ASTON MARTIN RACING LAUNCHES NEW GTE CHALLENGER AND 2016 TITLE HOPES

Aston Martin Racing has today unveiled its ambitious plans for the 2016 season, its latest V8 Vantage GTE challenger and an exciting new collaboration with global energy supplier TOTAL and tire supplier Dunlop.

The premiere GT-racing outfit, which enters its twelfth year of competition, will field a three-car campaign in this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and 24 Hours of Le Mans; two contesting the GTE Pro class and a single entry in GTE Am. The three entries will look to extend the brand’s 23 overall wins in FIA WEC; more than any other manufacturer.

David King, Head of Global Motorsports, Aston Martin commented, “It’s fantastic to launch our 2016 race program here at Aston Martin’s Gaydon headquarters. It’s an important point in time for the brand with the upcoming launch of DB11 and the 2016 motorsport season is an equally exciting prospect. Motorsport is a key part of Aston Martin’s DNA and it’s vital that we’re represented by such a strong line-up. We’re very much looking forward to our home race at Silverstone and the first opportunity to see the 2016 V8 Vantage GTE in competitive action”.

With a raft of new regulation changes including a greater freedom on aero development, the team has unveiled its latest 2016 V8 Vantage GTE; the car which shall support the outfit’s GTE Pro entries. Boasting a fully re-designed aerodynamic package including a distinctly pronounced new rear diffuser, the team remains confident that it will be able to challenge at the sharp end of what will prove to be an extremely competitive WEC field.

New for the 2016 season, Aston Martin Racing will run exclusively on Dunlop rubber throughout the FIA WEC. Working closely together on testing and development throughout the winter months, the V8 Vantage GTE will be equipped with the latest Sport Maxx GT racing tires.

To extract the ultimate performance from a world-class GT racer, a high-caliber squad of drivers is essential. Aston Martin Racing doesn’t disappoint for the new season and while retaining familiar faces, the team is proud to announce a rebalanced line-up in its GTE Pro entries, with all drivers held on long-term contracts.

The #95 GTE Pro entry will see the Danish pair of Nicki Thiim and Marco Sørensen join Aston Martin Racing stalwart Darren Turner for the 2016 season.

According to Darren Turner, “This will undoubtedly be a different year to the past three WEC seasons that I’ve been involved in, but I’m very much looking forward to partnering with Nicki and Marco in the #95”. Testing has gone very well during the winter months and I think we’ll be in with a strong chance by the time Le Mans comes around in June”.

The second Pro entry of #97 will be occupied by the equally exciting trio of Richie Stanaway, Jonny Adam and Fernando Rees.

“After a strong start to 2016 placing fourth at the Daytona 24hrs, we’re all feeling confident going into 2016,” Richie Stanaway. ” It’s great to partner Fernando again and to also have Jonny permanently in the car. I’m sure he’ll make a great addition”

In GTE Am, the #98 will return with an unchanged line-up, as Paul Dalla Lana hunts championship success alongside Pedro Lamy and Mathias Lauda.

“I’m really excited for both the FIA WEC and Nürburgring 24hrs this year,” commented Pedro Lamy. “We have unfinished business in both but I think we have everything right to get the results we want this season”.

While the action promises to be exhilarating on the track, Aston Martin Racing is also pleased to announce an exciting new collaboration with French energy specialist TOTAL. Joining the team for the 2016 season, TOTAL will provide technical support both at the factory and each round of the WEC season. Boasting over 60 years of knowledge and research in automotive fluids, TOTAL’s branding will also feature as part of the V8 Vantage GTE’s distinct new ‘Stirling Green’ livery; a shade shared with the brand’s most select sports cars.

Meanwhile, in its fourth year of competition at the infamous Green Hell, Aston Martin will again field two V12 Vantage GT3s in the Nürburgring 24hrs’ top-tier SP9 class, demonstrating the firm’s commitment to top-level international GT racing. The new 2016 V12 Vantage GT3, now also equipped with Dunlop rubber, will be cloaked by new sponsor IQ Option; a leading global binary option broker. The brand will provide full-livery backing to this year’s #007 N24 challenger, while also holding a prominent space on all FIA WEC entries.

All cars to be campaigned in the WEC, 24hrs of Le Mans and at the Nürburgring are derived from Aston Martin’s road-going Vantage range. Today’s Vantage line-up – comprising four distinct models using one of two advanced engines; V8 Vantage, V8 Vantage S, V12 Vantage S and the exclusive Vantage GT12 – represents a clear and strong link between road car and race car.

Aston Martin Racing is also pleased to announce that men’s designer clothing brand Hackett, will continue its relationship with the team in 2016; supplying all team and replica wear.

John Gaw, Managing Director of Aston Martin Racing said, “We’re pleased to welcome our new sponsors and technical collaborators to the Aston Martin fold. With an extremely competitive World Endurance Championship ahead of us, I’m confident we have our strongest driver line-up to date and we can expect plenty of success throughout the season”.

Aston Martin Racing’s 2016 season kicks off with The Prologue, the official WEC test session at Circuit Paul Ricard in France on 25 and 26 March. The opening round of the championship, the Six Hours of Silverstone, takes place on 17 April and Nürburgring 24 Hours begins on 28 May.

2016 racing calendar:
WEC Six Hours of Silverstone: 17 April
WEC Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps: 7 May
Nürburgring 24 Hours: 28/29 May
24 Hours of Le Mans: 18/19 June
WEC Six Hours of Nürburgring: 24 July
WEC Six Hours of Mexico City: 3 September
WEC Six Hours of Circuit of the Americas: 17 September
WEC Six Hours of Fuji: 16 October
WEC Six Hours of Shanghai: 6 November
WEC Six Hours of Bahrain: 19 November

TRG-Aston Martin Racing Celebrates Their 21st Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona

TRG-Aston Martin Racing completed their race weekend at Daytona, marking 21 consecutive starts at the for the team. In that time, they ran hundreds of clean laps and led the GTD class at several points.

One notable guest was team partner Sergio Pérez, the hugely popular Mexican Formula 1 driver, who was there to support his brother and TRG-AMR driver Toño Pérez. His presence generated interest from both the media and fans with interviews being televised nationwide. Escuderia Telmex and Telcel provided Spanish-language race coverage to a huge network of international followers. Drivers Ricardo Pérez de Lara and Santiago Creel also brought distinguished guests from their home country of Mexico, including Senator Santiago Creel Miranda.

Before the race weekend, TRG-AMR hosted its annual elegant dinner featuring Adobe Road Wines at the hallowed grounds of golf and the home of the PGA, the Tournament Players Club in Sawgrass, FL. On Thursday, evening team supporter and former Senator Jeff McWaters of Virginia hosted a reception at his motorcoach featuring both Adobe Road and Angela Estates wines. Later in the week, guests enjoyed a fun and lively event at a beautiful yacht harbored at the Halifax River Yacht Club, where a multi-course wine dinner was hosted that evening. More than 70 notable attendees enjoyed dinner, including TRG-AMR drivers, sponsors and partners as well as politicians from both the US and Mexico.

That same evening, Kevin Buckler was honored at the Rolex Bob Snodgrass Award of Excellence alongside Chip Ganassi, Bobby Rahal, and Bill Riley. The ceremony honors team owners based on their performance in the prior season and their ongoing contribution to the sport. The TRG-AMR hospitality events led up to the most important and difficult race of the year: the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.

TRG-AMR was pleased to welcome LaSalle Solutions for another year as the title sponsor, with their friends and partners cheering the team on from trackside. A select group of guests watched the race from the TRG-AMR Royal Purple suite at Daytona’s 500 Club. Guests were escorted around the track with private golf cart tours, taking in the sights of the famous Ferris wheel and newly-remodeled facilities.

The Aston Martin V12 Vantage was a formidable contender in its class, and the team, crew and drivers handled the car with no mistakes for more than 14 hours of racing. James Davison led the GTD class for some time, and Lars Viljoen ran his fastest laps in his second stint, putting down a consistent set of laps that matched the leaders’ times. Toño Pérez and Ricardo Pérez de Lara both put in amazing double stints late in the evening keeping the car on the lead lap with the leaders.

Early on Sunday morning, the #007 was involved in an unfortunate side-to-side incident in the bus stop on lap 371 and was unable to continue. The team was down, but determined to work hard for the next race.

"I'm looking forward to a successful partnership between TRG-Aston Martin Racing, myself, and many powerful Mexican alliances," stated team partner and Formula 1 driver Sergio Pérez. "I see the potential to support new, great Mexican talent in international categories, and I'm excited about the opportunities that are yet to come for my brother Toño and many other drivers."

“First of all, a big congratulations to every single person on the TRG-AMR team,” said Kevin Buckler. “Our hospitality and guest entertainment was second-to-none, and it was so satisfying to see smiles all around from our sponsors, partners and friends who came out with us this weekend. The competition guys did a stellar job preparing the car and we ran a flawless race. Not one single mistake or penalty, and the drivers rocked it on this huge stage. I was really proud of them and I think they surprised a lot of people. We had an unfortunate incident in the bus stop chicane, which took us out. Although it's disappointing to all, I still have to say how proud I am of everybody on the team. Running these endurance races is crazy tough! You have to be ready for both the highs and the lows. We’re already starting to work on our next race and thinking about how to do it even better.”

Next up, TRG-AMR will be hosting a two-day testing and track program at the beautiful Circuit of The Americas, followed by a return to Florida for WeatherTech Championship test days ahead of the 64th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, then on to Pirelli World Challenge races at Austin and St. Petersburg.