RACING LINE december 2012 INSIDE december 2012

Aston Martin wins IN Shanghai 03 GT3 hits the track running 05 Craft Racing AMR to take two car team to Asian Le ManS 06 gt3 heads down under 07 The GT4 Challenge of Great Britain 08 racing runs improved 2013 vantage gte 09 2012 global challenge season review 11 2013: perfoRmance upgrades, parts and communication 12

c ASTON MARTIN RACING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Aston Martin wins Six Hours of Shanghai to finish second in the WEC

Aston Martin Racing won FIA WEC coincided with Team principal John Gaw the final round of the 2012 Aston Martin’s return to said: “Our objectives for our FIA World Endurance production-derived return year to GT racing Championship (WEC), the motorsport, a discipline were to be competitive and Six Hours of Shanghai, in which the marque has score podiums and we have scoring enough points to enjoyed considerable achieved and exceeded finish the inaugural season success; its back-to-back these – we’ve finished second in the championship GT1 class victories at seven out of the eight races standings. the and scored podiums on all in 2007 and 2008 count of those. Everyone involved Going into the final race, among Aston Martin’s in the team this year should just one point divided the crowning motorsport be very proud and we thank #97 Vantage GTE and achievements. them all for their hard work its closest rival, the #51 and commitment.” , proving just Across the eight rounds how hotly-contested the of the inaugural season, the Gulf-liveried Vantage GTE won the championship had been. the V8-powered racer season finale by more than a minute performed reliably and A faultless performance saw competitively to rack up an the Gulf-liveried Vantage impressive tally of seven GTE win the season finale podiums. It has covered by more than a minute to more than 11,000 km of conclude a strong return near trouble-free racing year to GT racing for Aston during more than 62 hours Martin. The launch of the of highly competitive action.

03 The team celebrates victory in Shanghai GT3 hits the track running

Twelve months since it was GT team for a number of (BOP). Other manufacturers launched, Aston Martin years alongside multiple will sell yearly upgrade Racing’s Vantage GT3 customer GT programmes. packages but, with our has scored a number of This, alongside a year of car, we won’t need to. We race wins during a very intensive development just work with the FIA to successful maiden season. and testing, has resulted have our BOP adjusted to in the Vantage GT3 being unlock some of the built-in Currently competing in competitive against its class performance that we took the hands of 13 customer rivals, reliable in the most more than a year to develop teams across Europe, Asia, demanding conditions and before launching the car.” Australia and the Americas accessible for professional the V12-powered race car and amateur drivers alike. the V12-powered race car has has achieved 18 race wins achieved 18 race wins and 30 podium and 30 podium finishes – Aston Martin Racing’s chief finishes many in top international GT engineer, Dan Sayers, race series – and has explains that his team For more information: challenged for multiple developed a car that is not championship wins. only proving a success James Walters now, but will see customers T +44 1295 273355 It’s no surprise that the winning races long into E [email protected] Vantage GT3 has been the future: “The Vantage such an instant success; the GT3 has a lot of built in car is a culmination of Aston performance, which is Martin Racing running currently restricted through its own successful works Balance Of Performance

05 Craft Racing AMR to take two car team to Asian Le Mans

Craft Racing AMR, has no better platform than Le the importance of the Asian announced its plans to enter Mans to do so. The Asian market for Aston Martin the 2013 Asian Le Mans Le Mans Series provides a Racing. Series, in which it plans crucial step for teams and to enter two Aston Martin drivers from Asia to gain Vantage GT3s into the GTC experience and further “This partnership is a big step category, with the aim of reach out to compete on forward for my aspirations to build taking the class title and the world stage at Le Mans. an international motorsport team winning a coveted entry into Mark and Darryl are the from Asia” the 2014 24 Hours of Le perfect partners to work with Mans. on this and they will be the pillars of this organisation. Craft Racing AMR is an Both of them know how to exciting new partnership win, and that is exactly what between team owner Frank we will aim to do.” Yu, team principal Mark Goddard, and commercial Craft Racing AMR will have director Darryl O’Young. a close working relationship with Aston Martin Racing Team principal Frank Yu throughout the campaign to said: “This partnership is ensure the Vantage GT3 will a big step forward for my be running in top form. The aspirations to build an support from the factory will international motorsport be an added bonus to the team from Asia, and there is team and further underlines

06 gt3 heads down under

Australian race team, Pictured right is the VIP Pet VIP Pet Foods, will soon Foods Racing Aston Martin be taking delivery of a DBRS9. Vantage GT3, which it will race in the highly- competitive Australian GT Championship next year.

The endurance racing team, which has contested the Australian GT Championship alongside major international races – most notably winning Dubai 24 Hours in 2008 – will first run the Vantage GT3 in the GT Championship support event at Bathurst February 8 - 10 2013. It will then begin its Australian GT Championship campaign at the Adelaide Street Circuit on the 1-4 March.

07 The third season of the ever success this year, the 2013 provisional calendar popular Aston Martin GT4 2013 calendar has been Challenge of Great Britain announced and includes 6 April Silverstone concluded at the Zandvoort a special round at Brands circuit in the Netherlands Hatch to celebrate the 11 May Oulton Park with the #22 Stratton marque’s centenary, in Motorsport car - driven by which all Aston Martin GT 1 June Donington Pierre Mantello and Olivier race car owners will be 6-7 July - Centenary Festival Bouche - clinching the title. invited to compete. 26-28 July Spa-Francorchamps With 16 cars competing The calendar incorporates across eight rounds – as several of the UK’s most 28 Sept Snetterton well as the Aston Martin celebrated circuits alongside Festival of Le Mans, an overseas visit to Spa- For more information: a support race to the Francorchamps in Belgium. prestigious 24 Hours of Sonia Mistry Le Mans – the season Aston Martin Racing is +44 (0)1676 536111 produced plenty of currently offering an early [email protected] memorable racing action as bird discount. Entrants it visited numerous iconic booking before 10 January motorsport venues across 2013 will pay £13,950 + Great Britain and Europe. VAT. Entries received after this date will pay the full As a result of the GT4 price of £15,450 +VAT. Challenge of Great Britain’s

08 aston martin racing runs improved 2013 vantage gte

Aston Martin Racing is significant weight savings to the rear mounted “Last year we testing the new 2013 too.” gearbox, improving weight proved how fast Vantage GTE. While distribution and reducing visually similar, significant Both the front and rear the driveline inertia, making AND reliable the enhancements under the suspension have been it more responsive. This car was, THIS meant skin mean nearly a third of revised and the geometry design also reduces the we could focus the car is new. optimised. New purpose- time to replace the engine on improving designed uprights and and gearbox. the chassis and According to Dan Sayers, wishbones have replaced Aston Martin Racing chief the original parts carried Visually, the only changes other aspects, engineer, developments for over from the Vantage road to the car are the openings which, when 2013 focussed on three key car, while the upper damper in the front fenders to combined, make a areas: reducing the centre pick-up points have been allow air to escape from big difference” of gravity; improving rear relocated to increase the under the wheel arches stability; and increasing installation stiffness. The reducing lift, and the wider torsional rigidity. “We looked changes have also saved ventilated sills, allowing the at specific areas where we eight kg per corner. exhaust to be fully insulated could take significant weight and moved away from out of the car in order to Further weight has been the car to reduce cockpit move that weight lower, in saved by the removal of the temperatures. Further aero the form of a new aluminium torque tube surrounding work is planned on the rear floor,” said Dan Sayers. the prop shaft. The engine wing and it will be mounted “The revised suspension now mounts directly to directly to the chassis, has not only improved the chassis, while the rather than the boot lid, the handling and overall clutch and starter motor allowing weight to be taken stiffness, but has brought have been integrated out of this body panel.

09 The new Vantage GTE shook down at Silverstone in December The 2012 Global Challenge with10 wins excellentPortuguese results. GT Veloso Motorsport is now complete and the awards ceremony 7 wins GT4 Challenge Pierre Mantello/Olivier Bouche Stratton Motorsport held at Aston Martin’s 7 wins Nurburgring VLN Mathol Racing headquarters. In the teams’ 5 wins International GT Open Villois Racing challenge Mathol Racing were first with Veloso 5 wins Belgian GT & International GT Open GPR Racing Motorsport in second and 4 wins Dutch Supercar DDG Motorsport Stratton Motorsport in third. 3 wins Japanese Super GT Triple A

In the drivers’ challenge 2 wins Malaysian Super Series Craft Eurasia Racing first place went to Norbert Bermes and Marcel Belka, 2 wins Brazilian GT Endurance Matthias Racing who received their award 1st Nurburgring British GT Beechdean AMR from Aston Martin Chairman 1st (class) Britcar 24 Hour MB Racing David Richards and chief executive Ulrich Bez, with Wolfgang Weber second and Pierre Mantello in third.

Congratulations to all teams who have competed in 2012

11

2013: peRfORmance upgrades, parts and communication

After a great year with race Aston Martin Centenary Customer PR & marketing wins around the globe, we Festival will be releasing a number 2013 will see an increased of new parts for 2013 and 2013 is a huge year level of promotion for all current car owners will for Aston Martin as it customer teams. After each receive all technical updates celebrates 100 years of event please send your race and upgrade bulletins by sports car production. We reports, press releases and email. will be holding a Centenary photographs to: Festival at Brands Hatch on the GP circuit in July which James Walters: all Aston Martin Racing [email protected] car owners will be invited to join. Details will be and released soon. VIPR Media [email protected]

12 CONTACT

To find out more about the race winning Vantage GTE, GT3 and GT4 and to discuss your race programme, please contact:

James Walters Senior Sales Manager Aston Martin Racing

T +44 (0)1295 273355 M +44 (0)7788 567 396 E [email protected] W www.astonmartinracing.com