Craft-Bamboo forced out of Le Mans

Aston Martin will be down to just a single LMGTE Pro entry for the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours after Craft-Bamboo Racing was forced to withdraw its V8 Vantage following damage sustained in a qualifying crash.

Fernando Rees was at the wheel of the car when it crashed at Porsche Curves, causing significant damage to that cannot be fixed before the race gets underway this weekend.

A bitter disappointment for the Craft-Bamboo Racing team, which was due to make its Le Mans debut this weekend, CEO Richard Coleman confirmed it would be unsafe to put the car back on track.

"The impact with the barrier was at high speed, so the most important thing is that Fernando is okay," commented Richard Coleman CEO of Craft-Bamboo Racing. "It is disappointing to have to withdraw from the race but the car cannot be fixed from here. Our mechanics worked relentlessly on the car throughout the night but it was impossible to restore it to the safety standards required for racing."

"We must now go forward and focus on the second half of the World Endurance Championship. We will not let this disrupt the incredibly positive start to the season and will continue to progress as a team going forward, with our sights set firmly on success."

Brazilian racer Rees - who was due to share the car with Alex MacDowell and Darryl O'Young - suffered a bruised ankle in the accident.