Aston Martin fully geared towards customer competition

Cinq Aston Martin, this is the number of English cars present in Asian Le Mans Series this weekend, for the start of the season. The Japanese team D'station Racing, which also reaches the FIA ​​milestone WEC this season will field the #77 car for team owner Satoshi Hoshino (JP), Tomonobu Fujii (JP) and Tom Gamble (GB).

Meanwhile, reigning GT World Challenge Pro-Am champion Alexander West (SE) leads a two-car Garage 59 assault alongside drivers Maxime Martin and Valentin Hasse-Clot in the #88. Yuki Nemoto (JP), Mike Benham (GB) and Marvin Kirchhöfer (DE) will drive the sister car #89.

TF Sport returns to action with two top crews. John Hartshorne (GB), will share the #95 with Ollie Hancock (GB) and team regular Charlie Eastwood (IE), while Ahmad Al Harthy (OM), Canning (GB) and Johny Adam (GB) will ride on n°97.

This large contingent symbolizes Aston Martin's emphasis on customer competition this season. Absent from the WEC in GTE-Pro for the first time, and without an official program apart from the Formula 1, the British manufacturer has decided to concentrate all its efforts on the king model in GT3, i.e. the brand's support for customer teams with factory drivers.

Seven drivers will fill this role in 2021, Nicki Thiim and Marco Sørensen, winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2020, Darren Turner, Jonny Adam, Maxime Martin, Charlie Eastwood, as well as rising star and former British GT4 champion Ross Gunn.

Frenchman Valentin Hasse-Clot and Briton Tom Canning, winners of the Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy, will also join racing programs with customer teams in 2021.

Beyond the Asian Le Mans Series, three Aston Martins will be entered in the WEC in GTE-Am for Aston Martin Racing and TF Sport.