Aston Martin Racing has revealed the six drivers who will compete for the legendary British marque in the iconic Le Mans 24 Hours this year – with a blend of former class winners and Formula 1 experience.
In June, the Gaydon-based manufacturer will bid to defend its GT1 class victory achieved ten months ago, when after three years of playing the underdog against the all-American muscle of chief rivals Corvette, the 009 British Racing Green machine finally defeated the leading 'Vette by less than three minutes, taking the chequered flag in an eye-catching fifth position overall for good measure.
Three of the drivers announced for the 2008 edition have previously raced in the top flight, beginning more than 200 grands prix between them and winning three of them. One of the three has prevailed at La Sarthe twice – 14 years apart – and two of the six emerged victorious in GT1 last year, all-in-all constituting what team principal George Howard-Chappell terms 'another very strong driver line-up' for Aston Martin Racing, the DBR9 resplendent in its striking blue and orange Gulf livery this year – marking the 40th anniversary of the oil company's Le Mans debut.
David Brabham, Darren Turner and Antonio Garcia will share the reigning class-winning car, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Karl Wendlinger and Andrea Piccini joining forces behind the wheel of the sister 007 machine.
“David and Darren are absolutely known quantities to us, having formed part of the crew that won GT1 last year,” Howard-Chappell stated, “so it's very good to have them on-board again. Antonio and Karl have both been extremely active in our customer teams, and we have been very impressed with them throughout our testing programme.
“Andrea drove for us at Le Mans in 2006 – as well as in America – so we're delighted to welcome him back. As for Heinz-Harald, his reputation speaks for itself, so we look forward to a successful collaboration and another exciting race.”
Brabham triumphed in the GT class with Jaguar back in 1993, before adding to that success with second place overall for Bentley in 2003 and GT1 victory for the factory Aston Martin concern last year. The Australian and fellow incumbent Turner are eagerly anticipating working together again in 2008, with young team-mate Garcia similarly insisting he is ready for the stern challenge that lies ahead.
“I'm delighted to be asked back and have the opportunity to race at Le Mans again this year,” enthused Brabham, ahead of his 15th appearance in the round-the-clock French classic and fourth in a DBR9. “If anything it's going to be an even bigger challenge now as I'm sure the competition will have moved on, so we'll need another faultless run. I feel we're well-prepared, but anything can happen at Le Mans – which is precisely what makes it such a fascinating place.”
“Winning the race last year has given us added confidence,” added Turner, like Brabham a regular Aston Martin fixture since the team's inception in 2005, “but it has probably also put even more pressure on, as now we're the team to beat.
