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Aston Martin Eyes Historic Win With Largest Ever Line-up At Crowdstrike 24 Hours Of Spa
Aston Martin's new Vantage GT3 will debut at the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa this weekend. This marks the first time since 2012 that Aston Martin aims to win the race outright. The event, celebrating its 100th anniversary, will see seven Vantages entered by ComToYou Racing and Walkenhorst Motorsport, making up more than 10% of the 67-strong entry list.
ComToYou Racing has entered three additional Vantage GT3s. These cars share the mechanical architecture of the new Vantage road car unveiled earlier this year at Silverstone. They are built around Aston Martin’s bonded aluminium chassis and powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine. The Belgian team’s #11 Bronze Cup entry will be driven by John de Wilde (BEL), Kobe Pauwels (BEL), Job van Uitert (NED) and Dante Rappange (NED). Two Silver Cup entries include #12 with Nicolas Baert (BEL), Esteban Muth (BEL), Sebastian Øgaard (DEN) and Erwan Bastard (FRA), while #21 features Charles Clark (GBR), Sam Dejonghe (BEL), Matisse Lismont (BEL) and Xavier Maassen (NED).
Walkenhorst Motorsport’s #34 entry includes David Pittard (GBR), Henrique Chaves, and Ross Gunn (GBR). Pittard is a Nürburgring 24 Hours winner, Chaves won his class at Le Mans in 2022, and Gunn recently secured a victory in IMSA with the new Vantage GT3. Together, these drivers form one of Aston Martin's strongest-ever Pro class line-ups.
ComToYou Racing’s #7 car will feature Nicki Thiim, Marco Sørensen, and Mattia Drudi. Thiim and Sørensen have five FIA GT World Endurance Championship titles between them but have never won at Spa. Drudi finished second overall in 2020 and is the reigning Fanatec GT World Europe Sprint Cup champion.
The new Vantage GT3 has already achieved victories across North America, Asia, and Europe this month. It shone brightly in events like the Rolex 24 Hours, Nürburgring 24 Hours, and Le Mans. Adam Carter, Head of Endurance Motorsport, said: "The Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa represents perhaps the purest form of GT endurance racing." He added that misfortune has played its part in other major races this season but hopes for better luck at Spa.
Aston Martin last won the Spa event in 1948 under different regulations with a DB1 driven by St John Horsfall and Leslie Johnson. The brand recorded its best finish in the GT3 era in 2021 when Gunn, Sørensen, and Thiim secured third place overall after leading much of the race.
GT4 European Series Participation
Aston Martin also has nine Vantage GT4s entered for the GT4 European Series double-header support event. These entries come from five partner teams: Forsetti Motorsport, GPA Racing, Mirage Racing, Racing Spirit of Léman, and PROsport Racing.
Walkenhorst Motorsport’s Silver Cup line-up includes Romain Leroux (FRA), Lorcan Hanafin (GBR), and Maxime Robin (FRA) in car #35. Their Bronze Cup #36 car will be driven by Tim Creswick (GBR), Mex Jansen (NED), and Ben Green (GBR).
The event kicks off on Thursday with a free practice session at 1120 CET followed by qualifying later that day at 2035 CET. A special Superpole session is scheduled for Friday from 1545-1615 CET. The race itself begins at 1630 CET on Saturday.
The Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa is open only to GT3 cars, making it a unique test for Aston Martin’s new model. With victories already secured in various championships this year, Aston Martin aims to add another triumph to its record during this prestigious event.
This year's race sees participation from nine manufacturers across five classes. The competition is fierce as teams vie for glory on this historic occasion.
Aston Martin Lagonda was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Known for style, luxury, performance, and exclusivity, it produces critically acclaimed models like the Vantage and DB12. The company aims to create thrilling electric performance cars by 2025 as part of its sustainability strategy.
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