Asp-Francorchamps, Belgium, June 30, 2024 – The Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps took place at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium from June 29 to 30, and Aston Martin took the overall victory in the world's most prestigious 24 hours of all-GT3 models.
The moment of glory was created by Aston Martin's partner Comtoyou Racing and professional drivers Mattia Drudi (Italy), Nicki Thiim (Denmark) and Marco Sørensen (Denmark), and was Aston Martin's first victory since 1948. This is the first time Aston Martin's new Vantage GT3 has won the 24 Hours and the first time Aston Martin has beaten a major rival since the event turned an all-GT event in 2001.
For two-time FIA GT World Endurance Champion Nikki Sim and three-time World Champion Marco Sorensen, known as the "Danish Train", this is the first time they have won the 24 Hours of 24 Hours in the same car on the same team, having previously won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times in total.
Marco Sorensen said: "This is a momentous occasion and it is a remarkable achievement for the new Vantage GT3 to win the first race. The new Vantage GT3 is a great car and we've been recognising it all year after year. In addition to the great driving skills and good luck that won the race, it would not have been possible to win the race, but also the hard work of the team, everyone at Aston Martin Motorsport and my teammates, all of whom I will always remember. ”
Nicky Sim said: "It's hard to put into words what it means to me and to Aston Martin. We've worked tirelessly to win, and it's amazing to be able to succeed in this way. You all know my feelings for Aston Martin and we have a lot of precious memories between us, and this win was nothing short of spectacular. ”
For Mattia Druddy, who won the European Championship of the Farnatech GT World Challenge, it was a rare opportunity to shine on the biggest endurance stage, but he did, and he was glamorous every time he drove the No. 007, including every appearance during the opening race, as he led his team to the top every time and led the safety car on several occasions.
The nighttime period of the race was a perilous one, with heavy rain causing a number of accidents and a few hours of interruption, but Belgian team Comtoyou Racing was so calm that they were able to stay ahead of the curve, even when a number of pit stops during the safety car caused them to fall behind by 20 cars.
The team overtook several times until the track dried out in the morning, when they were only able to compete with an rival Ferrari, two BMWs and another by partner Walkenhorst Motorsport by Walkenhorst Motorsport's Henrique Chaves (Portugal), Ross Gunn (GBR) and David Pittal Pittard, UK) driving the No. 34 Aston Martin Vantage GT3.
In the final hour of the race, Aston Martin's No. 007 Belgian team Comtoyou Racing was just 10 seconds behind the Ferrari, which missed out on a chance to win when a stranded car blocked the entrance to the pit stop during the pit stop. In the end, Drudy took to the flag in the new Vantage GT3 and won the undisputed victory.
Mattia Drudy said: "The experience of winning with Nicky and Marco has been fantastic. It wasn't easy, but our strategy was just right, there were no surprises, and the execution was pretty good. I'm very proud of the performance of the whole team. ”
Gunn's No. 34 Vantage GT3 led several times before finishing fourth.
In fact, the Wolkenhorst Racing Team, a previous champion, is very close to Romain Leroux (France, 2022 AMR Driver Academy graduate) who won silver in the No. 35 Vantage GT3 and 2024 candidates Lorcan Hanafin (GBR) and Maxime Robin (France). The car then suffered an accident as it tried to fight for the class lead after a safety car period on Sunday morning.
Aston Martin set a record seven cars in the sprint of the four cars registered by Belgian team Comtoyou Racing, which is usually the fastest in the 007 class, but the No. 21 car group driven by Charles Clark (GBR), Sam Dejonghe (BE) and Matisse Lismont (BE) led the class. and eventually won the silver medal.
Adapted from the all-new Vantage road car that debuted at Silverstone earlier this year, the new Vantage GT3 is powered by Aston Martin's proven articulated aluminium chassis and powered by an impressively powerful twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine. In June alone, the car won the IMSA Sportscar Championship, the SUPER GT series, the Nürburgring endurance series and the Road to Le Mans event. Now, Aston Martin's racing history has added a new title.
Adam Carter, Head of Endurance Racing, Aston Martin, said: "The new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 has been a dream come true and we would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations and thanks to our partner Comtoyou Racing. At the start of the season, we knew the car's performance inside and out, and the car's performance at Spa would not have been possible without its technique, endurance, perseverance and execution. The Wokenhorst Racing Team did not finish on the podium, but their performance was commendable and commendable. The success of a new car is the result of the hard work of all at Aston Martin Motorsport. Winning the 24 Hours of Spa is a remarkable achievement, with the British car winning only three times in the 100-year history of the event, and now Aston Martin winning it twice, one of the greatest feats in the history of our brand's endurance racing. ”
Aston Martin's best result in the GT3 era prior to the 24 Hours of Spa was in 2021, when Gunn, Sorensen and Sime were in the lead for most of the time to finish third. Prior to that, Aston Martin's best GT result was a third-place finish in 2008 with the Gigawave DBR9 GT1. The last time Aston Martin won the race was in 1948 (when the rules were different from today) when British drivers St John Hosfar and Leslie Johnson drove a 2-litre Sports DB1.