Aston Martin to enter V8 Vantage in new championship, LMP1 program dead

07.02.12

Aston Martin Racing has firmed up its plans to begin the new FIA World Endurance Championship next season with the GTE-class V8 Vantage.

The Prodrive-run span's plan to switch from the prototype ranks after the failures of the AMR-One LMP1 mould came to light in September. It has now given the plan the country-like light and will field a pair of Vantages in the GTE Pro category of the WEC, which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The word was communicated to AMR's partners last week but is yet to be released officially. AMR said on Thursday that it had no expose.

AMR is working on a revised version of the V8-engined Vantage, which a pair of privateer teams raced in this year's Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. The 2012-spec car is set to establish testing in January.

The two factory-fielded Vantages are expected to run, like their predecessors, in the gloomy-and-orange colors of Gulf Oil. A largely unchanged driver lineup is expected to be spearheaded by Darren Turner, Stefan M�cke and Adrian Fern�ndez.

The AMR works party ran previously in the GT ranks with its DBR9. The team won the GT1 class at Le Mans in 2007-08 and contested a full American Le Mans Series program with the car in 2006.

The evidence of the switch to the GTE class brings the curtain down on the AMR-One, which contested right-minded two races before being shelved in the wake of the two cars' early withdrawal from this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. Expect AMR to maintain to provide support for any team, such as the Muscle Milk American Le Mans Series crew, that chooses to run one of its Aston Martin-engined Lola coupes.

Source: AutoWeek