In Aston Martin’s return to the GT ranks, they finished third LM GTE Pro competitor in the FIA World Endurance Championship opening round, the 12 Hours of Sebring. After a faultless six hours of racing, the loss of the left rear wheel during the seventh hour forced the car to limp back to the pits, where they lost another 25 minutes for repairs. But Stefan Mucke, Adrian Fernandez and Darren Turner managed to keep alive the hope of a podium finish.
John Gaw (Team Principal Aston Martin Racing) : “Our objective on the car’s debut was to complete the race competitively and score maximum points for the WEC. Not only did we exceed our expectations on the both the qualifying and race pace of the car, but to record a podium result and score the associated 15 points for the team and drivers in the WEC is a terrific outcome.”
Adrian Fernandez (Driver Aston Martin Vantage GTE #97, Aston Martin Racing, 3rd LM GTE Pro, 34th overall) : “My debut GT race went much better than I expected. The car was more competitive than we thought it would be in the race and I had fun fighting with many cars in our class. To finish the race was very important and my team-mates helped me improve a lot in the car – I was very happy with my pace. The more I drive the Vantage GTE the more comfortable I get in it.”
(Source: Aston Martin Racing press release)
Photo : SEBRING (FLORIDA, USA), SEBRING INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, SEBRING 12 HOURS, RACE, 17 MARCH 2012. Aston Martin Racing finished third in the LM GTE Pro class of the FIA World Endurance Championship behind Ferrari (AF Corse) and Porsche (Team Felbermayr-Proton).
Photo : – DPPI Media