Aston Martin Racing works-supported entry takes Daytona 24 GTD top four finish

Sunday 30 January, Banbury: Aston Martin Racing is celebrating a strong start to the season, as its works-supported entry has taken a top four finish in the GTD class at the Rolex 24 at Daytona; the season’s first milestone event.

The #98 V12 Vantage GT3, piloted by Paul Dalla Lana, Richie Stanaway (NZ), Mathias Lauda (AT) and Pedro Lamy (P), started the endurance classic in seventh, quickly climbing into the top three where they remained for the large majority of the race.

With the race cloaked in darkness, damage from other competitors forced the entry into the pits for quick repairs. Despite the setback, the team found its rhythm and clawed back lost time throughout the remaining hours.

Although competing once again for the lead in the later hours of the race, the team were forced to pit and refuel with Richie Stanaway on board, unfortunately costing the team a well-deserved podium.

John Gaw, Team Principal said, “It’s a bitter-sweet moment after a 24-hour race like that. While I’m disappointed that the team weren’t able to achieve the podium finish we deserved, everyone has performed admirably. It definitely brings me great confidence for the rest of the year”.

Speaking after the race, Pedro Lamy commented, “This was a really fun race to start our season and I felt incredibly comfortable in the car. We were all able to set some really quick but consistent lap times, which helped us get into a really strong position to challenge for podium places. While it was disappointing not to get into the top three, we’re all very happy with our performance”.

Aston Martin Racing now sets its sights on the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship and will announce its plans for this season on Friday 19 February.

Aston Martin Racing