Young Driver AMR makes strong progress on the most demanding and the most beautiful race track of the world, the Nürburgring Nordschleife. At the final test for the 24h Race (17 to 20 May) last Saturday, Young Driver AMR finished the third race of the VLN endurance racing championship which features a grid of almost 220 cars and works entries of Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche, for the first time in the top ten with the new Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3. Stefan Mücke (Berlin/ Germany), Darren Turner (Great Britain), Tomas Enge (Czech Republic) and Oliver Mathai (Hannover/ Germany) finished in tenth place after almost four hours race distance. Ferdinand and Johannes Stuck (Austria), Dennis Rostek (Porta Westfalica/ Germany) and Fredy Barth (Switzerland) in the second Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 had bad luck and retired.
Young Driver AMR had a rapid first hour of the four hour race already. In the practice on the same morning with difficult and damp track conditions, the „Young Driver’s“ avoided any unnecessary risk. Darren Turner thus qualified the Young Driver AMR-Aston Martin V12 Vantage into 38th grid position and at the end of the first race lap. Turner had already moved up into 21st position and further made his way up in 11th place when he handed over the Aston Martin to Oliver Mathai. Mathai, Stefan Mücke and Tomas Enge then continued the strong performance. Backed by the strong run of the Young Driver AMR driver quartet, Tomas Enge finally secured a tenth position overall and 8th in class with spotless and perfectly running Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3, handicapped only by a stop & go-penalty in the third hour of the race. After an accident on the track, the race was stopped 10 minutes before the scheduled race distance had elapsed.
Ferdinand and Johannes Stuck, Dennis Rostek and Fredy Barth in the second Aston Martin V1 Vantage GT3, in contrast, had bad luck.Ferdinand Stuck took the start in the Aston Martin wit number 32 from 21st grid position but had to come to the pits right after the first lap with a steering problem. After another four laps, Stuck/ Stuck/ Rostek/ Barth, the team then had to finally retire with a damaged steering gearbox.
“I am quite satisfied with our second start on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, this was the first time that we participated with two of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage at the Nordschleife “, Young Driver AMR team director Hardy Fischer said. “The top ten result at our second start only is a fantastic result. Unfortunately we had a technical issue on our second car, otherwise we would now definitely celebrate two good results. Our new drivers in the team, Oliver Mathai and Fredy Barth, had proved to be a good addition to our team. We have made very good progress in terms of the preparation for the 24-Hour Race.”
Before Young Driver AMR will start at the 24h Race on 17th to 20th May, the team will next weekend (4to to 6th May) take part in a round of the ADAC GT Masters in the Netherlands at the circuit of Zandvoort.
Driver quotes after the race:
Stefan Mücke: “I needed the first laps on the Nordschleife to remember all the details of this track, as I haven’t been racing here for some time. It was however not a big problem, I quickly found a very good rhythm. We learned a lot about the new car this weekend and made good progress. It was a good preparation for the 24h Race.“
Darren Turner: “It’s very great to be back with the team of Young Driver AMR and it is of course always nice to start at the Nordschleife. The Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 is still early in its development, but I was really very impressed about it on the track. Beside this, it was a normal VLN-weekend, which always includes some chaotic moments. You don’t drive very often and you don’t do too many laps on the circuit, but in the end, you do a lot of kilometres considering the long track.“
Tomas Enge: “I am really happy to be back racing with the team Young Driver AMR. I needed some laps to get used again to the car, as I have recently been racing most times in a mid-engine car and this is something different compared to a front-engine car. Unfortunately my stint was a bit shorter then scheduled due to the stopping of the race, but it was nevertheless a good preparation.“
Oliver Mathai: “The Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 is fantastic to drive. This was the first time for me to drive the car today and I had a good feeling right away and felt immediately comfortable. What impressed me most, is the enormous amount of downforce which the car develops. I am very happy with my first start with Young Driver AMR. We are a very good team with Stefan, Darren and Tomas.”
Johannes Stuck: „We had a really good run at the last round, but this time, we unfortunately suffered a small technical problem, but that’s racing. Once again, we demonstrated that can go a good pace with out Aston Martin. That makes me optimistic for the 24h Race.“
Ferdinand Stuck: „this was my second time to be the start driver at a VLN race and it worked pretty well again. Unfortunately, we then got a problem. Anyhow, we have showed a good speed this weekend again.“
Dennis Rostek: „Event though we didn’t take the chequered flag today, it was all in all a good weekend for us, as we made quite some progress again. Since our first start two weeks ago, Young Driver AMR and Aston Martin Racing have done everything they could in this short time to further improve the car and we are thus heading in the right direction.\”
Fredy Barth: „This weekend, not only the car was new for me, it was also the first time for me to drive such a powerful car at the Nordschleife. Nevertheless, I feel already very comfortable in car, even though I will still have to get used to the impressive downforce which the Aston Martin develops in the corners. I will need some more kilometres in order to gain more confidence in the car.”
