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Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Seeks Successful Conclusion To Its Debut World Championship Season In Bahrain
The Aston Martin Vantage GT3 is set to conclude its debut season in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain on 2 November 2024. This new GT3 model, closely related to the Vantage road car revealed at Silverstone, features a bonded aluminium chassis and a powerful twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine.
Driver crews from The Heart of Racing (THoR) and D’station Racing have achieved podium finishes four times this year. THoR secured its first WEC victory at the Lone Star Le Mans round at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in September. They led from pole position and recorded the fastest LMGT3 class lap.
In Japan last month, THoR finished in the points at Fuji, keeping them in contention for second place in the LMGT3 Endurance Trophy for drivers and teams. Ian James, Alex Riberas, and Daniel Mancinelli are just seven points behind three other GT crews vying for second place, with 39 points up for grabs in Bahrain.
If THoR achieves its goal, it will cap off a strong season with the new Vantage GT3. The team has already secured runner-up positions in both drivers' and teams' championships in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD Pro class earlier this month at Road Atlanta.
D’station Racing has also found success with the Vantage GT3 domestically. They remain contenders for the GT300 class title in Japan's SUPER GT Series after winning Aston Martin's first championship race at Suzuka in June. The team aims to improve on last year's second-place finish in Bahrain.
Among D’station Racing’s drivers is Marco Sørensen, Aston Martin’s most decorated active works driver. Sørensen is a three-time FIA WEC champion and has won both Rolex 24 and Le Mans class races. He recently won Spa 24 Hours alongside Nicki Thiim and Mattia Drudi.
Aston Martin's Legacy
Aston Martin boasts an impressive record at Bahrain in WEC events. The Vantage took pole position during the inaugural race there in 2012 and finished second with Darren Turner and Stefan Mücke. Since then, Aston Martin has won seven class victories across different configurations.
Last year's event saw D’station Racing achieve their best WEC result with a second-place finish while THoR earned their first WEC podium by finishing third. Official practice for this year's race begins on Thursday, 31 October at 1215 local time (0915 GMT), with the race starting on Saturday at 1400 (1100 GMT).
Aston Martin's Future Plans
Aston Martin continues to compete globally for titles, including those in Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe and Japan’s SUPER GT Series. Adam Carter, Head of Endurance Motorsport at Aston Martin, stated: "No matter what is left to come from 2024, I believe we are safe to declare the season a successful start to the new Vantage GT3’s career."
Carter added that victories like COTA for THoR demonstrate how competitive Aston Martin is for both professional and amateur drivers alike within WEC competitions worldwide.
The company remains committed to sustainability through its "Racing Green" strategy by developing alternatives such as PHEV and BEV drivetrains between now until 2030 while aiming towards net-zero manufacturing facilities by then too.
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