GT racing has been good to Aston Martin Racing the past few years, with its GT3 cars putting on seriously good momentum and a great pace, not least showcasing the calibre of the teams and drivers that field them. But, as they say, there’s always room for improvement, with their 2024 season starting strong, led by 5 new cars heading into the British GT championship.
This is a crucial moment for AMR, as it’s the debut season for their new crop of Vantage GT3 and GT4 cars, recently updated for 2024, with the unveiling of the new Vantage road cars. A great car, however, is nothing without an equally capable driver piloting it, as Aston Martin brings forth a formidable line-up of talented and experienced drivers from all backgrounds.
A Strong Line-Up For A Crucial Season
This includes Jessica Hawkins, who will make her first debut into British GT, currently working as Aston Martin F1’s head of the F1 academy and the brand’s driver ambassador. She’ll soon join the Beechdean AMR team, a six-time class champion, forming a dynamic duo with team owner and series veteran, Andrew Howard, fielding a Vantage GT3 for the Silver-Am class.
Jessica Hawkins, who was previously a W-Series podium finisher and race-winner in the TCR UK series, is also among the lucky few who were picked to test the new AMR Vantage GT3 over its development cycle last winter. Meanwhile, Blackthorn Racing, another longtime Aston Martin customer team, will field two Vantage GT3s for 2024, in the Pro-Am and Silver-Am classes.
Aston Martin’s (British Racing) Green Fury
The charge will be led by Jonny Adam, a four-time British GT champion and local legend, and Giacomo Petrobelli, an experienced Italian driver who has twice raced Vantage GT cars in the British GT in prior years. Then, there’s multi-time champion, Matt Topham, and rising star in the British GT championship, Josh Rowledge, both sharing Vantage GT3 for Blackthorn.
Aside from the more established teams, there’s also Forsetti Motorsport, new to Aston Martin Racing, who are aiming for two class titles with a pair of Vantage GT4s. They’ll be led by GT4 winner, Jamie Day, as well as 16-year-old Mikey Porter, alongside Marc Warren, who’s won championships in other GT series, and William Orton, in GT4 Silver and Pro-Am, respectively.