Aston Martin to field 2 Gulf Oil LMP1 at the 2009 Le Mans 24

[EJ25RUN]

Latest News in post #12

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/56855ast.jpg

Aston Martin is ready to tackle the 2009 24 Hours of LeMans in a pair of Gulf-liveried LMP1 vehicles on the 50th anniversary of its only overall win in the Franco enduro. The two coupes are based on the 2008 Charouz Racing System Lola and will be powered by the same production-based V12 found in the LeMans GT1 DBR9. Development was performed by Lola, Michelin, Koni and BBS, along with Aston's largest partner, Gulf Oil. Driving duties will be handled by Jan Charouz, Tomas Enge and Stefan Mücke, along with Darren Turner who was part of the team that campaigned the DBR9 GT1 crew in 2007 and 2008. Harold Primat is the newest addition to the team and one other driver will be announced shortly. Unfortunately, Aston won't be campaigning in the GT1 class in bid to focus all its efforts on LMP1 program. It's going to be an exciting year and we're hoping to bring it to you live the weekend of June 13 and 14. All the details are available in the press release below the fold.


Aston Martin PRESS RELEASE

Aston Martin to challenge for overall Le Mans win

Gaydon, 27 January 2009. On the 50th anniversary of its outright win at Le Mans, Aston Martin will return to La Sarthe with two Works LMP1 cars bearing the iconic blue and orange livery of Gulf Oil.

In an ambitious attempt to emulate the legendary achievements of the 1959 DBR1 driven by Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori, Aston Martin will endeavour to bring the Le Mans title back to Britain.

"2009 is a hugely significant year for Aston Martin at Le Mans and the challenge of reclaiming victory in this famous race for Aston Martin and Great Britain was simply too great to ignore," said Aston Martin Chairman, David Richards. "However, we do not underestimate the task. While we have won the GT1 class for the last two years, competing against the proven speed and endurance of the diesel-powered cars with all their years of winning the prototype class, will be a massive undertaking. Nonetheless, I see this as a great opportunity to showcase the ingenuity of British engineering talent."

Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer commented: "Racing has been, and still is at the heart of Aston Martin. Our cars today are subtle, elegant and handcrafted but they still have the genes for competition. I am happy that we have found partners who, with their support, will enable us to compete at the highest level of endurance racing. We will put all our heart and skill behind this project to demonstrate the essence of Aston Martin: Power Beauty and Soul."

The new car which is based on the 2008 Charouz Racing System Lola will be powered by the same production-based Aston Martin V12 engine which, last year, helped Aston Martin secure its second successive Le Mans GT1 title with the DBR9. It also powered the Charouz car to a new La Sarthe lap record for a petrol car.

Aston Martin Racing is developing the car in conjunction with Lola, Michelin, Koni and BBS and continues its relationship with major partner Gulf Oil and official clothing partner Hackett.
In 2009, the ACO is introducing new regulations aimed at balancing the performance of petrol and diesel engined prototypes making the LMP1 category more appealing and relevant to Aston Martin.

Signalling ongoing commitment to motorsport, in addition to the Le Mans 24 hour race, the team will also compete throughout the year in the Le Mans Series (LMS), which opens with the 1000 km de Catalunya on the 5th of April.

Aston Martin Racing Works drivers, Jan Charouz (CZ), Tomas Enge (CZ), and Stefan Mücke (DE), who raced the Charouz car last year will renew their relationship with the team along with Darren Turner (GB) who was part of the winning DBR9 GT1 crew in 2007 and 2008. Harold Primat (CH) joins the team for the first time in 2009 with the remaining driver to be announced imminently.

To focus maximum energy on the LMP1 programme, the Works team will not defend its GT1 title at Le Mans. However, Aston Martin Racing will support any of its official partner teams and customers competing at the race.

Aston Martin Racing partner, Drayson Racing, has expressed its desire to compete at Le Mans with the new Vantage GT2. This follows confirmation of the team's LMS entry and American Le Mans Series programme with a bio-ethanol powered Vantage GT2. Further announcements are expected in the weeks ahead as other Aston Martin Racing partner teams and customers confirm their plans for racing in the GT1, GT2, GT3 and GT4 classes of national and international racing series.

The Le Mans 24 hour race will be held over the weekend of 13-14 June.

[Elbow]

GOOD NEWS FINALLY.

Car looks great.

[EJ25RUN]

GOOD NEWS FINALLY.

Car looks great.
That is what i was gonna have in the thread title. "First good news of the off season". But i ran out of room.

I worry they will get slaughtered going up against the diesels. I know there will be new rules to slow the diesels down but it won't be enough to level the field.

The cars edge will come from being powered by the production based DBR9 powerplant. It is bulky but it has less restricted than say a full race Judd powerplant. This is why they were quicker than all the gas cars last year.

[dazn]

hmmm, interesting. doesnt seem like the ideal thing for Aston Martin to do. It seems like David Richards got bored with GT1 and wanted to build a P-car. But hey, Im not complaining, it will great to watch. too bad they wont come to ALMS to play with Acura.

[EJ25RUN]

hmmm, interesting. doesnt seem like the ideal thing for Aston Martin to do. It seems like David Richards got bored with GT1 and wanted to build a P-car. But hey, Im not complaining, it will great to watch. too bad they wont come to ALMS to play with Acura.

I'd say the biggest factor is the 50th Anniversary of Aston's 1959 victory.

[81911SC]

Now I'm getting excited.

[matthewAPM]

Finally something positive for the 09 season!

[EJ25RUN]

Finally something positive for the 09 season!

I think way more bad will come before any good.

[matthewAPM]

Im sure. I hope no bad comes to me

[EJ25RUN]

Autosport...

Two Astons set to appear at test

By Gary Watkins Saturday, February 28th 2009, 12:26 GMT


Aston Martin Racing are striving to have two of their new Le Mans coupes ready in time for next weekend's all-important Paul Ricard test.

The team had originally planned to field just one of the Lola-based LMP1s in the official Le Mans Series test on March 8-9, but the Prodrive-run team are now battling against time to ready the two Gulf-backed cars that will contest the five-race European championship.

George Howard-Chappell, team principal at AMR, said: "We had initially said we'd go with one, but we are now aiming to have two and we are just about on schedule. The plan is to try to shake down the first car [in England] next week even if it is not quite complete."

The roll-out is likely to take place at either the MIRA proving ground in Warwickshire or Prodrive's own test facility near Warwick.

Prodrive boss and Aston Martin chairman David Richards explained that AMR has been working within a "an impossible timeframe" to build what was "effectively an Aston Martin".

"The perception is that we have dusted off a couple of old Lolas, but this is a radical redesign," said Richards, who explained that the programme did not get the go-ahead until early December. "The tub and the crash structure is Lola, but everything else is ours."

The car that appears on the Le Mans entry list as a Lola-Aston Martin will be given its own type number by the British manufacturer. Richards said he was "sure the public will know the car by its Aston name".

The Prodrive boss added that plans to run a third Gulf-liviered car, which has gained a Le Mans entry under the AMR Eastern Europe banner, had yet to be set in stone. This car is due to be delivered to the team next week.

[Dr.G35]

that is one sick looking aston, cant wait to see it run.

[EJ25RUN]

For those of you that remember last years Charooz Lola Aston will understand this.


Lola angered by David Richards' comments

Autosport

By Gary Watkins Tuesday, March 3rd 2009, 09:38 GMT

Racing car constructor Lola has reacted to comments by Aston Martin chairman David Richards claiming that the British sportscar manufacturer has undertaken a radical re-design of its LMP1 coupe to create the cars that will run in Gulf colours in this year's Le Mans 24 Hours.

A statement from Lola Cars International reads: "The Lola-Aston Martin is a Lola-designed and built car. It is not a 'radical re-design' as stated by Aston Martin Racing."

Lola claims that the Lola-Aston includes "some body styling cues" and "minor bespoke mechanical changes".

Lola boss Martin Birrane is understood to have been upset by a number of Richards' comments, including the claim that the car "is effectively an Aston Martin".

That has angered Birrane because AMR had enquired about rehomologating the Lola as an Aston Martin when the project kicked off last December.

The statement continues: "When Aston first mooted rehomologation of the Lola car and was given the cost of their contribution to IPR [intellectual property rights] and R&D, the negotiations broke down. It is completely inappropriate that Aston Martin should now attempt to achieve 'ownership' through misrepresentation in the media."

The three AMR-entered cars appear on the Le Mans entry list as Lola-Aston Martins. The car is due to be given an Aston Martin type number, which has yet to be determined.

[EJ25RUN]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/am-lmp1-01.jpg

Aston Martin Lola debuts new Le Mans Prototype at Paul Ricard

Autoblog...

Given its relatively small current model line, you'd be forgiven for categorizing Aston Martin as a small automaker. But the British sportscar-maker is one of the busiest in the business. As if developing the new Rapide four-door coupe didn't demand enough resources from a company that recently went independent after years under the Ford umbrella, Aston rolled into Geneva with the new V12 Vantage, DBS Volante and One-77, while reviving its Lagonda marque with a new crossover concept. Oh, and while they were at it, they redesigned London's famous double-decker city bus.

With that much going on, most other automakers would have scrapped their racing programs - in fact, many have, and with less to show for it - but at Aston's headquarters in Gaydon, England, it's full steam ahead. Not only have they developed new GT2 and GT4 versions of the V8 Vantage, but after dabbling their toes in the proverbial waters last year with partner Charouz Racing to admirable effect, they're speeding head-first into the top-level Le Mans Prototype (LMP1) category to dice it up with Audi and Peugeot in pursuit of an overall Le Mans win this year, 50 years since Aston Martin's historic victory at La Sarthe in 1959.

To that end, Aston participated in the Le Mans Series group test at the Paul Ricard track in France, opened to the public for the first time in ten years as 3,500 spectators got a view of Aston's new challenger for the first time. With a Lola chassis and V12 engine from the DBR9 (which the works team won't be fielding this year while they focus on LMP1), the new car looks the business in retro Gulf orange and blue livery and bearing the numbers 007 and 009. We'll just have to stay tuned to see if Aston and racing partner Prodrive, both under the direction of David Richards, can translate their expertise from the GT1 category into overall victory.

Entire Gallery... (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-lmp1-at-paul-ricard-lms-test/1421443/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/am-lmp1-04.jpg