Aston Martin Vantage Wins GT World Challenge Europe Season Opener at Paul Ricard
Aston Martin triumphed in the opening round of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup – the Paul Ricard 6 Hours – with a dramatic fightback victory by works drivers Mattia Drudi, Marco Sørensen and Nicki Thiim.
- 6 hours
- 58
- 5 laps
What Happened
The winning #007 Vantage GT3 staged a fightback from a left rear puncture in the first hour. Starting third, Marco Sørensen suffered the puncture but the team’s pitstop strategy kept them in contention. Nicki Thiim then drove to the lead with five laps to go, setting the fastest lap of the race.
“That was awesome. We brainstormed and tried something new with the Vantage GT3 this week. In the cold conditions the car was just a dream to drive.”
In the Silver Cup class, Comtoyou Racing’s #21 crew finished third. Aston Martin also won in Japan with D'station Racing at the SUPER GT opener in Okayama.
- Overall win at Paul Ricard 6 Hours
- Silver Cup podium
- GT300 class win in Japan
Why this matters
This victory marks Aston Martin's first overall win in the GT World Challenge Europe since the 2024 Spa 24 Hours, showcasing the Vantage GT3's competitiveness and setting up a potential championship challenge.
Terms in This Story
- GT World Challenge Europe
- A sports car racing championship for GT3 cars, consisting of multiple endurance and sprint races across Europe.
- Endurance Cup
- The endurance race series within GT World Challenge Europe, featuring longer races like the 6 Hours of Paul Ricard.
- GT3
- A class of grand touring race cars based on production road cars, with regulated performance and safety modifications.
- Full Course Yellow
- A race caution period where all cars must slow down and maintain position, often used for safety reasons.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.