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Aston Martin targets WEC title challenge in FIA WEC

  • Aston Martin Racing begins 2019/2020 WEC campaign at Silverstone
  • Revamped GTE Am line-up includes Darren Turner and Ross Gunn
  • Team set to return to Brazil and Bahrain in new eight-race calendar
  • High hopes for home race as team prepares for new 4-Hour format

Tuesday 13 August 2019, Gaydon, UK: Aston Martin Racing is aiming high as it returns to the FIA World Endurance Championship at Silverstone (GB), the competitive home of the luxury sportscar brand, on 31 August, with an optimised version of its Vantage GTE, a strengthened driver line-up and an eye-catching new livery.

Coming off the back of an excellent debut season for the Vantage GTE, which established itself as a front-runner in a fiercely-contested GTE Pro class with victories in Shanghai and Spa-Francorchamps and a pole position at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin Racing is now focussed on regaining the FIA WEC GTE Pro and Am titles it last won in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Moreover the racing car, based on the critically-acclaimed Aston Martin Vantage road car, will make its class debut in GTE Am with a bold new driver roster of Paul Dalla Lana (CDN), Darren Turner (GB), and Ross Gunn (GB).

“I’m really looking forward to joining Paul and Ross in the #98 car and challenging for the 2019/20 GTE Am championship,” said three-time Le Mans class winner Turner. “It’s going to be very hard work and I think it is going to be the most competitive season in the category, with some very quick cars and some very strong line-ups. Paul is an extremely talented driver with a great deal of experience in the WEC and as a package we are very strong.”

Gunn added: “It’s an honour to be joining the works Aston Martin Racing team for the start of the FIA WEC season. I’m very excited to begin this new chapter of my career at the pinnacle of GT racing and I will be pushing for a solid result.”

And while the GTE Pro class field has reduced in number for ‘Season 8’, the strength in depth is as formidable as ever as Aston Martin’s old rivals Ferrari and Porsche also return. With that in mind, Aston Martin Racing’s exceptional GTE Pro driver line-up remains unchanged for this season, with Nicki Thiim (DEN) and Marco Sørensen (DEN) returning to their regular #95 ‘Dane Train’, while Alex Lynn (GB) and Maxime Martin (BEL) once again occupy the #97 Vantage GTE.

“We are coming in to Silverstone far better prepared and with a better package than last year,” said Martin. “It’s going to be a really tough fight with our rivals as they are really competitive, and as a team we will have to put everything together to be able to win and be at the front consistently. The target for everybody is to try and win the championship this year with the Vantage GTE.”

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