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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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Although the 2009 Le Mans Series has reached its conclusion, Aston Martin Racing now heads to the inaugural Asian Le Mans Series race meeting in Okayama, Japan on the 31 October and 1 November.
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mail your news to editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk
ASTON MARTIN RACING -- 2009 LE MANS SERIES CHAMPION ASTON MARTIN RACING WINS IN JAPAN
The 007 Aston Martin LMP1 ran faultlessly throughout the three-hour race. Excellent performances from drivers Stefan Mücke (DE) and Harold Primat (CH) coupled with perfect pit work from the Aston Martin Racing crew saw the race go exactly to plan for the British team. In a repeat performance of race one, Mücke started in fourth place in dry sunny conditions, taking third just across the line. He set about hunting down the front runners with an impressive display of skill and speed, taking second and then first to lead the race by lap 15. The German driver built up an impressive 20 second lead before pitting to hand the Aston Martin LMP1 over to Primat on lap 39, just before the one hour mark. Primat joined the race in fifth place but as the Aston Martin was one of the first of the LMP1 cars to stop for fuel and tyres he regained the lead soon after when the rest of the field carried out their pit stops. With the temperature dropping Primat built the lead to almost 40 seconds before pitting on lap 83 to return the car to Mücke with just over an hour of the race remaining. Mücke retained the lead for the last tense hour, stopping briefly for a splash of fuel eight minutes before the end of the race. Thankfully the earlier threat of rain didn’t materialise until shortly after the race had finished and Mücke took the chequered flag for Aston Martin Racing.
Team Principal, George Howard-Chappell said: “I was surprised to see the
car had improved so much from yesterday. Full credit to race engineer
Dave Wilcock and the rest of the team for flawless work this weekend and
I’d like to thank our sponsors and tyre partner Michelin. It has been a
pleasure coming to Japan; the whole team has been made to feel very
welcome. It’s a great way to finish the season.” DRIVER QUOTES 007
Stefan Mücke (D):
“ Harold Primat (CH): “I’m so happy! This is my first win in sports cars and I am very pleased that it was with Aston Martin Racing. Stefan gave me the car in P1 and I had a consistent stint with no problems at all. I don’t think anyone was expecting us to be the fastest car on the track today, we surprised everyone including ourselves. The track conditions definitely helped and the car and the team worked really well today.” In the GT1 class, Hitotsuyama Team Nova started from the back of the grid in their Aston Martin DBR9 and went on to win the class, finishing an impressive eighth overall. FRUSTRATION FOR ASTON MARTIN RACING IN JAPAN
Drivers Stefan Mücke (DE) and Harold Primat (CH) fought hard throughout the 126-lap three-hour race to finish fourth on track on Saturday 31 October. ACO rules state that cars must finish with all bodywork intact. Unfortunately for the 007 crew, cracked louvers on the front wings of the car required Mücke to stop for repair in the final minutes of the race. The team taped the louvers to secure them and added a splash of fuel to get to the finish, dropping the car from first place to third but still in contention for a podium. However, officials notified the team that the louvers must be mechanically fixed to the car so 007 returned to the pits a second time. The team changed the whole front nose in record time and Mücke ended the race as he started, in fourth. The car that finished third sustained a similar level of bodywork damage to 007 during the race but did not stop for repairs. Aston Martin Racing questioned the validity of the result as, if the team had stopped for the repairs required in the rules the 007 Aston Martin would have received the podium position it had fought so hard for. The protest lodged by Aston Martin Racing against the third placed car was rejected leaving the team frustrated and questioning the stewards reasoning. Aston Martin Racing specifically sought clarification on this matter following similar incidents at the final round of the Le Mans Series at Silverstone in September which is also sanctioned by the ACO. It is confusing to the team that the stewards have not applied the same interpretation of the regulations as the ACO administrators. Team Principal, George Howard-Chappell: “It’s a disappointing result as we led for the majority of the first race but the rules state that the car must finish with all bodywork intact so, as advised by the stewards and to comply, we stopped for repairs. The fact that this rule was not applied across the board is frustrating. The positives are that the drivers both performed extremely well as did the team but their efforts are not truly reflected in the result. Let’s hope this helps to highlight the issue and the rules are clarified for next year.” Mücke started the race in the Gulf liveried Aston Martin LMP1 car from fourth but quickly gained a place. The German driver remained at the wheel of 007 until almost one hour into the race when he pitted for fuel and fresh Michelin tyres and handed over to co-driver Primat. Following the first round of pit stops Primat led the race and held on to the lead despite strong competition until he pitted on lap 80 with just over one hour remaining. Mücke took over for the final hour; he rejoined in fourth after the pit stop but soon fought his way back to the front, leading the race until approximately 10 minutes remained when the team stopped for a slash of fuel and to repair the broken louvers. DRIVER QUOTES 007 Stefan Mücke (D): “I’m really disappointed with the result; we both worked so hard on the track and fought for three hours only to lose time over a small piece of bodywork. Still, that is racing and we will be back to fight again in race two.” Harold Primat (CH): “Stefan did a great job during and the team’s quick work in the pit enabled me to lead from the start of my stint. The circuit is generally a little bit slow for our car but I really enjoyed my drive. I used the traffic to my advantage and it helped me to keep the rest of the competitors behind me. Stefan and I received a very warm welcome from all of the Japanese race fans at the autograph session which was held before the race and I am looking forward to race two.” Photo credit: www.dailysportscar.com
Silverstone, 13 September, 2009
The 007 Gulf liveried LMP1 car of Jan Charouz (CZ), Toma' Enge (CZ) and Stefan Mucke (DE) finished third in the final round of the Le Mans Series, the Autosport 1000km at Silverstone, recording their fifth podium finish from five races. The 009 car of Harold Primat (CH) and Darren Turner (GB) finished fourth, narrowly missing the podium. The third Aston Martin Racing entry of Chris Buncombe (GB), Stuart Hall (GB) and Miguel Ramos (PT) finished 13th after suffering a technical problem early in the race. The trio of Gulf liveried Aston Martins made a clean start to the 195 lap race which commenced with a rolling start at 11:35. Mucke took the lead across the start line in 007, Turner held third in 009 and Buncombe gained a place moving up to sixth in the 008 Aston Martin. All three drivers settled in for a double stint behind the wheel of their respective Aston Martins. Mucke held first position until just under an hour into the race when he was overtaken and dropped back to second. At the third round of pit stops Mucke handed the reigns of 007 to Charouz, Buncombe switched with Ramos in 008 and Primat took over from Turner in 009. The race was trouble free for the British team until just after 2pm when Ramos reported a problem in his 008 Aston Martin. A faulty air conditioning compressor was the cause and the Aston Martin Racing pit crew worked quickly, replacing the unit and enabling 008 to rejoin the race 20 minutes later with Hall at the wheel. The race lead changed several times over the first half of the race with the top five cars all on different pit stop strategies, but at the three hour mark the Aston Martins were running second (007), fourth (009) and 24th (008) overall. Hall set about working his way back up the pack, gaining 12 places and handing the 008 Aston Martin to Ramos in 12th place after a double stint. Charouz in the 007 and Primat in the 009 also displayed strong performances during their double stints in the middle of the race. Unfortunately there were quicker cars on the track today and Enge in 007, Ramos in 008 and Turner in 009 had their work cut out in the final third of the race. All three drivers had trouble free runs with 007 and 009 pitting briefly in the closing stages of the race requiring a splash of fuel each for the final laps before the trio of Aston Martins crossed the finish line. The final race of the series was completed in 5hrs 30mins which is quicker than usual, this was partly due to the fact that there were no safety car periods in a largely incident free race.
"We have received an amazing welcome at every round of the series from Barcelona where we notched up our first win, to Spa where the 007 crew started from the back to finish on the podium. Portugal was a tough race for our car but again we achieved a podium finish and then Nurburgring was a dream race with all three Aston Martins finishing on the podium. To end the season on the podium at our home race where the support for the team has been fantastic is really the icing on the cake and I would like to thank all of our partners and sponsors for their support throughout the year." Aston Martin Chairman, Dave Richards:" It's fantastic that 50 years on from Aston Martin winning the World Sports Car Championship Aston Martin Racing has triumphed again, winning the Le Mans Series. It really is an impressive result and I am extremely proud of the whole team." DRIVER QUOTES 007 Jan Charouz (CZ): "Amazing! It's a very good feeling. We have worked hard all season and then it finally happened today and we won the championship. We had a conservative strategy and at one point it didn't look like we would finish on the podium but we managed to finish third which was a great achievement as the opposition were very strong." Toma' Enge (CZ): "We have been on the podium at every race and that is a credit to the team and the reliability of the car. The car running without problems and the drivers not making any mistakes was the key to winning the championship and I am very proud to have played my part in this victory for the team and for Aston Martin." Stefan Mucke (D): "I am very happy, I think for me it is my greatest success. It is great for Aston Martin and for us as a team of three drivers; we have finished every race on the podium which is a really amazing achievement." DRIVER QUOTES 008 Chris Buncombe (GB): "It was a great result for the team and despite the problem with our car being a British driver it was really good to race for a great British marque like Aston Martin here at Silverstone." Stuart Hall (GB): "Obviously it was disappointing to have the problem with the car as I think we were as high as sixth at one point but it was great for me to have all of my family and friends here supporting me and to be driving an Aston Martin at the home of British motor racing - Silverstone." Miguel Ramos (PT): "I had my best feeling in the car at this race. It is a shame that we had the problem and lost 20 minutes in the pits because the on-track result doesn't reflect how happy I am with the way I felt in the car today." DRIVER QUOTES 009 Harold Primat (CH): "We just missed the podium because we needed a splash of fuel at the end to get us through the last two laps. This was because of a puncture I suffered right at the end of my last stint. So that is a little bit frustrating but we have finished in a solid fourth place in the Championship and team finished first and fourth which is fantastic considering it is our first year." Darren Turner (GB): "I'm really pleased for the team. It's great that 007 won the Championship and we also had a good finish to the season in the 009 Aston Martin. The result is a credit to everyone who is part of the Aston Martin Racing team." In the GT1 class, Peter Kox and Ryan Sharp finished first in their Gigawave Motorsport Aston Martin DBR9.
Aston Martin’s 1,2, 3
The 009 car of Harold Primat (CH) and Darren Turner (GB) finished second. The third Aston Martin Racing entry of Chris Buncombe (GB), Stuart Hall (GB) and Miguel Ramos (PT) finished just behind 009, securing an all Aston Martin podium. The trio of Aston Martins made a clean start to the 195 lap race which started at 12:30 local time. Mucke and Turner held first and second places respectively in their 007 and 009 LMP1 cars. Ramos in the 008 car quickly made up two places finishing eighth by the end of his first stint. Just under one hour into the race the Aston Martins stopped for fuel. Mucke and Turner remained in 007 and 009 to rejoin for double stints on their Michelin tyres, while Ramos handed the wheel of the 008 Aston Martin to British driver Buncombe who worked his way up to sixth. At the next round of pit stops, Mucke and Turner were replaced by Charouz in the 007 and Primat in the 009. The 007 car stopped for slightly longer than usual to allow the team to fit a larger rear deck gurney to reduce oversteer on the car and improve handling. The 007 pit crew worked at lightning speed, changing the part in just over 10 seconds and 007 rejoined the race in first place. In 008 Buncombe remained in the Michelin-shod Aston Martin and moved up a further place to fifth before the end of his double stint. New to the car for this race, Buncombe adapted quickly to the Aston Martin and was soon on the pace of the leaders. Just after 3pm local time with the race well underway and Aston Martin Racing's main rivals suffering from mechanical issues, the cars pitted for the third time. Buncombe was in first, handing the reigns of 008 to fellow British driver Stuart Hall. Primat and Turner switched in 009 and the team performed the same change to the rear deck gurney on the 009 car, again with minimum disruption to the pit stop. In the 007 Aston Martin, Charouz remained behind the wheel, stopping for fuel only before continuing in first place. After three hours and 100 laps the cars were running first, second and fourth. The team held its breath when Charouz suffered a spin in the 007 Aston Martin on lap 110 but the car was undamaged and he retained first position. By lap 112 Aston Martin was occupying the top three places with the order 007, 009 and 008 and this remained the same until just after the four hour mark when 009, on fresh tyres passed sister car 007 to take the lead. By this time Czech driver Enge was in the 007, Turner was back behind the wheel of 009 and Hall remained in 008 to complete his double stint. At just after 5pm local time Hall returned 008 to the pits in third place and Buncombe took over for the second time, staying behind the wheel until the end of the race. Turner pitted shortly afterwards with Primat taking over for his second session in 009. Enge pitted from first on lap 163 and German driver Mucke returned to the wheel of the 007 to the finish, taking the chequered flag at his home race. Pole sitter Mucke was officially the quickest man on track today, setting the fastest lap of the race with a time of 01min 44.125s. All three Aston Martins ran trouble free for the duration of the race, stopping only for seven scheduled pit stops each. The result marks the team's best achievement yet in the Le Mans Series says Team Principal, George Howard-Chappell: "Absolutely brilliant! I couldn't have dreamt of a one, two, three. The result is a real tribute to the team, the drivers and the whole organisation. I would particularly like to thank Michelin for their support and their valued help. All round it is just fantastic and the flags will definitely be flying at the Aston Martin Racing headquarters in the UK tomorrow morning." 007 Jan Charouz (CZ): "For us as a team of three this is a good result but for Aston Martin it is even better. We are now leading the Team and Driver Championships and it puts us in a much better position for Silverstone which is a race we are confident will suit the car. I think we are all looking forward to the last race of the season and we hope we can win the Championship." Toma' Enge (CZ): "This was a really important race for the whole team and also for Aston Martin. We are very happy to be leading by seven points but anything can happen in the last race and the Championship is by no means decided but at least we are in a strong position for the title. I'm really looking forward to the last race which is the home race for the team and the employees at Aston Martin Racing and Aston Martin so I'm sure we will have a lot of supporters." Stefan Mucke (D): "It was absolutely fantastic, the team did a great job and we had almost no issues during the race. In qualifying the car was good and at the end of the race the car was perfect. I'm so pleased to have won my home race, it is an amazing feeling." 008 Chris Buncombe (GB): "This is a fantastic result. A podium finish was always the aim but we didn't know how achievable it would be. To be here driving for Aston Martin this weekend is a dream. I've learnt a lot and I treated it as a learning weekend so to come away with a podium is just fantastic. This was the first time I have driven the car and now I know what to expect, I can't wait for Silverstone." Stuart Hall (GB): "It's great to be back in the car and it's great that Aston Martin had faith in me. I couldn't really ask for more. It is the first time that myself, Chris and Miguel have driven together. We are a good team and we jelled very well. It's been a while since I last drove the car but I think we showed great pace. I'm going to enjoy this result for the next week or so and then look forward to Silverstone. It's my favourite circuit and there is no better place for a British driver to race than Silverstone. I know the circuit really well so you never know, hopefully we can get another good result there too." Miguel Ramos (PT): "A podium finish is a great result for me and my new team-mates. We all put in solid performances and we had a great race." 009 Harold Primat (CH): "It was fine with just two of us in the car as it gave us more driving time and more time to work on finding the best set-up. Darren is a very good solid driver so I'm happy to be partnering him because he is pushing me to improve. It's great to finally be on the podium, it's a good feeling and great for improving confidence." Darren Turner (GB): "It's an amazing feeling to finish on the podium, to be up there with our team-mates and George, the three cars below and the whole team cheering us on was just a great feeling. It's a great testament to the team to get three cars home in any race but to get three cars home and on the podium when the competition is so strong in this series is a real achievement. It has been a great day for everyone."
PODIUM FOR ASTON MARTIN RACING IN PORTUGAL
The sister 009 car of Harold Primat (CH), Miguel Ramos (PT) and Darren Turner (GB) finished fifth. Mücke started the race at 19:15 in the 007 car from second on the grid and was soon in the lead. However, after just over an hour 007 was in the gravel following a spin. The car was undamaged and rejoined in fourth place. At around 21:00, after completing a double stint, Mücke handed the 007 Aston Martin to team-mate Charouz who turned in a fault-free performance. Charouz made rapid progress under the cover of darkness to finish in front. Czech driver Enge took over at 22:50 and stayed at the wheel for two stints before returning the car to Mücke with 27 laps remaining. The 007 car and the number 16 Pescarolo spent the race trading first and second positions but it was the Pescarolo that came out on top leaving Mücke to bring the Gulf liveried Aston Martin across the line in second place. In the 009 car, Ramos started the race from fifth on the grid, dropping down to ninth in the frantic first laps before settling into a good rhythm and working back up to fifth. Second in the 009 was Swiss driver Primat who dropped back following contact with another car. Luckily, damage to the 009 Aston Martin was minimal and Primat was able to rejoin the race and work his was back through the pack. Turner took over just after 22:00 and made impressive progress, climbing again to fifth before Primat returned for his second run with just over an hour of the race remaining. Turner took over with 23 laps left to run, bringing the car home safely in fifth. Team Principal George Howard-Chappell commented: “We are of course disappointed with second but the combination of the spin and a small technical fault with the 007 car at the end of the race cost us the victory. I was pleased to see the 009 car come home safely and we are still in the hunt for the championship. Once again the pit work from the team was excellent.”
Jan Charouz (CZ): “It was fun but very tough. My first run was good, the Michelin tyres were great but towards the second half of my double stint I was starting to struggle for grip. I had a few critical moments but I managed to get through them all. It is a hard track to drive because you have corners and corners and corners. Even on the straights you can’t really relax because it’s so bumpy that you have to hold the steering wheel really tight to make sure the car doesn’t go offline. I got used to the track pretty quickly so the visibility wasn’t really a problem for me. I think an open car would be easier but we have a closed car and it’s quick so I’m not complaining. I had a great drive tonight.” Tomas Enge (CZ): “My two stints went well, especially the first one. I struggled a little with slow traffic; some of the other cars seemed to take a long time to get used to the dark after they left the pits. It is much harder to see here at night than at Le Mans but it is the same for everybody. I was really careful when overtaking but I didn’t want to be too cautious and lose valuable time. I had a little problem with gear shifting in my second run but I was able to hold my position and I had a lot of fun out there. I am looking forward to the next two races and I think the tracks at Nurburgring and Silverstone will be more suitable for our cars.”
Driver quotes 009 Harold Primat (CH): “I started well but then I had contact with another car, I didn’t think it was a big issue but the car felt a bit strange so I came into the pits for the team to check it over. The car was fine and the rest of my stint was ok but not great, it is difficult in traffic here. It was the beginning of the night when I got in the car and it took a while to adjust to the level of visibility.” Miguel Ramos (PT): “The start was tricky because my tyres were quite cold, I had a lot of understeer and it was hard to get into a rhythm at first. When I got into the rhythm it was great until quite near the end when I got some pickup on my tyres which was difficult to shift. I completed 64 laps, which is the most I have done in one go so far. It felt good but it was hard, I wanted to bring the car home safely and make sure I got to the end with no mistakes which I did so I’m really pleased.” Darren Turner (GB): “We started fifth and we finished fifth. The car was very good but I think like most people, our race wasn’t trouble free. I really enjoyed my time on the track especially at the end as the car was really well balanced and we had good pace. The team did another great job in the pit stops.”
ASTON MARTIN EXCEEDS ALL EXPECTATIONS AT LE MANS Le Mans, 14 June, 2009.
As expected, the diesel-powered cars enjoyed a margin of superiority, but Aston Martin Racing fulfilled its mission of being the first petrol car home, having also been the quickest of the petrol cars during qualifying on Thursday night. Despite the Aston Martin LMP1 car being new for this year, with the Le Mans programme only confirmed six months ago, the fourth-placed 007 car – crewed by Jan Charouz (CZ), Tomas Enge (CZ) and Stefan Mücke (DE) – exhibited perfect mechanical reliability, with only a puncture and a minor issue with the headlights getting in the way of its serene progress to the chequered flag. Mücke qualified the 007 car in eighth place for the start of the 77th Le Mans 24 Hours, which took place at 3pm on Saturday. This was in spite of extremely limited dry running before qualifying, as the six-hour long free practice session on Wednesday was hit by heavy rain. When it came to the race, ambient temperatures were extremely warm, taking their toll on cars and drivers. The 007 car ran in close formation with its sister 008 car – crewed by Anthony Davidson (GB), Darren Turner (GB) and Jos Verstappen (NL) – for the first half of the race. Davidson, a former Grand Prix driver, qualified the 008 car ninth and at one point on Saturday evening climbed as high as third in the overall race standings. Unfortunately the 008 car lost time at around 10pm when it was in collision with a GT1 car during an overtaking manoeuvre at Tertre Rouge. The effect of this was to damage the suspension and floor, which necessitated several visits to the pits to repair. Furthermore, the crew was handed a five-minute stop-and-go penalty in relation to the incident, which was taken in the early hours of Sunday morning. Afterwards, 008 was amongst the quickest petrol-powered cars in the race, but it subsequently lost time with mechanical problems relating to the gearbox and brakes. It was eventually classified 13th, having followed the 007 car across the line on Sunday in a spectacular formation finish. The 009 car, crewed by Stuart Hall (GB), Peter Kox (NL), and Harold Primat (CH) did not make the end of the race as Primat had an accident in the 18th hour that brought out the safety car but left him uninjured. Kox had qualified the car in 17th place on Thursday night, setting his fastest lap on his final timed run. Tomas Enge took the finish for the 007 crew after 373 laps and 5084 kilometres, watched by an estimated crowd of over 250,000 people. The Czech driver commented: “I have to say how impressed I have been with the reliability of the car. We had no real problems at all from start to finish, which is an amazing achievement for such a tough race. I’d like to thank the entire team for making this result possible, which certainly exceeds our expectations. This is always going to be one of the best memories of my career.” His compatriot Jan Charouz bounced back from an accident in qualifying on Thursday night that damaged the 007 car heavily. Thanks to some excellent work from the Aston Martin Racing mechanics, the car went on to finish just off a podium place in the race. Charouz said: “The accident in qualifying certainly wasn’t the best way for me to start the Le Mans 24 Hours but that is all forgotten now. Conditions during the race were extremely tough, with several incidents and safety car periods, but we managed to get through it thanks to some excellent team work. We may not have won ourselves on this occasion, but I hope that we paid a good tribute to the drivers who won for Aston Martin back in 1959.” Mücke took the start of the race for the 007 crew and turned in a fault-free performance throughout the 24 Hours, despite feeling unwell on Sunday. The German driver’s renowned blend of speed and consistency resulted in the car making rapid progress back up the order after a puncture on Saturday evening dropped it down to seventh. “I’m absolutely delighted by this result,” he said. “The performance gap shows that there are still effectively two classes in the LMP1 category – diesel and petrol – but we said from the very beginning that our objective was to be quickest in the petrol class and so I am very pleased that we have managed to achieve this. Compared to last year our performance gap to the diesels is a bit smaller but the rules still do not allow us to compete on equal terms.” The 008 crew completed 342 laps, with all the drivers delighted to get to the finish of this epic race. Anthony Davidson set the car’s qualifying time on Thursday and impressed the team with his abilities and feedback throughout the weekend. “It’s been an absolutely great experience,” said the Englishman. “I’ve been really impressed with the performance we’ve shown here and I hope we’ve surprised a few people with our speed. It’s been fantastic to be part of the Aston Martin team and I think between us all we’ve put on a great show. We ran as high as third overall and I think had we experienced no problems, then we could have challenged for the podium.” Darren Turner finished the race for the 008 crew, having proved instrumental in hauling the car back up the leaderboard after it lost time overnight. Turner, a two-time Le Mans winner in GT1 with Aston Martin, said: “We’re really pleased to get to the finish, although at the same time we’re disappointed that we had a few problems. The important thing though is that this has been a tremendous result for the team after all the hard work everyone has put in, particularly the 007 crew who did such a great job.” Former Grand Prix driver Jos Verstappen, who spent 10 years in Formula 1, did not put a foot wrong on what was his LMP1 debut and only his second Le Mans, following his win in the LMP2 class last year. “I’ve had a fantastic time,” said the Dutchman. “Before this race I had very little experience of the car, and during my first stints alone I practically doubled my seat time in it. As the race went on I got to know it better and our pace improved. I felt comfortable in the car straight away: given the small amount of preparation we all had I think everyone has done an amazing job.” The 009 crew was reduced to two drivers after Stuart Hall was disqualified on Saturday evening for his part in a collision with an LMP2 car at the Ford chicane. Beforehand, the young Englishman had impressed on his debut with Aston Martin Racing.
Hall commented: “I’m very sorry for the incident that led to my
disqualification, but I’m very grateful for the opportunity to drive for
Aston Martin Racing. The professionalism of the team has been second to
none, and the end result for the 007 car is well-deserved.” Peter Kox was drafted into this year’s squad at the last minute, but is nonetheless a familiar face at Aston Martin, having driven for the team on several occasions in the past. “It was great to be back,” he said. “We obviously had a tough race with our car, but when things go well there is plenty of potential as the result for 007 shows.” Harold Primat luckily emerged with no injuries after his accident on Sunday, having shouldered the burden of all the driving with Kox since Saturday night. “It was a shame for Peter and I as we were moving up the field after our earlier problems and we were both frustrated not to finish,” concluded Primat. “At Le Mans you sometimes have bad luck, and this was just one of those occasions. However, the team result with the 007 car is the most important thing.” David Richards, Chairman of Aston Martin, commented: “I’m absolutely delighted. We came to Le Mans with modest expectations and we’ve exceeded all of them. Once again, Aston Martin has punched well above its weight and it’s a fantastic achievement from everyone involved. Now we have to ask ourselves some serious questions about where we go from here.” Dr Ulrich Bez, Chief Executive Officer of Aston Martin, added: “In the same month that we launch the new V12 Vantage and DBS Volante, it is fitting that the same 6.0 litre V12 heart powers our LMP1 cars to such an outstanding Le Mans debut. I am thrilled for the whole team.”
ASTON MARTIN RACING TRIUMPHS OVER ADVERSITY FOR SPA PODIUM
The 007 crew failed to set a qualifying time on Saturday as the result of a mechanical problem, which saw the Aston Martin Racing mechanics work late into the night to replace the car’s engine in readiness for today’s six-hour race. Nonetheless a superlative performance from all three drivers throughout an incident-packed race, plus a well-deserved fifth place for the sister 009 car, has resulted in Aston Martin Racing adding to its Le Mans Series team points total following victory at the opening round in Barcelona last month. This was despite strong opposition from diesel-powered rivals that turned out to have a significant performance advantage on the seven-kilometre Spa circuit, located in the heart of the Ardennes Mountains. Although this region of Belgium is noted for its changeable weather, conditions remained warm and dry for the 143-lap race. Mücke started the race at 12:50 in the 007 car from the back of the grid, and soon demonstrated an impressive pace coupled with the incisive ability to cut through traffic. Within an hour he had already moved into the top five behind the 009 car. However, the German did not have an entirely trouble-free stint: a collision with another competitor who had outbraked himself damaged the nose of the 007 Aston Martin, affecting the car’s handling. “The damage meant that the underside of the nose was actually moving, which made the handling totally nervous and unpredictable,” reported Mücke. “But to come back from the problem of not being able to qualify yesterday and surviving some interesting moments during the race only makes this podium result all the more satisfying. What is clear is that our car is very competitive when we have a clean run, as our ability to move through the traffic showed.” Jan Charouz – who formed part of the victorious 007 crew at Barcelona – then took over for the second stint, which was characterised by several incidents, accidents and safety car periods. Charouz then handed the car over to his Czech compatriot Tomas Enge after a tricky double stint on the notoriously complex Spa-Francorchamps circuit. During Charouz’s stint the 007 car’s nose was changed in order to rectify a problem with the lights, and it was then that the crack in the underside that had affected Mücke was discovered. “Conditions were really difficult,” reported Charouz, who did not put a foot wrong throughout his long stint. “This is one of the most challenging circuits in the world, and the number of people going off proved the point. I struggled a little bit with the set-up, but in the end this result here has certainly gone beyond our expectations at the start of the weekend so we are very happy.” Enge got into the car with two hours to go when it was running in fourth, but he was able to close up to the leaders under yet another lengthy safety car period. He emerged in third place with around 20 minutes of racing left, meaning that he had to strike a delicate compromise between guaranteeing a strong finish for the team and attempting to secure a podium place against strong opposition that was right behind him. “There was some pressure on me in those final laps, for sure,” reflected Enge at the finish. “Our instructions were very clear: with Le Mans so close we did not want to take any risks with the cars. However, I also really wanted to be on the podium. So I pushed as hard as I could while keeping a certain safety margin, and thankfully it had the right result. I said from the start that I believed we could put the difficulties we experienced during qualifying behind us with some good teamwork and this was proved to be the case today. It just goes to show the strength of our team.” Darren Turner started the race from third on the grid in the 009 car but the Englishman had a puncture at the first corner after he was hit by another competitor. He said: “It was just one of those things: a racing incident. Nobody was at fault, but it was unfortunate that we had to complete the first lap with a puncture. What helped us was the fact that a safety car came out, so we lost track position but didn’t go a lap down.” After the problem was rectified Turner was able to make impressive progress through the field, climbing as high as third place throughout a double stint that lasted for nearly two hours. He subsequently handed over to Portugal’s Miguel Ramos, who had to battle a serious vibration throughout his own double stint. “I’m not sure what the problem was but the effect was dramatic,” said Ramos. “The vibration was so bad that it was hard to concentrate on the braking zones sometimes as I could not see them properly. Under those circumstances it was just a question of bringing the car home safely, and I’m pleased that we managed to do that.” Swiss driver Harold Primat drove the car for the final and longest stint totalling over two hours. He dropped a bit of time with a spin in the closing stages after being tagged by another competitor. Thankfully this had no lasting consequences and the team was able to seal its first double points finish in the Le Mans Series. Primat said: “This was the longest stint I have ever done in the car and I was feeling a bit tired by the end of it. Above all I was aiming for consistency, and I think I managed to do this. It was just a pity that somebody hit me at the end and I had a spin; there was nothing I could do. It took me a little while to get going again, and maybe without that we could have taken fourth place. But fifth is still a good result and I think we all worked well together today. ”
ASTON MARTIN VICTORIOUS ON LE MANS SERIES DEBUT THE STORY OF ASTON MARTIN’S FIRST LE MANS SERIES WIN
Aston Martin Racing has won the Catalunya 1000 kilometres, on the team’s Le Mans Series debut with its new LMP1 challenger. The 007 car, driven by Jan Charouz (CZ), Tomas Enge (CZ) and Stefan Mücke (DE) finished first after a flawless debut run. Car 009, crewed by Harold Primat (CH), Miguel Ramos (PT) and Darren Turner (GB), ran in the top three until the final 40 minutes of the race, when a spin put the crew out of contention. An elated David Richards, Chairman of Aston Martin, said: “This momentous victory is a fantastic reward for the many weeks and months of hard work put in by every member of the team. Endurance racing is above all a team sport, and I think that we have proved this once again today.” Despite a limited pre-season testing programme, neither the 007 nor the 009 car experienced any mechanical problems during the course of the six-hour race, with just six scheduled pit stops for fuel and tyres on the winning Aston Martin. The car also set the fastest race lap of 1m34.089s. In spite of limited track time prior to the start of the season, Aston Martin Racing was able to overcome serious opposition to record the company’s first ever overall win in the LMP1 category. During Saturday’s qualifying session, German driver Stefan Mücke overcame a minor gearbox problem and some traffic to end up second on the grid in 007. Britain’s Darren Turner did an excellent job in his very first LMP1 qualifying to place 009 third on the grid. The same two drivers were chosen to start the race on Sunday. The opening round of the Le Mans Series got underway at 11:30, with a scheduled race distance of 1000 kilometres or 215 laps. By the end of the opening lap, Mücke was in the lead while Turner held third, ensuring that the Aston Martin LMP1 car led its very first lap of competition. Mücke handed over to Jan Charouz after his opening stint, who held second place, while Turner stayed in 009. After nearly an hour and a half, Turner swapped places with Harold Primat, with the Swiss driver keeping 009 well and truly in the hunt for a podium place. Tomas Enge took the 007 car over from his team mate and compatriot Charouz just after 13:00, and immediately set about hunting down the lead car, reducing the gap to less than a second on the 100th lap of the race. The Czech driver was part of a thrilling three-way battle for the lead, but he was not quite able to make his move after losing grip at the end of a long stint. Primat did an excellent job in 009 and handed over to Miguel Ramos just after 1pm. The Portuguese driver had no problems during his first stint and maintained fourth until Turner was back in the car just after the halfway point of the race. Shortly afterwards Enge lost a handful of seconds with a spin that luckily had no lasting consequences, meaning that 007 and 009 maintained their second and third places respectively. During his final stint, Stefan Mücke continued to chase down the leader, catching him lap after lap, but then the race was interrupted by a safety car period caused by a spin for Miguel Ramos in the 009 Aston Martin, 15 minutes into his final stint and less than an hour from the finish. The car was running in third place when Ramos spun, but the Portuguese driver was not able to restart it. This meant that the safety car came out while 009 was recovered, allowing the 007 car driven by Stefan Mücke to close right up to the leader. Once the safety car
came back in, Mücke was able to make use of the traffic to pass the
leader with a brilliant move around the outside on lap 193, with just 20
minutes to go. The 007 car was already fuelled to the finish, and once
in front Mücke was able to pull away to seal an emotional victory on
Aston Martin Racing’s Le Mans Series debut. Drivers - 007 Jan Charouz (CZ): “It’s been a really impressive debut, and I’ve had a very good feeling with the car throughout the weekend. I’d like to thank everybody for doing a fantastic job: I think this sets us up really well for a successful continuation to the season. I had no problems at all during my stints, and most importantly we have learnt a lot for the future.” Tomas Enge (CZ): “This is the perfect way for us to start our season, and the car has been very good from the beginning. The only problem I’ve experienced is a lack of rear-end grip sometimes, which is what caused my spin. But luckily no harm was done and we did not lose much time. During my stint I tried to keep up with the leading Pescarolo but it was very tricky. In the end though it was a great result for everyone.” Stefan Mücke (D): “I’m absolutely delighted with this result, but it was a very close call at the finish. It was so tight at the end that I really did not know which way everything would go. Eventually we were able to take advantage of the safety car to close up, and then we found a gap in the traffic to pass the leader. He went to the inside, we went to the outside and thankfully it worked. Once we were through, I think we proved that we had the pace to win.” 009 Harold Primat (CH): “It was a tough first stint for me, as my drinks bottle did not work so I got very hot. Physically it was difficult but I’m pleased with the job that we did and the result goes to show that all our hard work has paid off. I’m delighted for the team, the only problem we had with the car was driver comfort: we need to work on our seating position.” Miguel Ramos (PT): “I obviously have mixed emotions: I’m very disappointed and sorry for what happened when I was in the car, but I am delighted for the team. I was following behind an LMP2 car during my final stint, when I spun. I tried to control the spin in order not to hit the barrier, but once the car was stopped I could not get it going again.” Darren Turner (GB): “My first stint was quite tricky, as it was by far and away the longest time I had spent in the car in one go. Before today, the longest time I had been in the car was probably around 20 minutes; after the start of the race it was nearly an hour and a half. We didn’t change tyres during that time, so our Michelins were definitely having to work hard and did a good job. There was less traffic during our second stint and we were able to hold position without problems. ”
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Aston
Martin Racing claimed a sensational victory in the second round of the
Asian Le Mans Series in Okayama, Japan. 
The
car was brilliant to drive and the Michelin tyres were perfect. The team
made some minor changes to the set-up last night and it was as if
someone flicked a switch and everything just came together. During my
first stint the car got better and better each lap and the tyres gave me
the confidence to overtake and get out in the lead. Harold did a great
job in the middle of the race and then I took over for the final stage.
The car was a pleasure today and I am very happy with the win.” 
Despite
leading for the majority of the race Aston Martin Racing finished fourth
in the inaugural round of the Asian Le Mans Series in Okayama, Japan. 
Aston
Martin Racing is crowned the 2009 Le Mans Series champion claiming the
Team and Driver titles 50 years on from Aston Martin winning the World
Sportscar Championship in 1959 with the DBR1. 
Team
Principal, George Howard-Chappell
The
007 Gulf liveried LMP1 car of Jan Charouz (CZ), Toma' Enge (CZ) and
Stefan Mucke (DE) finished first, recording their second win of the
season and fourth podium finish from four races. 
The
007 Aston Martin LMP1 car of Jan Charouz (CZ), Tomas Enge (CZ) and
Stefan Mücke (DE) finished second, securing a place on the podium at the
Algarve 1000 kilometres in Portugal. 
Driver
quotes 007
Stefan
Mücke (D):
Fifty
years on from Aston Martin’s victory in the 1959 Le Mans 24 Hours, the
team has exceeded all expectations by finishing an excellent fourth
overall in this year’s race, having been quickest of the petrol runners
from start to finish.
The
007 Aston Martin Racing LMP1 car of Jan Charouz (CZ), Tomas Enge (CZ)
and Stefan Mücke (GER) has finished on the podium of the Spa 1000
kilometres in Belgium following a magnificent fightback after the team
started from the back of the grid. 