AMR: Reliability before performance

Aston Martin Racing has been criticized for its choice of engine. The prototypes prepared by Prodrive are equipped with a 6-liter turbocharged inline 2-cylinder engine which encountered numerous problems, disrupting the reliability of the British car. Uncertainty reigns in the Aston Martin camp over the lifespan of their cars in racing.

George Howard-Chappell, the principal director of Aston Martin Racing, is trying to remain optimistic despite the deadline which is fast approaching. “Time is not on our side, even if we have made significant progress since our first outing at Paul Ricard in April. We have just returned from a recent test at Monza. The engine was more reliable and our drivers were very satisfied with the balance and handling of the prototype. »

However, George Howard-Chappell specifies that the drivers will not be in full attack to achieve the best possible result. “We are not going to push the car to its limits this weekend because we have to continue our development. It is a program spread over three years, we are still in the early stages of the birth of the car. It would therefore be good to achieve the desired reliability. The performance will come later. »

Find in the next issue of AUTOhebdo, on newsstands from Wednesday, around fifteen pages dedicated to the Le Mans event with exclusive interviews with Anthony Davidson, driver of the Peugeot 908 n°7, and Philippe Sinault, director of the Signatech-Nissan team, as well as a report on the security of the circuit without forgetting the column by Henri Pescarolo.