Aston Martin is set on making history as the first British manufacturer to secure an outright win at the legendary German 24 Hour race. This June, the new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 embarks on a formidable journey, aiming to conquer three of the most prestigious 24 Hour races: Nürburgring, Le Mans, and Spa.
With a storied legacy at the Nürburgring spanning over six decades, Aston Martin will once again showcase its prowess with nine Vantages competing across three classes, managed by three esteemed partner teams. Among them, Walkenhorst Motorsport boasts a stellar lineup featuring works driver Nicki Thiim and reigning 24 Hour winner David Pittard.
Former class victors Dörr Motorsport and podium finishers PROsport Racing will also participate, bringing five Aston Martin Vantage GT4s to the competition.
On Tuesday, 28 May 2024, in Nürburgring, Germany, Aston Martin rekindles its longstanding relationship with the notorious Nürburgring Nordschleife as the new Vantage GT3 debuts in the ADAC Ravenol 24H Nürburgring.
The British luxury sports car manufacturer has enjoyed a winning tradition at the Nürburgring, with Grand Prix legends Tony Brooks, Sir Stirling Moss, and Sir Jack Brabham contributing to a trio of 1000km victories in the late 1950s. This included the 1959 race that helped secure the World Sports Car Championship, the same year Aston Martin’s DBR1 famously won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Next month, on 15-16 June, the 92nd running of this iconic race will take place in France.
Since re-entering sports car racing in the mid-2000s, Aston Martin has been a constant presence at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Whether through works-entered GT cars or trusted partner teams, Aston Martin has claimed no fewer than 10 class victories and over 25 podium finishes since 2006.
This June, the British luxury brand will take on the Nürburgring, Le Mans, and the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, with the new Vantage GT3 participating in all three events. Partnering with the ultra-successful Walkenhorst Motorsport, Aston Martin strives to become the first British manufacturer to win the Nürburgring 24 Hours outright. The German team, victorious in the 2018 24 Hours of Spa and the 2023 Asian Le Mans Series, will run three Vantage GT3s in the SP9 PRO, PRO-AM, and AM classes.
The #34 SP9 PRO Vantage GT3 features works driver and reigning Nürburgring 24 Hours winner David Pittard, a renowned Nordschleife specialist, alongside two-time FIA World Endurance GT champion Nicki Thiim. They will be joined by Christian Krognes and Kuba Giermaziak.
“You never know what the Nürburgring will bring you,” said Pittard. “It’s such a challenging event with so many cars on track, varied weather conditions, and the tough nature of the circuit. The new Vantage has shown great pace everywhere we’ve been this year and gives you confidence as a driver. If we stay out of trouble and fortune falls our way, I believe we can be in the mix at the front. It would be amazing to stand on the podium as an Aston Martin driver.”
PROsport Racing has entered a previous-generation Vantage GT3 in the SP9 PRO-AM class, featuring Nico Bastian, Marek Böckmann, Hugo Sasse, and Ben Green, along with two Vantage GT4s in the SP10 class and another in the SP8T category. Dörr Motorsport, who won the SP8T class in 2022, will run a single Vantage GT4 in the class and another in SP10.
Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport, said, “The Nürburgring 24 Hours holds a special place in the hearts of Aston Martin fans. The racing, technical, and human challenges it presents sum up everything special about endurance racing. Every victory across every class is a special achievement. The new Vantage GT3 has proven competitive everywhere it has raced so far in 2024, and we expect no less this weekend. However, the ‘Ring demands a perfect alignment of numerous factors for success. With Walkenhorst Motorsport, Dörr Motorsport, and PROsport Racing, we have partners who know how to put all these factors into play. We wish them all the best and will see what the race brings.”
Aston Martin made its Nürburgring 24 Hours debut in 2006 with an almost standard V8 Vantage, which paved the way for the highly successful GT4 version. Since then, the marque has enjoyed numerous class victories, including the SP9T class win in 2018 and the most recent SP8T class win in 2022.
The new Aston Martin Vantage GT3, unveiled in February, is built around Aston Martin’s proven bonded aluminum chassis and powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine. With new aerodynamics, revised suspension, and state-of-the-art electronics, this latest-generation Aston Martin GT racer is poised for world-beating performance.
First qualifying for the ADAC Ravenol 24H Nürburgring begins on Thursday, 30 May at 1300 local time, with the race starting at 1600 on Saturday. Follow event details via official series websites and apps.
