Martin to Depart Aston Martin After Petit Le Mans

Maxime Martin will contest his final race as an Aston Martin factory driver at this weekend’s Motul Petit Le Mans.

Martin will compete in the ten-hour enduro at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta aboard the No. 27 The Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 alongside Roman de Angelis and Ian James.

So far this season, he has secured two GTD class victories at Watkins Glen and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park as well as two further podiums, which has propelled De Angelis to the championship lead with one race remaining.

The Belgian first joined Aston Martin Racing as a factory in 2018, signing on after a five-year spell as a factory driver with BMW that saw him win multiple races in DTM and claim overall victory in the 24 Hours of Spa in 2016.

He took his first victory for Aston Martin at the 2018 6 Hours of Spa round before going on to win the GTE-Pro class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Alex Lynn and Harry Tincknell in 2020 en route to securing the manufacturer’s title for the British marque later this year.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Maxime for the huge contribution he has made to the Vantage programme,” said Huw Tasker, Head of AMR Partner Racing.

“He’s been an integral  part of Vantage’s development and actually gave the GT3 car its race debut at the Nürburgring in 2018 alongside Darren Turner.

“He won the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans with  us and played a vital role in our Manufacturers’ World Championship in 2020 and came close to clinching the Drivers’ title as well.

“We wish him well in the future.”