Never a moment's rest for the team at Aston Martin Racing. Not since Prodrive chief David Richards took over with his consortium of investors, at least. With the announcement of the V8 Vantage GT2, the team has expanded into every class of GT racing in the Le Mans Series, campaigning racing DB9s in GT1 and GT3 and competition-spec V8 Vantages in GT2 and GT4. But now that the regulations for the Le Mans Prototype class have been modified to allow for GT1 engines to power LMP cars, Aston Martin is turning its attention to that class, too.
Hot on the heels of the team's unveiling of the retro-tastic Gulf livery for its DBR9 GT1 cars, Aston Martin Racing has announced a collaboration with Charouz Racing Systems, which will campaign a Lola chassis with the DBR9's 6-liter V12 in this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the broader European Le Mans Series. Tomas Enge, Stefan Mucke and Jan Charouz will drive the car, and in addition to working in partnership with Lola's engineering team to repackage the V12 for the LMP chassis, Aston Martin Racing's engineers will support Charouz Racing System's cars at the races.
We're looking forward to seeing the car in full race trim and to witnessing Aston Martin taking on the entire field at this year's Le Mans 24. Press release after the jump.
[Source: Aston Martin Racing via Motive]
Press Release
Aston Martin Power LMP1 in 2008
Aston Martin Racing will provide engines for the Charouz Racing Systems LMP1 entry at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours and in the Le Mans Series (LMS).
Aston Martin Racing and Charouz Racing Systems are taking advantage of new LMP regulations for 2008, which allow the use of a GT1 engine in a prototype chassis.
The team will use a new closed cockpit Lola chassis for 2008, fitted with the latest specification Aston Martin six litre V12 unit, which was used in the 2007 GT1 class winning DBR9. Aston Martin Racing will work with Lola to repackage the engine and drivetrain for the new chassis, while engineers from Aston Martin Racing will support the car on event.
Aston Martin Racing has contracted Tomas Enge, Stefan Mucke and Jan Charouz for the 2008 season. All three have been placed with Charouz Racing Systems and will race the Michelin-shod Lola/Aston Martin at Le Mans and in the LMS.
George Howard-Chappell, team principal for Aston Martin Racing, said: "The V12 unit has already proven that it has the performance and endurance to win at Le Mans. We are now looking forward to the challenge of repackaging it in a new lighter chassis and seeing how competitive it can be in the prototype class. It will be great new experience for me and all the team here at Aston Martin Racing."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
EJ25RUN @ Jan 10th 2008 1:27PM
yeah !!!!
i love Aston Martin its been so long since the AMR1 so Im sure with David Richards this will be an all out effort.....
Le mans 08 baby!!!!!
Aston Martin Car company of the year for 2008!
The Penguin @ Jan 10th 2008 2:08PM
This is anything, but an all-out-effort. Aston is letting a privateer ream use their GT1 engine in an LMP1. They will be at Le Mans, but it would really take a miracle for them to win.
Jon B @ Jan 10th 2008 2:40PM
If you can't win the GT1 class just switch to something else like the LMP class. Go Team Corvette!
EJ25RUN @ Jan 10th 2008 2:42PM
but they won lemans?
Jon B @ Jan 10th 2008 4:03PM
When you put a safety car out on the track for an hour because of rain, and the Corvette is gaining fast on the Aston up until that time, I wonder who would have been the victor...
As a side note, if you believe Aston to be a fast legitimate team, why don't they race in the ALMS like they did in 24 hours? In the ALMS they wouldn't even race the rest of the season without more weight and horsepower opportunities from the series...but wait, weren’t they the faster team in France. Nothing like showing up to Road America and watching yellow cars win the GT1 class with no Aston's in chase because ALMS didn't bend over backwards for them. Bunch of babies
The Penguin @ Jan 10th 2008 6:57PM
I would like to thank Jon B for clarifying why they won GT1, but in my post I was talking about LMP1.
Luis @ Jan 10th 2008 1:53PM
This is going to make for an interesting racing season, especially in the LMP class. It's good to see some new blood, especially Aston Martin/Lola...
Quattrofan @ Jan 10th 2008 3:47PM
So the new regulations allow for use of GT1 engine in LMP1. It will interesting to see how that V12 will do in a nice light chassis like B08/60 LMP1. I wish my fellow Czechs all the luck as the will surely needed going against Audis and Peugots. I'd say they are doing great if they finish ahead of Pescarolo.
coops @ Jan 10th 2008 5:56PM
Jon B, you talk rubbish. You could bring all sorts of "what ifs" into your excuses for why the yellow cars did not win, but that is the race that is Le Mans. Aston won it and if anyone is a baby it is you for not accepting it. As for competing in the ALMS: why bother, its a second rate show, just look at the lack of entries in all classes. Besides, Aston Martin has beaten he Corvettes at most circuits anyway in the 2 years they did grace the series with their presence, not forgetting the first race entered at Sebring in their first year, or would you rather we forgot that.
Zurbert82 @ Jan 10th 2008 6:29PM
Second rate? Right. At least fans show up for ALMS races. ALMS also has more competitive factory teams (Penske Porsche RS Spyders, 3 Acura/Honda powered teams, factory Audi, Corvette), not under funded and slower privateer field fillers like the LMS has, although Peugeot added that much needed factory element in 2007. The LMS's strength is in higher car counts especially in GT1, and longer endurance races, but the rest of it pales in comparison to the ALMS. The only bad things about the ALMS are the uncompetitive LMP1 class and the 2 car GT1 class, but the fact that some P2 cars were competitive with Audi more than makes up for the weak P1 entries. The ALMS provides unrivaled fan access, quality teams, relevant manufacturers, historic tracks, and some classic racing moments which can be seen here.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rXLGMZDKBv8
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MjWo8VdMb8I
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zvbMwupvEPY
Anyway, it will be interesting to see how the Charouz Aston Martin matches up to the Peugeots and the other petrol powered LMP1's.
Zurbert82 @ Jan 10th 2008 6:44PM
Coops, don't forget about the performance balancing during the 2006 ALMS season, mainly due to Prodrive whining about their uncompetitive Pirelli tires. The Pirelli girls were nice though...
Balance of Performance adjustments were continually assessed against Corvette Racing throughout the 2006 campaign. Starting with 122 lbs at the beginning of the season at Sebring, the sanctioning body of the ALMS ramped up those adjustments to 199 lbs, plus smaller air restrictors and fuel tanks following Corvette's 24 Hours of Le Mans win. With one race remaining and the outcome of the season on the line, the sanctions body handed down their seventh adjustment of the season: Both Corvette and Aston Martin would race a 2,535 pounds total, but Corvette would have a smaller engine restrictor.
The weight, restrictor, and fuel capacity penalties on the Corvette C6.R's all but handed the Prodrive Aston Martin's 5 victories.