Aston Martin Racing Unveils V8 Vantage GTE and 2016 Plans
The British racing green is ready to take on challengers! Aston Martin Racing recently announced its plans for 2016, in addition to showing off the new livery for the V8 Vantage GTE.
In its 12th year of competition, Aston Martin Racing (AMR) will campaign three cars in the 2016 season of FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and 24 Hours of Le Mans. Two cars will race in the GTE Pro class with the third entry in the GTE Am class. The trio aims to add to Aston Martin’s 23 overall wins in FIA WEC — the most of any manufacturer.
Thanks to changes in FIA regulations regarding aero development, the 2016 V8 Vantage GTE features a completely re-designed aerodynamics package, including a very pronounced rear diffuser. Focusing on the underfloor aero allows the GTE to increase performance while still maintaining the look of the road car on which it’s derived from.
And putting all that downforce to use will be Dunlop’s latest Sport Maxx GT racing tires. AMR plans to exclusively use Dunlop rubber as they’ve been working together closely on testing and development to ensure that the car and tires complement each other during the most intense racing conditions.
Taking on the task of commanding the GTE to its fullest potential is a group of incredibly talented drivers.
Piloting the #95 GTE Pro entry are Nicki Thiim, Marco Sørensen and Darren Turner.
Richie Stanaway, Jonny Adam and Fernando Rees will have their turns behind the wheel of the #97 GTE Pro car, and the #98 GTE Am car returns with an unchanged lineup of Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy and Mathias Lauda.
While the drivers group features some familiar faces, French energy specialist TOTAL is a new addition to the team. With over 60 years of experience in automotive fluids, TOTAL plans to support this year’s campaign both at the factory and trackside.
Keep an eye out for the 2016 V8 Vantage GTE and its Stirling Green livery as it tackles Circuit Paul Ricard on March 25th and 26th during the first official WEC test session.
April 17 marks the opening round of the WEC with the Six Hours of Silverstone.
Learn more about the road-going Vantage model range and follow the racing team’s efforts on Aston Martin’s official website.
Photos courtesy Drew Gibson/Nick Dungan/Aston Martin Racing.
