Spa 24H: Jota Sport race report

Spa 24 Hour victory for Aston Martin Racing Jota Sport on GT4 debut

AMR Jota Sport secured GT4 class honours in the Spa 24 Hours this weekend, as the British squad made its debut appearance as an Official Partner Team to Aston Martin Racing.

Despite a recurring electrical glitch the four-man crew of factory Aston Martin driver Sam Hancock, alongside Simon Dolan, Joe Twyman and Roger Wills - all three being members of Jota's private driver training service 'The Drivers Club' - led the class for much of the prestigious twice-around-the-clock enduro and finished a massive 38 laps clear of the next-best GT4 car as the chequered flag flew at 4pm local time on Sunday afternoon.

However, the win didn't come without its dramas as the electrical problem which had prevented Hancock from fighting for pole position during the best of the conditions in qualifying, returned on the very first lap of the race and caused intermittent trouble throughout the 24 hours. On several occasions the car lost power or shut down completely, posing considerable challenges to both drivers and team as they fought to keep the car in the race.

Changeable weather conditions, typical of the Belgian Grand Prix venue, also plagued the race but the drivers, three of which had no modern-day GT racing experience, coped well with everything thrown at them, including racing in damp conditions on slick tyres in the dead of night, while the team were faultless throughout.

The result marks a superb start to Jota's partnership with Aston Martin Racing and a resounding success for 'The Drivers Club' as three of its members take home enormous winners' trophies from one of motorsport's toughest events.

Sam Hignett, Team Principal AMR Jota Sport: "All four drivers did an absolutely fantastic job to contend with the conditions and manage the electrical problem. This was the biggest modern day race that Simon, Joe and Roger have ever done and they were very professional and articulate with their feedback. I'd also like to say a massive thank you to the guys from Aston Martin Racing who worked tirelessly alongside us in the pit throughout the night. Dan Sayers (AMR's GT4 project leader) was also back in the UK fielding telephone calls at 3am in the morning and the level of support they provided was first class."

Sam Hancock: "I'm so proud of our team this weekend. While some of the boys have considerable 24 Hour experience, for others it was the first time and they were all amazing. If you put the electrical glitch to one side, there was not a single mechanical problem or mistake during the pit stops. They've worked every hour that god has sent since we took delivery of the car a few weeks ago and I hope that this win has made it all worthwhile. Every single person on the team from the mechanics and crew at the track, the girls in the office back at base, Pete our great physio, the catering staff and of course my co-drivers all deserve credit for the role they have played in this brilliant result. What a great start to our new chapter with Aston Martin Racing!"

-source: jota sport