Aston Martin and Silverstone: A strong connection
Arriving for a home race is always an important moment for any team competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship, but next month’s 6 Hours of Silverstone will have extra significance for the Aston Martin Racing squad.
Aston Martin Racing may be based a short drive away in Banbury, with Aston Martin’s headquarters situated just a little further up the road in Gaydon (some 26 miles/41 kilometres), but later this year the famous British manufacturer will be opening a new test centre for its road cars at Silverstone.
It means the focus will be well and truly on the team’s two brand new Vantage GTE contenders, with British driver Alex Lynn behind the wheel of the No.97 vying for glory in the fiercely competitive LMGTE Pro class. Also representing the iconic luxury British sports car manufacturer will be 2016 WEC GT champions Marco Sorensen and Nicki Thiim of Denmark, and Belgium’s Maxime Martin who joined the team this year.
An Aston Martin spokesperson explained more about the strengthened links to Silverstone: “As we move squarely into the development phase of the next generation of sports cars, it makes sense to have a hub for pre-production testing that is closer to our Gaydon headquarters. Silverstone is the perfect facility for this and will become our centre for vehicle testing, focused on chassis dynamics and high-speed handling.
“As a quintessentially British brand, it also means that racing on home soil in the FIA World Endurance Championship takes on a little extra significance. It’s always a cherished responsibility to perform in front your own fans, and one which we derive great pride and motivation from.”
The motivation of performing for the home crowd should help give Aston Martin Racing an added boost in its quest for success in the GTE Pro and Am classes and a repeat of its winning Silverstone form of previous seasons.
In addition to the fully professional line up, which takes on teams from BMW, Ferrari, Ford and Porsche, Aston Martin Racing also has a Pro-Am entry in the field. The trio of Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy and Mathias Lauda are defending 2017 LMGTE Am champions and they will be looking to build on their victory in the opening round of the year in May.
