Young Driver AMR to continue WEC programme

Young Driver AMR confirms it will continue to race in the World Endurance Championship in memory of Allan Simonsen

02 Aug 2013

Allan Simonsen Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage V8
© Jakob Ebrey Photography

The Young Driver AMR team has confirmed that will continue with its entry in the World Endurance Championship in memory of the late Allan Simonsen.

Simonsen lost his life in an accident in the early stages of the Le Mans 24 Hours after a high-speed accident at Tertre Rouge.

Following the loss of the 34-year-old Dane, Aston Martin Racing raced on to take a podium finish in the GTE-Pro class in his memory thanks to Darren Turner, Peter Dumbreck and Stefan Mucke.

Understandably, Simonsen's death cast long-term doubts over whether or not his Young Driver AMR team would elect to continue with its joint assault alongside Aston Martin Racing on the GTE-Am class, with Simonsen having been due to complete the full season alongside countrymen Kristian Poulsen and Christoffer Nygaard.

However, the team has now elected to race on, with Poulsen and Nygaard taking up their place on the grid for the next race of the year in Brazil.

No decision has yet been taken over whether or not a third driver will join the team.

"It was not easy to decide if we should stop or continue our 2013 FIA WEC project after Le Mans", Young Driver AMR?s Jan Struve said. "It has of course been a very emotional time for all of us, so we have spent more time together and phoned regularly to support each other and the final decision to continue in the 2013 FIA WEC was first taken recently after Kristian and Christoffer had a test in an Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE in England.

"It has been a big puzzle to make this happen. On top of the emotional part, we also need a new car to continue, and I'm very thankful to the entire Aston Martin Racing crew, where people have cancelled their holiday to make it possible that we can have a new car ready for the next FIA WEC round at Sao Paulo.

"I'm happy that we all separately came to the conclusion to continue in the 2013 FIA WEC in the memory of Allan. Allan Simonsen was a pure breed racer, who usually raced every weekend and most of time on different continents from weekend to weekend.

"We are very sure, that he would have wanted us to continue racing, as he was a great sports man and one of the greatest lovers of motor sport."