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Le Mans / ALMS
LE MANS: Senna Joins AMR For Sebring, WEC
British manufacturer unveils new 2013-spec Vantage GTE, driver lineups for Twelve Hours of Sebring, FIA World Endurance Championship...
Bruno Senna has joined Aston Martin Racing for 2013. (Photo: LAT)
After striking out in Formula One, Bruno Senna has found a new home for 2013.
The nephew of the late three-time World Champion was confirmed Tuesday as the latest factory driver for Aston Martin Racing, which will take on the FIA World Endurance Championship as well next month’s Twelve Hours of Sebring in GTE-Pro.
The 29-year-old Brazilian, who lost his ride with Williams following a three-year stint in F1, will join GT rising star Fred Makowiecki in one of two 2013-spec Aston Martin Vantage V8s in the globe-trotting championship, which kicks off at Silverstone in April.
AMR regulars Darren Turner and Stefan Mucke, who scored the team’s first WEC class victory in Shanghai last year, will continue in the No. 97 entry. They’ll be joined by Peter Dumbreck for the Six Hours of Spa and 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Rob Bell reinforcing the lineup for the No. 99 car for those two races as well.
Turner, Mucke and Senna will kick off the season next month in a solo AMR entry at Sebring, the opening round of the American Le Mans Series, which no longer serves as a WEC event.
Senna is no stranger to sports car racing, having taken part in the 2009 European Le Mans Series in an ORECA LMP1 car. However, his new factory drive with Aston Martin will mark his first foray into GT racing.
Aston Martin Racing's two season-long WEC GTE-Am class entries will be piloted by Danes Allan Simonsen, Christoffer Nygaard and Kristian Poulsen (No. 95) as well as Jamie Campbell-Walter, Stuart Hall and Rolad Goethe (No. 96).
The four-car effort will mark the largest-ever factory program for the British manufacturer at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It could get even bigger, as two additional Vantage V8s are on the reserve list for the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic.
“There is a real sense of anticipation in the Aston Martin Racing team this year and a belief that it is once again our time to return to the top step of the podium at Le Mans," said Aston Martin Chairman David Richards. "It would be a fitting way for Aston Martin, which has such a rich heritage in motorsport and particularly at Le Mans, to cap its centenary year.”
While the squad's two GTE-Am entries will run in 2012 specification, per category rules, the two GTE-Pro machines will benefit from significant upgrades, as AMR team principal John Gaw explains:
“Overall, around 30 percent of all components on the 2013-specification Pro cars are new, which makes for a significant improvement," he said. "We looked at specific areas where we could take weight out of the car and redistribute it to a better location.
"We have also revised the suspension, which has not only improved the handling but, when combined with the new fly-by wire throttle allowed under this year’s regulations, makes the car easier to drive.
“Our aim is to win at Le Mans and in the WEC and we are particularly pleased to welcome such a professional driver line-up to Aston Martin Racing for this centenary year.”
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
The nephew of the late three-time World Champion was confirmed Tuesday as the latest factory driver for Aston Martin Racing, which will take on the FIA World Endurance Championship as well next month’s Twelve Hours of Sebring in GTE-Pro.
The 29-year-old Brazilian, who lost his ride with Williams following a three-year stint in F1, will join GT rising star Fred Makowiecki in one of two 2013-spec Aston Martin Vantage V8s in the globe-trotting championship, which kicks off at Silverstone in April.
AMR regulars Darren Turner and Stefan Mucke, who scored the team’s first WEC class victory in Shanghai last year, will continue in the No. 97 entry. They’ll be joined by Peter Dumbreck for the Six Hours of Spa and 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Rob Bell reinforcing the lineup for the No. 99 car for those two races as well.
Turner, Mucke and Senna will kick off the season next month in a solo AMR entry at Sebring, the opening round of the American Le Mans Series, which no longer serves as a WEC event.
Senna is no stranger to sports car racing, having taken part in the 2009 European Le Mans Series in an ORECA LMP1 car. However, his new factory drive with Aston Martin will mark his first foray into GT racing.
Aston Martin Racing's two season-long WEC GTE-Am class entries will be piloted by Danes Allan Simonsen, Christoffer Nygaard and Kristian Poulsen (No. 95) as well as Jamie Campbell-Walter, Stuart Hall and Rolad Goethe (No. 96).
The four-car effort will mark the largest-ever factory program for the British manufacturer at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It could get even bigger, as two additional Vantage V8s are on the reserve list for the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic.
“There is a real sense of anticipation in the Aston Martin Racing team this year and a belief that it is once again our time to return to the top step of the podium at Le Mans," said Aston Martin Chairman David Richards. "It would be a fitting way for Aston Martin, which has such a rich heritage in motorsport and particularly at Le Mans, to cap its centenary year.”
While the squad's two GTE-Am entries will run in 2012 specification, per category rules, the two GTE-Pro machines will benefit from significant upgrades, as AMR team principal John Gaw explains:
“Overall, around 30 percent of all components on the 2013-specification Pro cars are new, which makes for a significant improvement," he said. "We looked at specific areas where we could take weight out of the car and redistribute it to a better location.
"We have also revised the suspension, which has not only improved the handling but, when combined with the new fly-by wire throttle allowed under this year’s regulations, makes the car easier to drive.
“Our aim is to win at Le Mans and in the WEC and we are particularly pleased to welcome such a professional driver line-up to Aston Martin Racing for this centenary year.”
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
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