Aston Martin refreshes WEC GTE Am line-up
Aston Martin has drafted in long-time factory driver Darren Turner and youngster Ross Gunn to partner Paul Dalla Lana for his 2019/20 FIA World Endurance Championship assault in the GTE Am class.
Turner and Gunn replace Dalla Lana's long-time teammates Pedro Lamy and Mathias Lauda at the wheel of the new-generation Aston Vantage GTE, which is eligible to race in GTE Am for the first time in the 2019/20 season.
Dalla Lana, Lauda and Lamy had contested the WEC's GTE Am class as a trio since the 2015 season, taking the class title together in 2017, but were joined in the #98 car in last month's Prologue test at Barcelona by Turner, Gunn and Matthieu Vaxiviere.
For Turner, it marks a full-time return to WEC action, the 45-year-old having been relegated to a part-time schedule for the 2018/19 superseason.
"I'm really looking forward to joining Paul and Ross in the #98 car and challenging for the 2019/20 GTE Am championship," said Turner. "It’s going to be very hard work and I think it is going to be the most competitive season in the category, with some very quick cars and some very strong line-ups.
"Paul is an extremely talented driver with a great deal of experience in the WEC and as a package we are very strong."
Gunn meanwhile has been an Aston junior driver ever since winning the British GT4 title alongside Jamie Chadwick in 2015, and since then represented the marque in the European Le Mans Series, Michelin Le Mans Cup and the Blancpain GT Series.
“It’s an honour to be joining the works Aston Martin Racing team for the start of the FIA WEC season," said Gunn. "I’m very excited to begin this new chapter of my career at the pinnacle of GT racing and I will be pushing for a solid result."
Aston Martin goes into the new WEC season with an unchanged driver line-up for its two-car GTE Pro attack. Nicki Thiim and Marco Sorensen will continue to share the #95 car, while Alex Lynn and Maxime Martin once again join forces in the #97 machine.
Aston factory driver Jonathan Adam will race for customer squad TF Sport in the Am class, once again partnering Charlie Eastwood and Salih Yoluc.
Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTE livery
Photo by: Aston Martin Racing
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