As the Veranstaltergemeinschaft Langstreckenpokal Nürburgring (VLN) season gets underway this weekend, Leonard Motorsport becomes the latest team to join the ranks of Aston Martin customers with the race debut of its brand-new Vantage GT3.
Crewed by British drivers Paul Wilson and Stuart Leonard, this will also be the first time that a Vantage GT3 has embarked on a full season of competition on the Nordschleife. Only recently completed, the car was wheeled out for the first time at last weekend’s official test.
“The project has come together fairly quickly and we are delighted AMR were able to complete the build of the car in time,” said Wilson. “For it to then run so competitively and without issue on its proper shakedown was very encouraging. The Nürburgring is a real driver’s track and to have a car that handles as well as the Vantage GT3 is just fantastic. The team has done a great job and we are looking forward to VLN1.”
Leonard Motorsport will be joined on the grid for the fourth round of the VLN and at the Nürburgring 24 by the familiar Bilstein-liveried works Vantage, which Darren Turner, Stefan Mücke and Pedro Lamy will drive.
“We made it clear in 2012 that we have a five-year plan to be in a position to challenge for the win at Nürburgring 24 Hours,” said AMR Team Principal John Gaw. “Last year, in the second year of our campaign, we led the race for ten hours, so we intend to return this year and better this.”
“It was great to return to the Nürburgring this weekend,” added Mücke, who drove the works car at the test. “We did many laps on Saturday and managed to work through a lot of set-up changes in just one day. It is a fantastic circuit and the Vantage GT3 is well suited to it but it is so different to other circuits; that’s why preparation is key.”
