Aston Martin ready to adapt in search of hat-trick

Aston Martin Racing heads to next weekend's Le Mans 24 Hours seeking to complete an unbroken hat-trick of race wins following the marque's comeback to the international motorsport stage, but is well aware that the French event is like no other.

Consecutive victories at the American Le Mans Series' Sebring 12 Hours in March and the FIA GT race at Silverstone last month, got the DBR9's racing career off to a flying start, but Prodrive-run Aston Martin Racing knows that it will have to adapt both the car and its approach to the race if it is to hand the British classic its first victory at La Sarthe since Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby triumphed with the DBR1 in 1959.

"Although our DBR9s topped the GT1 class in both official test sessions in pre-race testing last week, the first year at Le Mans is always an unknown quantity," insisted team principal George Howard-Chappell, who guided Prodrive's Ferrari 550 Maranello project in the 24 Hours

"Our endurance testing programme has given us confidence in the DBR9's ability to finish the race, but it is still a young car. It will also be interesting to see what our competitors are capable of when it comes to race pace."

AMR has not shied away from lining up an experienced driving strength for the race, with Tomas Enge, Peter Kox and Pedro Lamy in the #58 car, and David Brabham, Stephane Sarrazin and Darren Turner in the #59.

"This is a talented group of drivers, and the team is well prepared, so I have every confidence that we have done as much as we can in testing with the time and resources available," Howard-Chappell added.

Brabham reports that the team has already run the cars for 24-hour-plus durations - starting by taking them back out for another twelve hour run straight after the Sebring triumph - but Howard-Chappell says that AMR has already developed tweaks especially for next weekend's event. The race will see both cars debuting a new aerodynamic package that will ensure maximum speed on the long straights of the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans.

"Le Mans is very different from the circuits at Sebring and Silverstone, and we need to adapt accordingly," Howard-Chappell explained, "Fans will notice some visible changes to the cars with the new aerodynamic package, but it offers an ideal compromise between downforce and drag."

Enge, who will be making his Aston Martin race debut in the 24 Hours after being forced to miss Sebring due to IRL commitments, is reunited with the personnel who helped him make his sportscar name with Ferrari, and feels that the team has as good a chance as ever to win at Le Mans.

"Although I haven't done as much mileage as my team-mates, I'm pleased with our preparation and I think I have the right feeling for the car," the Czech said, "I know that the car will be very competitive at Le Mans and the track should suit us. The cars have been running trouble-free and I hope that we will maintain this record."

Sarrazin, who returns to the line-up after subbing for Enge at Sebring, has extra reason to want Aston Martin to win, as Le Mans presents the rally convert with a rare chance to race on home soil.

"Le Mans is an exceptional race for a driver but, for a French driver, it is a massive event and very important to me because so many fans will be present," the now Prodrive Subaru off-roader, who enjoyed an extended stint in the DBR9 during pre-race testing, admitted, "We did many laps during practice without problems but, compared with Sebring, the Le Mans circuit is much faster - with a top speed of more than 300kph - and double the length. Driving for Aston Martin Racing is a big chance for me personally - we have a very good car and will do all we can to give our fans a good race."