Aston Martin Racing unveils its 2026 Academy, featuring seven French drivers

Kobe Pauwels, winner of the 2025 edition, embodies exactly whatAston Martin wishes to achieve with his academy. The Belgian driver, who will participate in the GT World Challenge Europe with Comtoyou Racing this season, will also make his debut in the World Championship.Endurance (FIA WEC) for the season's opening round, the 6 Hours of Imola. Pauwels will replace Eduardo Barrichello, who is unavailable for the race. IMSA, in Long Beach, the same weekend.

This is the ninth year that Aston Martin has run this initiative, which will allow more than twenty drivers to compete in various GT championships around the world. They will be judged throughout their season by a panel comprised of drivers Darren Turner, Valentin Hasse-Clot, and Jonny Adam, as well as Rachel Adam, Director of the AMR Academy, Gus Beteli, Head of Performance at AMR, and Huw Tasker, Head of AMR Partner Racing. The driver who demonstrates the most skill, not only on the track but also off it—in their interactions with teammates, the media, and commercial partners—will win the academy and a season with support from Aston Martin Racing.

Among the 22 names revealed, there are seven French drivers, including Sébastien Baud. After a WEC season with McLarenBaud will focus this year on IMSA with Van der Steur Racing. He has already participated in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring this season. Louka Desgranges will race in the GT4 European Series. Two French drivers will compete in the GT World Challenge and will vie for the academy title: Gaspard Simon and the young Arthur Dorison, the reigning French F4 vice-champion.

Baudouin Detout (ADAC GT Masters), Marius Fossard (ELMS) and Mathieu Martins (GT4 Ibérique) will be the final three French drivers on the list of 22 selected by Aston Martin Racing. All drivers aged 16 to 26 with programs with the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 or GT4 in 2026 were eligible for a place on the Aston Martin Driver Academy candidate list. Now, the 22 entrants must do their best to secure a scholarship, an program that has notably launched the careers of Ross Gunn, Roman de Angelis, and Valentin Hasse-Clot, who is part of this year's jury.

The 22 nominees for the 2026 Aston Martin Driver Academy

Sébastien Baud
Joel Bergström
Louka Desgranges
Baudouin Detout
Arthur Dorison
Roberto Faria
Dennis Fetzer
Marius Fossard
Pedro Garcia
Hannah Grisham
Ethan Ischer
Mathieu Martins
Anton Morsing
Will Orton
Ronan Pearson
Gaspard Simon
Jodie Sloss
Oliver Söderström
Rory van der Steur
Athan Sterling
Mateo Villagomez
Hunter Yeany

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