Aston Martin has made its return to the AWS Pirelli GT World Challenge’s top division for the first time since 2022. The new Vantage GT3 made its competitive debut last weekend at the opening round of the most highly competitive GT-only series, held at the Paul Ricard Circuit with the strongest lineup in its history.
First up, two powerful teams from the GT series, Comtoyou Racing and Valkenhorst Motorsport, have joined as partners for Aston Martin Racing in 2024. Comtoyou Racing is a team that won gold at the Pirelli GT European Endurance Race Cup, while Valkenhorst Motorsport is the overall winner of the 2018 Spa 24 Hours. Both teams boast outstanding drivers, with seven new Vantage GT3s competing across all series.
In North America, the highly decorated Flying Lizard Motorsports participated in the GT World Challenge America’s first round at Sonoma Raceway with Aston Martin’s new Vantage GT3. Thus, a total of eight new Vantage GT3s raced globally last weekend.
Adam Carter, head of Aston Martin’s endurance motorsports division, commented, “The fact that eight new Vantage GT3s participated in two major championships across the Atlantic indicates the excitement from both new and existing partner teams about this vehicle.” He added, “It also shows that reputable teams like Comtoyou Racing and Valkenhorst Motorsport becoming part of Aston Martin Racing reinforces confidence in the new Vantage while also highlighting the potential to compete in the GT World Challenge across various regions, including Europe.”
He further stated, “This vehicle, still in its early stages, has already shown its potential via FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The new Vantage is set to demonstrate itself as Aston Martin’s most competitive GT3 car.”
Leading Comtoyou Racing are Marco Sørensen from Denmark, a three-time champion of the FIA World Endurance Championship, and his long-time friend Nicky Catsburg, a two-time championship winner from Denmark. Together with Mattia Drudi from Italy, the Pirelli GT European Sprint Champion, they raced as Aston Martin Racing partners in car number 7 in the Pro Cup.
Additionally, the silver cup competitors from Comtoyou Racing include gold champion Nicolas Bart (Belgium), Sebastian Ogaard (Denmark), Finlay Hutchison (UK) in car number 12, alongside Sam Dejonghe (Belgium), Mathis Rismont (Belgium), and Charles Clarke (UK) in car number 21. John de Wilde (Belgium), Job van Uitert (Netherlands), and Kobe Powels (Belgium) also raced in car number 11 for the bronze cup, marking Comtoyou Racing’s debut in the bronze category.
Valkenhorst Motorsport competed in the Pro Cup with an impressive lineup. The Vantage GT3 racing under number 34 was driven by David Pittard (UK), winner of the 2023 Nürburgring 24-hour race, along with Enric Károly (Portugal), the 2022 Le Mans 24-hour winner, and Ross Gunn (UK), winner of the IMSA GTD Pro category race.
The silver cup entry number 35 featured Romain Le Roux (France), Lorcan Hanafin (UK), and Maxime Robin (France), all graduates of the 2022 Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy.
In the bronze cup, Tim Creswick (UK), Max Jansen (Netherlands), and Ben Green (UK) raced in car number 36.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin also showcased its prowess in the GT4 European Series that began last weekend at the Paul Ricard Circuit. A total of eight Vantage GT4s, including four from Aston Martin Racing partners GPA Racing, Mirage Racing, PROsport Racing, and Racing Spirit of Léman, filled about 1/5 of the grid.
In the Pirelli GT4 America Championship held in the U.S., Heart of Racing fielded two cars. In the Pro-Am category, Gray Newell (USA) and Roman De Angelis (Canada) competed, while amateur teams were led by Hannah Grisham (USA) and Hannah Greenmeier (USA), making it a fully female crew. Flying Lizard Motorsports also participated in the Pro-Am category with Todd Parris (USA) and Tom Dyer (USA) as their drivers.
Including PROsport Competition and Arkangel Motorsport, five teams participated in their respective GT America races on the same weekend, showcasing a minimum of 24 Aston Martin Vantages in prominent series operated by the SRO Motorsport Group.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr