New Vantage takes the advantage at 24 Hours of Spa

The new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 had its debut 24 Hours of Spa outing over the weekend and took the brand’s first victory at the historic race since 1948. The conditions were chaotic at the iconic Belgian circuit, with heavy and prolonged rain contributing to a total of 17 safety car periods. The #7 Comtoyou Racing Vantage GT3 piloted by Nicki Thiim, Marco Sorensen and Mattia Drudi didn’t have a straightforward victory, and ultimately were aided by their AF Corsa Ferrari rivals’ misfortune.

Coming into the final hour, the #51 Ferrari 296 GT3 lead the #7 Vantage GT3 by over 10 seconds when it was called-in for a pitstop. As the Ferrari came into the pits, it was met with a broken-down Lamborghini Huracan GT3 blocking the narrowest part of the pitlane. A full 50 seconds passed before the Lamborghini was towed out of the way, and when the Ferrari emerged from its pitstop, the #7 Aston Martin was clear in the lead.

Drudi was able to maintain the lead against for the rest of the race, giving Aston Martin their first victory at the event for 76 years.

“What a crazy race with what happened all the way through the night with the rain - and now this! Actually, I feel a bit sorry for the Italians, but this means a lot to me.” said Thiim, speaking to motorsport.com.   

When Aston Martin last won the grueling endurance race in 1948, it was the first running of the 24 Hours of Spa post-World War II. John Horsfall and Leslie Johnson took victory by over a minute and a half in the Aston Martin DB1.