Le Mans – ESM package, five Aston Martins at the start

The announcement of Extreme Speed ​​Motorsports' move to the LM P2 category in ALMS foreshadowed this, and the information was made official this evening by the ACO. Scott Sharp's American team renounces its invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 22-23).

As stipulated in the regulations, the car selected is the first in the list of GTE substitutes, namely theAston Martin V8 Vantage n°98 initially entered in GTE Am but ultimately switched to GTE Pro. The Gaydon brand should therefore have five V8 Vantages at the start on June 22, three in GTE Pro and two in GTE Am. " We are pleased, underlines team principal John Gaw. Having this car as a first reserve was already good news, and we crossed our fingers that it would become a permanent place. The four Vantage GTEs lined up in the FIA WEC (n°97 and 99 in Pro and n°95 and 96 in Am) will therefore be joined at Le Mans by the No. 98. And, contrary to the initial registration, the No. 98 will race in Pro and not in Am. In this particularly important year for the brand (which is celebrating its centenary. Editor’s note), we would like to particularly thank the ACO for reclassifying this car. »

The drivers will be announced later, but we already know that New Zealander Richie Stanaway and American Dane Cameron will be tested next week at Sebring. As a reminder, in Sarthe, numbers 97 and 99 (aligned in GTE Pro) will be entrusted to the trios Darren Turner-Stefan Mücke-Peter Dumbreck and Frédéric Makowiecki-Bruno Senna-Rob Bell. In GTE Am, numbers 95 and 96 will see the crews of Allan Simonsen-Christoffer Nygaard-Kristian Poulsen and Stuart Hall-Roald Goethe-Jamie Campbell Walter compete.

The LM GTE Pro category goes from 11 to 12 cars, the GTE Am from 14 to 13 units. From now on, the first substitute car in GTE is the Porche 997 GT3 RSR Prospeed competition entered in GTE Am and on which Turki Al-Faisal was nominated.