Turner, Gunn Join Dalla Lana in New Aston GTE-Am Lineup

Paul Dalla Lana will be joined by two new teammates in the upcoming FIA World Endurance Championship season, with Darren Turner and Ross Gunn set to join him in Aston Martin Racing’s GTE-Am entry.

The two factory drivers replace Dalla Lana’s long-time co-drivers Pedro Lamy and Mathias Lauda. The trio have competed together in the past four WEC seasons.

Turner returns to a full-time WEC entry after competing as a third driver in GTE-Pro at four of last season’s races, while Gunn makes his series debut.

“I’m very excited to begin this new chapter of my career at the pinnacle of GT racing and I will be pushing for a solid result,” said Gunn.

“I was very comfortable in the car at Barcelona during the Prologue and I feel like we can, along with Darren and Paul, be in the mix in the GTE Am Championship and fight for a podium at Silverstone.”

Dalla Lana scored 13 GTE-Am wins alongside Lamy and Lauda since 2015, while the trio also claimed the class championship in 2017.

“I would like to pay tribute to my old team-mates Pedro Lamy and Mathias Lauda, who have been brilliant through the years,” he said.

“They have helped us win so much as a team and the 2017 title is the highlight of my career.

“But looking to the future, Darren is the most decorated GT driver in the team and has the pace and experience to guide us forward, while Ross is super-fast and very talented.

“I’m very excited about our new line-up and what we can achieve together.”

Unchanged GTE-Pro Lineup

Aston Martin Racing will utilize an unchanged lineup in GTE-Pro for the upcoming season, meanwhile.

Nicki Thiim and Marco Sorensen will therefore continue to share the No. 95 entry, while Alex Lynn and Maxime Martin will drive the No. 97 car.

Each driver pairing scored one win last season, at Shanghai (No. 95) and Spa (No. 97).

“After 18 months of sustained development and improvement, which culminated in the Vantage GTE being a double-race winner and a pace-setter in qualifying at Le Mans, we are now ready to challenge for world championship titles again at the highest level of sportscar racing,” said AMR president David King.

“Vantage GTE has already proved itself to be an exceptional car, in keeping with the traditions and standards of its predecessors.

“As the current standard-bearer for Aston Martin Racing, much rests on this car, this exceptional team and its outstanding group of drivers’ ability to get the maximum performance from it and deliver on all the promise we’ve shown so far.”