CEO Tobias Moers hasn't had to wait long for his new firm to do something really very special, with the British outfit having beaten the likes of Porsche and Ferrari to win its class at Le Mans. The Alex Lynn, Maxime Martin and (now two-time GTE class winner) Harry Tincknell driven number 97 Vantage and it's AMG V8 ran without problem over the 24 hours, meaning it's now in the fight for the WEC title against its Nicki Thiim, Marco Sørensen and Richard Westbrook driven sister car, with one round to go.
Further trophy cabinet space will need to be cleared thanks to the Pro Am class victory of the TF Sport run Vantage. On a weekend where the factory Porsches and Ferrari-supported machines were all consistently strong, it made for a tremendous all-round result. The car's pace was emphasised by Lynn's late charge, with the Brit having set the fastest lap of the GTE class late on Sunday. He was understandably moved by it all; "I won't lie, that was emotional," he said. "I had a few tears on the last lap. I have driven this exact car for the last three years and so much hard work and sweat has gone into it. It honestly feels incredible."
The new boss, added: "I am extremely proud of everyone who has played a part in this momentous victory today. To win both GTE classes and the WEC Manufacturer's title is testimony to the quality of both the team, the Vantage GTE and the Vantage road car that is the basis of the race car."
Aston's GTE performances help to reaffirm its place in a category that will undergo major change in 2021. Aston Martin was due to enter a race version of its Valkyrie into to the new Hypercar class, but the project was mothballed. You might think that cementing itself as the GTE class's top entrant will help to make up for the disappointment - and spur on the team to reawaken the project later on. We can but hope.
Not surprisingly, Toyota claimed its third Le Mans victory with an LMP1-H car before the category is succeeded by the Hypercar class. The Kazuki Nakajima, Sebastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley piloted number 8 TS050 won but the sister number 7, for the second year in a row, dropped out of the running with mechanical issues - the problem this time being an exhaust manifold issue.
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