track as well is really special. I’m sure the stunning yellow and blue car will be a real favourite with the fans.”

The V12 Vantage GT3 was launched at the end of 2011 following an extensive design and development programme. Its success was proven when the car scored its first race win within weeks of the 2012 season starting. It has since gone on to win numerous races around the world.

The Vantage GT3 has a modified version of Aston Martin’s production 6.0-litre V12 engine. The dry-sumped engine is capable of producing in excess of 600 bhp with 700 Nm of torque, but is restricted by race regulations to approximately 550 bhp.

The car will share a garage with two further official Aston Martin entries; the world-leading Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S - the first hydrogen powered car to compete in a FIA-sanctioned race - and a V12 Vantage in close-to-production specification. The appearance of this almost standard car alongside its GT3 sibling in a major international endurance race, truly underlines the racing pedigree of the company’s most sporting road car.

View N24 Gallery

Aston Martin heads to the ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of Nürburgring (N24) in Germany this weekend (18-20 May) with three very different race cars – an international championship-winning V12 Vantage GT3, a record-breaking Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S and a close-to-production specification V12 Vantage.

Aston Martin has a long-standing relationship with the world-famous Nordschleife; its race cars won the Nürburgring 1,000 km race in 1957, ’58 and ’59 and the British sports car maker has been a regular at the annual 24-hour endurance race since 2006.

This year, the British manufacturer has ambitious plans to celebrate its centenary in front of more than 200,000 race fans at the N24 by entering a front-running GT3 car crewed by top professional drivers; a world-first engineering technology project; and a near-standard V12 Vantage that truly underlines the durability and performance of its road-going cars.

The build-up to the race start will be further enhanced by a stunning 100-car parade of Aston Martins around the length of the legendary 22km-long Nordschleife circuit.

Alongside the Bilstein V12 Vantage GT3, which marks Aston Martin’s most focused attempt yet to challenge for honours at N24, and its close-to-production V12 Vantage sister car, the company has entered its unique Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S. Announced earlier this year, and after a shakedown on the Nordschleife at a VLN endurance race in April, the ground-breaking race car – based on Aston Martin’s new four-door, four-seat sports GT – is returning to the Nürburgring to become the first Hybrid Hydrogen-powered car to compete in an international racing event.

Working in partnership with hydrogen experts Alset Global, Aston Martin’s engineers have developed the prototype, which will complete its qualifying lap on pure hydrogen, meaning that virtually the only emission from the twin turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 engine’s exhaust pipes will be water.

Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez, will be one of four drivers behind the wheel of the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S in the 24-hour race. He said: “The prospect of making history at the Nürburgring 24 Hours with the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S in this, our centenary year, is a great thing for Aston Martin.

“Alongside our partners Alset Global, we have worked incredibly hard to prove out this exciting engineering and I’m looking forward to taking the wheel of the race car at the Nürburgring on Sunday.”

The third car in the line up is a V12 Vantage in close-to-production specification, modified to satisfy the N24 regulations. David King, Director of Special Projects and Motorsport at Aston Martin, explains: “It’s important to us that we don’t only show what we can do with pioneering technologies and race car development, but that we showcase the ability that our road cars have to deal with the demanding and gruelling challenges that the Nordschleife can create.”

Leading up to the main event the Aston Martin Centenary Parade – a lap of the Nordschleife with 100 VIP and customer cars – will take place to celebrate 100 years of Aston Martin and to offer customers the chance to share in the Nürburgring experience that is so close to the brand.

Aston Martin will compete in the ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24 Hours on May 19-20 for the eighth successive year with the goal of maintaining its 100% finishing record. More than 200 cars will start the 24-hour race, which runs on the daunting 22 km circuit that combines the legendary Nordschleife with the modern Grand Prix track.

Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez has made history by driving the first ever zero CO₂ emissions lap in an international motor race in the manufacturer’s #100 Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S race car at the 41st ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24 Hours.

The 6.0-litre V12 twin-turbocharged prototype – based on Aston Martin’s new four-door, four-seat, naturally aspirated Rapide S – was developed with the support of renewable energy experts Alset Global to showcase Aston Martin’s commitment to engineering innovation in its centenary year.

Following his history-making qualifying stint in the car yesterday (Friday 17 May) Dr Bez commented: “We exceeded our already very ambitious target of completing a full lap of the Nürburgring and went on to cover 40 km in race conditions – nearly two laps – before the car automatically and smoothly switched to gasoline power.”

During the gruelling 24-hour endurance race, which starts at 17:00hrs CET on Sunday (19 May), the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S racer will run on a blend of gasoline and gaseous hydrogen, but the intention is that it will complete at least one lap in each stint on pure hydrogen.

Follow the team’s progress in the dedicated area of the website www.astonmartin.com/n24, on Facebook www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing and on Twitter using @amr_official

Nürburgring, 18 May 2013 - Aston Martin has qualified in second place for the 41^st ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24 Hours (N24) in its #007 V12 Vantage GT3. The front row position was secured in a dramatic top 40 shoot-out under glorious sunshine in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans.

The blue and yellow Bilstein-liveried V12 Vantage GT3, run by Aston Martin Racing, performed faultlessly throughout six hours of the earlier two qualifying sessions to secure its spot in the top 40 shoot-out. Five-times N24-winner Pedro Lamy was then tasked with completing two flying laps in the dramatic new qualifying format and was the second car to be flagged away following a lottery draw for the starting order.

Seventh fastest after his first flying lap, Pedro improved his time by more than two seconds on his next lap to post a time of 8:18.362, good enough to secure a front row place.

Earlier in the day, Aston Martin also successfully qualified its unique Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S with all four drivers completing at least a lap on pure hydrogen.

The #005 close-to-production specification V12 Vantage has some bad luck with traffic on its qualifying lap and will start from an unrepresentative sixth in class having topped the class in Friday’s night qualifying.

David King, Head of Motorsport at Aston Martin comments: “Given the strength of the competition here that’s a remarkable performance by the Aston Martin Racing team. What a great way to set us up for our centenary celebrations – the whole team is absolutely delighted.”

Pedro Lamy adds: “It was great that I could start from second position and get past the first place car in the warm up lap. I got two clear laps and the car was perfect, the set up allowed me to push hard and the team did a great job. I’m looking forward to the race tomorrow.”

The 2013 Nürburgring 24 Hours starts at 17:00 CET on Sunday 19 May. Follow the team’s progress in the dedicated area of the website www.astonmartin.com/n24, on Facebook www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing and on Twitter using @amr_official

-Ends-

Notes to editors:

The Hybrid Hydrogen system comprises a hydrogen fuel rail, storage tanks and proprietary engine management system. This enables flexibility in the control of the combustion process according to each particular driving situation: either pure hydrogen, gasoline or a arbitrary blend of both can be selected to ensure optimum power, acceleration and CO₂ reduction. This control results in a powerful and dynamic propulsion system that provides sports car performance but with a carbon footprint more akin to that of a supermini.

Safety is paramount, of course, and the system includes four ultra-high strength carbon fibre tanks holding a total of 3.5kg of hydrogen stored at a pressure of 350bar – two tanks housed next to the driver and two in the boot of the car. Meanwhile the entire hydrogen system developed by Alset Global and its partners is approved by German motorsport’s governing body, the DMSB.

The Hybrid Hydrogen race car is based on the new Rapide S four-door sports car that is arriving in Aston Martin showrooms worldwide this month.

Redesigned and re-engineered to offer even greater style and significantly enhanced performance by virtue of its new AM11 6.0-litre V12 naturally aspirated engine, the new Rapide S is capable of 190 mph and sprints from 0 to 62 mph in only 4.9 seconds.

Full technical information on the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S, including details of engine modifications, hydrogen storage and the refuelling procedure, can be found via this link: www.alsetglobal.com

Nürburgring, 19 May 2013– A strong start for Aston Martin to the 41^st ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24 Hours (N24) saw the Aston Martin Racing V12 Vantage Bilstein GT3 lead after four-hours – the length of a standard VLN race.

The #007 Vantage GT3 started the 24-hour endurance race from the front row of the grid after five-times N24-winner and Aston Martin Racing works driver Pedro Lamy (PT) completed the second fastest qualifying lap of the 176-strong grid in front of tens of thousands of spectators.

By the four-hour mark each of the #007 drivers had completed stints with Lamy’s teammates Darren Turner (GB), Stefan Mücke (D) and Allan Simonsen (DN), all completing laps of the 25km Nordschleife circuit from the front of the pack, showcasing the Vantage GT3’s pace and overtaking capability.

John Gaw, Team Principal at Aston Martin Racing comments: “Pedro did a fantastic job putting the car on the front row for the start of the race and he challenged well from the start. He handed the car over to Allan in a strong position and from there we have had a clean run at the front outside of routine pits stop cycles.

“The team made a great call when the rain started to fall and Stefan pitted early for wet tyres; we got back out in a 30-second lead. It will be a long, tough night and the race really starts around lunchtime tomorrow so we will play things as safe as we can as we try to arrive in the morning in a strong position.”

Alongside the race-leading charger, Aston Martin’s Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S successfully completed its first international race lap on pure hydrogen with Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez behind the wheel and, disregarding some small issues with the bonnet pin, has so far completed 16 trouble-free laps.

The #005 V12 Vantage, under the charge of Richard Meaden (GB), made great progress too making up 11 places within the first six laps. The car currently sits eighth in class.

David King, Head of Motorsport at Aston Martin comments: “The Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S has once again made history but, most importantly, it is running perfectly. The aim is to complete the race.”

The 2013 Nürburgring 24 Hours concludes at 17:00 CET on Monday 20 May. Follow the team’s progress in the dedicated area of the website www.astonmartin.com/n24, on Facebook www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing and on Twitter using @amr_official

Nürburgring, 19 May 2013– Aston Martin leads the 41^st ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of Nürburgring at the 15-hour mark of the race, which was red flagged at around five and a half hours (approximately 2030hrs CET on Sunday 19 May) due to heavy rain and fog on the Nordschleife.

The race, due to restart at approximately 0800hrs CET on Monday 20 May, has been led by Aston Martin’s Bilstein liveried #007 V12 Vantage GT3 charger since the two hour mark and will restart with nine hours remaining of the 24 hour race.

John Gaw, Team Principal at Aston Martin Racing comments: “Conditions out on the Nordschleife are less than ideal; we’re hearing that the fog has cleared, although the torrential rain continues as it has throughout the night. Our car and drivers performed faultlessly before the session was red flagged enabling us to lead from early on in the race – we need to continue to do push with the same momentum but ensuring that we get the car to the end of the race.”

Alongside the race-leading charger, Aston Martin’s Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S, designed and built with Alstet Global, will continue to showcase the engineering capabilities of the manufacturer by completing laps of the 25km circuit on a blend of gasoline and hydrogen with a lap in each stint on pure hydrogen.

The #005 V12 Vantage, which hit problems around an hour before the session was red flagged, has had small electrical issue resolved and will head back out into the race with the rest of the 170 plus strong grid.

David King, Head of Motorsport at Aston Martin comments: “The drivers all did a fantastic job in treacherous conditions meaning we are all in good shape ready for the restart. Along with the drivers, the real heroes are the marshalls and fans, who are out in the Eifel Forest suffering from 12 hours of relentless rain.”

The 2013 Nürburgring 24 Hours concludes at 17:00 CET on Monday 20 May. Follow the team’s progress in the dedicated area of the website www.astonmartin.com/n24, on Facebook www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing and on Twitter using @amr_official

Nürburgring, 19 May 2013– At the twenty-hour mark of the 41st ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of Nürburgring Aston Martin is in the top ten with its sights set on climbing the order during the final four hours.

Aston Martin’s Bilstein-liveried #007 V12 Vantage GT3, which was leading the race for the majority of yesterday, led the 170-plus strong grid of cars from the front at the restart of the red flagged race at 08:00 hrs with Pedro Lamy (PT) behind the wheel.

Although the daylight and lifting fog allowed for the race to restart, the rain continued to hammer down over the 25 km Nordschleife for most of the morning. With the team eager to finish the race and maintain Aston Martin’s 100% success rate for finishes at the Nürburgring, it took a conservative approach.

John Gaw, Team Principal at Aston Martin Racing comments: “Under these tricky conditions it’s important to focus on finishing the race. We also tried to save fuel to minimise time in the pits and we have struggled to get temperature in the tyres.

“Conditions are improving and so are lap times – with four hours to go we are lapping at the same pace as the lead cars. We will now push to the end to get the best position we can.”

Stefan Mücke adds: “We have had some really tough conditions out there. They did the right thing stopping the race, there was too much fog and the rain was too heavy. Yesterday we were very solid in the dry conditions but when the rain fell we had the main aim of keeping the car on track. Now the track is drying we are in a good position. The Vantage GT3 is very strong in the dry and we aim to get back some places – hopefully we’ll get a top five.”

Aston Martin’s Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S, supported by hydrogen specialists Alset Global, continues to run smoothly. More than one and a half laps on pure hydrogen were completed earlier and the team is working hard to streamline processes, already managing to reduce hydrogen refilling to below 30 seconds.

The #005 V12 Vantage, also continues is charge. A small electrical issue towards the end of Sunday’s session put the close-to-production specification car behind its SP8 class competitors and it is currently lapping at similar times to the lead car in the class. 

David King, Head of Motorsport at Aston Martin comments: “We are very happy at how smoothly the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S has run so far, but there is still a long way to go. The important thing is that we finish the race and go away from here having developed the car and its race running.”

The 2013 Nürburgring 24 Hours finishes at 17:00 CET on Monday 20 May. Follow the team’s progress in the dedicated area of the website www.astonmartin.com/n24, on Facebook www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing and on Twitter using @amr_official

The Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain – a single marque championship in which Vantage GT4 drivers battle it out on some of the most exciting circuits in the UK and Europe – continues on 1 June when the third round of the championship gets underway at Donington Park.

James Walters, senior sales manager at Aston Martin Racing comments: ‘We’ve seen a fantastic opening to the season already with Silverstone and Oulton Park. We’ve witnessed some nail-biting wheel-to-wheel racing, tense pit stops, heroic come-backs and new faces on the podium. Andrew Jarman, supported by TXM Recruit, won on his first outing at Silverstone. However, he was pipped to the post by Paul Cripps and Mike Brown at Oulton. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for Donington.’

The GT4 Challenge of Great Britain is a unique opportunity for drivers of all abilities to compete in the latest Aston Martin race cars in endurance events on some of the best circuits in the UK and Europe while meeting like-minded people and enjoying the glamorous world of motor racing.

In each of the seven rounds, Challenge competitors race head-to-head in Aston Martin Vantage GT4s with 445 bhp engines, paddle-shift transmissions and the aero kit with front splitter and carbon rear wing. The cars are powerful and easy to drive with a 50:50 weight balance and driver aids such as race developed ABS and traction control.

The Vantage GT4 is a race version of the Vantage road car but with performance upgrades such as racing brake system, ABS and traction control, Koni adjustable racing suspension and safety features including a FIA roll cage and racing fuel tank. Drivers can experience the comfort and durability they would expect of the road car but with enough speed and handling to offer one of the top amateur driving challenges in the UK.

As many as 15 Aston Martin Vantage GT4s take to the track at each round and each driver experiences the comfort and durability they would expect of the road car but with enough speed and handling to offer one of the top amateur driving challenges in the UK. Abilities range from novice through to accomplished drivers so the championship is ideal for those new to the sport while remaining highly competitive at the front of the grid.

Aston Martin Racing has also launched an ‘arrive and drive’ service in conjunction with a number of GT4 Challenge teams. Drivers can enter the GT4 Challenge at a cost of £6,000 + vat per person in a three driver car. The cost includes 3 hours testing as well as qualifying and the 100-minute race.

There are many options to be a part of the series from entering your own Vantage GT4, arrive & drive with an Aston Martin Racing Partner Team or by taking the full driver training package with Aston Martin Racing through which you can learn how to race, pass your race licence and compete in your first GT4 Challenge event.

For information about competing in the GT4 Challenge, the ‘arrive and drive’ options or attending the race in the Aston Martin VIP Race Centre, visit www.astonmartin.com/gt4challenge or contact:

James Walters

Aston Martin Racing

T: +44 (0) 1295 273355

E: jwalters@astonmartinracing.com

###

About Aston Martin Racing

Aston Martin Racing is the motorsport arm of Aston Martin. In 2013, it will contest the FIA World Endurance Championship with its Vantage GTE. It also has customer teams competing in major championships around the world in its Vantage GTE, GT3 and GT4 cars, which all share a bonded aluminium chassis and fundamental engine design with Aston Martin's road-going V8 Vantage.

Follow the team's progress at www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing on Twitter using @amr_official and on the website www.astonmartin.com/racing.

Silverstone, 3 June 2013– Aston Martin Racing won its home round of the Blancpain Endurance Series (BES) at Silverstone yesterday (2 June) in the Bilstein-liveried V12 Vantage GT3, with Barwell Motorsport taking second in the Pro-Am class and PGF-Kinfaun securing third in the Gentlemen’s Trophy in identical cars to take a podium in every class.

The blue and yellow liveried Pro class charger qualified on pole following a lap of 2:01.104 by French GT-ace Frédéric Makowiecki in the second qualifying session. Team-mate Darren Turner (GB) started the race and was able to hand the #97 machine over to Makowiecki with the lead intact, despite having slipped to second position early in the race. Together, the FIA World Endurance Championship trio stretched its advantage over the field until Stefan Mücke (D) took the chequered flag after three hours of racing, some 20.981 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack.

Darren Turner comments: “I started the race on Fred’s qualifying tyres,” explained Darren. “As this is our first race in the Blancpain Endurance Series and the first time this car has run on Pirelli tyres we had no idea how they would last over the duration of a stint. The Nissan got the jump on me at the start but it was a long race so we knew we could wait for it to come back to us and we didn’t want to go too hard on the tyres.

“I could see that after 12 or 13 laps that Lucas (Ordonez) was starting to have small problems, then we came across backmarkers and I think he had contact with one of them. We then came across a bit of an incident where I went one way and he went the other and I took the lead.”

In the Pro-Am class, Aston Martin Racing customer team Barwell Motorsport finished second in class following an outstanding charge by British drivers Richard Abra, Mark Poole and Joe Osbourne. In The Gentlemen’s Trophy, John Gaw and Phil Dryburgh, who qualified on pole for the start of the race, completed the podium clean-sweep by finishing third in class.

A fourth V12 Vantage GT3, the Beechdean AMR machine, finished 18th in class following a strong recovery drive by all drivers after a short delay early in the race.

John Gaw, Team Principal at Aston Martin Racing comments: “Winning the British round of the Blancpain Endurance Series in our centenary year was terrific and the result of a fine performance by the team and drivers. This series sees GT3 cars race at the highest level with strong teams and drivers representing many manufacturers, so to come and win in the Pro class and be on the podium in the Pro-Am and Gentlemen’s Trophy classes on the same weekend is testament to a great performance from our customers as well as the works team.

“When put alongside the strong factory showing in the same Bilstein–livered car two weeks ago in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, its clear that the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 is a race winning car, even when up against the strongest competition in GT3 racing. We look forward to celebrating more excellent results with our customers during the remainder of the year.”

Turner concludes: “Considering this was a late entry and our first time in this championship this is a fantastic result. Also this team was pulled together just for this event so the guys have had to work so hard to get the pit stops nailed. With Le Mans now very much in our sights this is a great morale boost for the team and the drivers.”

Aston Martin Racing will next compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, on 22/23 June with five V8-powered Vantage GTEs. The official Le Mans test day takes place this Sunday (9 June).