“I’m absolutely delighted by this result,” he said. “The performance gap shows that there are still effectively two classes in the LMP1 category – diesel and petrol – but we said from the very beginning that our objective was to be quickest in the petrol class and so I am very pleased that we have managed to achieve this. Compared to last year our performance gap to the diesels is a bit smaller but the rules still do not allow us to compete on equal terms.”
The 008 crew completed 342 laps, with all the drivers delighted to get to the finish of this epic race. Anthony Davidson set the car’s qualifying time on Thursday and impressed the team with his abilities and feedback throughout the weekend. “It’s been an absolutely great experience,” said the Englishman. “I’ve been really impressed with the performance we’ve shown here and I hope we’ve surprised a few people with our speed. It’s been fantastic to be part of the Aston Martin team and I think between us all we’ve put on a great show. We ran as high as third overall and I think had we experienced no problems, then we could have challenged for the podium.”
Darren Turner finished the race for the 008 crew, having proved instrumental in hauling the car back up the leaderboard after it lost time overnight. Turner, a two-time Le Mans winner in GT1 with Aston Martin, said: “We’re really pleased to get to the finish, although at the same time we’re disappointed that we had a few problems. The important thing though is that this has been a tremendous result for the team after all the hard work everyone has put in, particularly the 007 crew who did such a great job.”
Former Grand Prix driver Jos Verstappen, who spent 10 years in Formula 1, did not put a foot wrong on what was his LMP1 debut and only his second Le Mans, following his win in the LMP2 class last year. “I’ve had a fantastic time,” said the Dutchman. “Before this race I had very little experience of the car, and during my first stints alone I practically doubled my seat time in it. As the race went on I got to know it better and our pace improved. I felt comfortable in the car straight away: given the small amount of preparation we all had I think everyone has done an amazing job.”
The 009 crew was reduced to two drivers after Stuart Hall was disqualified on Saturday evening for his part in a collision with an LMP2 car at the Ford chicane. Beforehand, the young Englishman had impressed on his debut with Aston Martin Racing.
Hall commented: “I’m very sorry for the incident that led to my disqualification, but I’m very grateful for the opportunity to drive for Aston Martin Racing. The professionalism of the team has been second to none, and the end result for the 007 car is well-deserved.”
Peter Kox was drafted into this year’s squad at the last minute, but is nonetheless a familiar face at Aston Martin, having driven for the team on several occasions in the past. “It was great to be back,” he said. “We obviously had a tough race with our car, but when things go well there is plenty of potential as the result for 007 shows.”
Harold Primat luckily emerged with no injuries after his accident on Sunday, having shouldered the burden of all the driving with Kox since Saturday night.
“It was a shame for Peter and I as we were moving up the field after our earlier problems and we were both frustrated not to finish,” concluded Primat. “At Le Mans you sometimes have bad luck, and this was just one of those occasions. However, the team result with the 007 car is the most important thing.”
David Richards, Chairman of Aston Martin, commented: “I’m absolutely delighted. We came to Le Mans with modest expectations and we’ve exceeded all of them. Once again, Aston Martin has punched well above its weight and it’s a fantastic achievement from everyone involved. Now we have to ask ourselves some serious questions about where we go from here.”
Dr Ulrich Bez, Chief Executive Officer of Aston Martin, added: “In the same month that we launch the new V12 Vantage and DBS Volante, it is fitting that the same 6.0 litre V12 heart powers our LMP1 cars to such an outstanding Le Mans debut. I am thrilled for the whole team.”
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