Sebring: Aston Martin Racing preview

Aston Martin Racing Confirms Driver Line-Up for 12 Hours of Sebring

Aston Martin Racing has officially confirmed the driver line-up for its two DBR9 entries at the 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida.

David Brabham, Stephane Ortelli and Darren Turner will drive car number 57, in green and yellow livery and driving car number 58, in green and red, will be Peter Kox, Pedro Lamy and Stephane Sarrazin. The colours echo those first seen on the DB3S Works cars in the 1950s.

George Howard-Chappell, Team Principal of Aston Martin Racing, said: "I'm sure enthusiasts around the world will share in the team's excitement at Aston Martin's long awaited return to the race track.

"The 12 Hours of Sebring will undoubtedly be a tough race debut for the all- new DBR9, but we regard it as a critical milestone in our testing and development programme leading up to the Le Mans 24 Hour race in June.

The results we have achieved from our testing and development programme so far - including a test session at Sebring earlier this year - have been encouraging, but looking ahead to the race, clearly there are many unknowns. The team has been working hard in preparation for Sebring, but we have yet to run in a race environment. Regardless of the outcome at Sebring it will prove an invaluable learning experience for us."

Aston Martin last appeared at Sebring in 1983 when two prototypes - the Nimrod - finished fifth overall. Aston Martin has a lengthy history at the Sebring circuit dating back to 1950 when three DB2s competed in what was then a 6-hour competition. In 1953 a DB3 achieved Aston Martin's best ever finish with a class win and an overall second place. Some three years later, driving a DB3S, the Le Mans winning team of Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori took fourth place overall and in 1958 Stirling Moss set the fastest race lap in a DBR1.

-amr-