Aston Martin reveals expanded manufacturing facility driver roster for 2024

Nurburgring 24 Hours winner David Pittard, GT World Problem Europe Dash Cup champion Mattia Drudi and Henrique Chaves, a category winner on the Le Mans 24 Hours, have been added to the Aston Martin Racing roster for 2024.

They be a part of stalwart AMR drivers Marco Sorensen and Nicki Thiim, who’ve been re-signed on new long-term contracts, whereas Jonny Adam, Ross Gunn and Valentin Hasse Clot have additionally been retained.

Darren Turner, a three-time Le Mans class winner with Aston, will stay with the marque for a twentieth season on a wider deal that features improvement duties with Aston Martin Lagonda.

Charlie Eastwood has left Aston to change into a Corvette Racing driver with Chevrolet.

Aston has but to substantiate full programmes for any of its drivers, however Sorensen will race the brand new evolution model of the Vantage GT3 within the World Endurance Championship’s new LMGT3 class with the AMR-run D’station Racing squad.

The Dane can have further programmes which have but to be introduced.

Gunn will stay a part of Coronary heart of Racing’s GT Daytona Professional assault on the IMSA SportsCar Championship in North America.

Photograph by: Alexander Trienitz

#30 Frikadelli Racing Group Ferrari 296 GT3: David Pittard

Pittard, who gained the Nurburgring enduro this 12 months racing a Frikadelli Ferrari, turns into a full AMR driver after racing Aston equipment for the previous two seasons.

The 31-year-old Briton was a part of the NorthWest AMR line-up within the 2022 WEC, ending second in GTE Am, and made three begins in IMSA long-distance rounds with Coronary heart of Racing in 2023.

“Becoming a member of Aston is the realisation of a dream,” stated Pittard.

“If you happen to have a look at who wins the large endurance races, it’s manufacturing facility drivers so I knew that to fulfil my long-term profession goals I wanted to be with a manufacturing facility that wishes the identical as me.”

Pittard was introduced as an Aston manufacturing facility driver forward of his 2022 WEC marketing campaign, earlier than it was clarified that he was employed by NorthWest.

Full manufacturing facility standing would have compromised his silver standing beneath the FIA’s system of driver categorisation.

Drudi is shifting to Aston from Audi, which has ended its manufacturing facility involvement within the GT3 for 2024, after profitable the GTWCE Dash Cup title alongside Ricardo Feller with the Tresor group.

The 25-year-old Italian stated he’s “honoured to be becoming a member of Aston Martin as a works driver” and that “it’s the proper setting for me to develop as a driver”.

Chaves was a part of the TF Sport’s profitable WEC GTE Am assault with Aston in 2022 alongside Sorensen and Ben Keating, becoming a member of the line-up for the second spherical and happening to win the category at Le Mans.

This 12 months the Portuguese, 26, raced for the Storage 59 McLaren group within the GTWCE.

“To have the chance to signify this iconic model as a works driver means all the pieces to me,” stated Chaves.

Aston Martin head of endurance motorsport Adam Carter stated: “As we put together to embark on a brand new period for Aston Martin in endurance racing, with the arrival of newly-developed evolutions of our Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and GT4 platforms, and naturally the Valkyrie Hypercar programme that turns into a racing entity in 2025, we’ve assembled an ultra-competitive works driver line-up.

“This group of drivers is aware of win and is skilled at extracting each ounce of efficiency from a GT automobile, whereas on the similar time harnessing the endurance capabilities essential to win at this stage.”