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Aston Martin Announces Bilstein Partnership For Nurburgring Campaign
Aston Martin has agreed a racing partnership with leading damping and suspension specialist Bilstein, appointing it as primary technical partner for Aston Martin Racing’s competition programme at the Nürburgring focused on the legendary ADAC Zurich 24 Hour race in May.
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The new agreement builds on the existing long-term relationship between the two companies; Bilstein dampers are fitted as standard to all Aston Martin road cars.
The iconic blue and yellow colours of Bilstein are synonymous with the Nordschleife’s most famous endurance race, having featured on front-running cars for the past ten years. They will now grace the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 that will be driven by factory drivers Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan Mücke (D), alongside Nürburgring aces Allan Simonsen (DK) and Pedro Lamy (PT), who will join the pair to make up a formidable line-up as the team targets its strongest Nürburgring 24 Hours result to date.
Aston Martin’s CEO Dr Ulrich Bez, himself a Nürburgring 24 Hours class winner, comments: “Aston Martin has a long relationship with the Nürburgring; the circuit has been crucial to the testing and development of all of our recent road cars and we have been competing in the 24-hour race since 2006. In fact, last year, nearly ten per cent of the Vantage-based GT4 cars we have ever built raced there in VLN.
“Last year, too, Aston Martin Racing supported one of our partner teams, which entered a pair of V12 Vantage GT3s; we learned a lot, and now we return to take another step towards our ultimate goal of winning the race.
“Bilstein has played an important role in the success of our road cars, providing outstanding performance and quality, and their racing experience at the Nürburgring is second to none. I’m very happy that they are supporting us in our ambition to conquer one of motorsport’s biggest challenges.”
“We are very proud to extend our successful partnership with Aston Martin also in our ‘living-room’, the Nürburgring Nordschleife”, says Thorsten Schwippert, Managing Director AfterMarket & Motorsports at Bilstein. “The whole Bilstein Team is looking forward to support Aston Martin with all our technical knowledge and motorsports experience.”
The Bilstein-liveried V12 Vantage GT3 will first be seen in action at the 60. ADAC Westfalenfahrt four-hour race (VLN1) on 23 March and then again at the 55. ADAC ACAS H&R Cup (VLN3) on 27 April in preparation for the ADAC Zurich 24-Hour race on 19/20 May.
Aston Martin’s full Nürburgring 24 Hours campaign will be announced in the coming weeks and – as the marque celebrates its centenary year – the programme will prove to be its most exciting and diverse to date.
PaddockTalk Perspective
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