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Intercontinental GT Challenge

WEC Opponents Pittard, Fagg Enjoying Beechdean Partnership

WEC opponents Charlie Fagg, David Pittard unexpectedly become co-drivers at 24H Spa…

Photo: Patrick Hecq/SRO

FIA World Endurance Championship opponents Charlie Fagg and David Pittard are enjoying their impromptu partnership as part of Beechdean AMR’s Silver Cup entry at the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa.

Both Fagg and Pittard are regulars in the WEC’s GTE-Am category where they drive Aston Martin machinery for D’Station Racing and NorthWest AMR, respectively.

Neither driver was originally supposed to be part of the crew for the No. 97 Aston Martin Vantage GT3, but were added after a late call was made to move the car from the Gold Cup to Silver due to clashing business commitments impacting team owner Andrew Howard’s preparations.

Fagg and Pittard now partner Theo Nouet and Roman De Angelis in the team’s second of two cars.

It means that the two drivers, usually opponents in GTE-Am, now suddenly find themselves working together.

That’s a cool thing I found with working with AMR this year, Pittard told Sportscar365. “AMR runs the NorthWest car and AMR runs the Beechdean car.

“So being involved in the Nurburgring program, I’ve been sort of up against Marco [Sorensen] in WEC but then driven with him in the Nurburgring.

“It’s the same situation as well for him. It’s nice to interact.

“I have known Charlie for a long time as well and seen him rise up and progress through the ranks.

“He’s done phenomenally well over the years as well, so a pleasure to share the car with him.”

Fagg added: “I see David as a good friend. I have known him for about seven, eight years now.  So even though we are competitors on the track in WEC, it’s nice to be teammates with him.

“I’ve known him for so long so it is good to be teammates with him.”

Both drivers indicated that they received the call to race at Spa late last week.

While Fagg has never raced in the Belgian endurance classic, Pittard contested it three times and looked set to have his streak of starts broken prior to the call-up.

The Briton even put out a post on social media hinting he did not have a drive set.

“I did the second day of the test when Andrew asked me to,” Pittard said. “Great to get the experience on the [new] Pirelli tire, something I have not done before in the Aston.

“But then I didn’t think much of it after that. I was like ‘if someone gets COVID, or someone falls down the stairs, then I’ll get the call.’

“With six days to go before the event starts, I just kind of put it out and about: just to let you know, I live round the corner and I can be available.

“But then Andrew made the decision, I got the phone call and here I am.”

Pittard is notably older than all three of his teammates, which he feels presents him with a responsibility to act as something of a team leader.

“I think in general, I see myself a little bit as Uncle David,” he joked.  “Got to look after the kids, because Charlie is the second-oldest in the car at 22 and I’m 30.

“So significantly older. I am not going to say wiser, maybe a little bit.

“I have done this race three times and working with 22-year-olds and 19-year-olds, I see my task this weekend as setting the mindset from what I have learned over my time doing 24-hour races.

“It’s certainly an endurance, not a sprint. There are so many things that can and could go wrong, but that we can control.

“Even more so with these track limit rules as well and the gravel being added to the circuit.

“This is a mad race anyway, so I think it is going to be even madder this weekend. So it is almost a case of dialing it back.”

With their lineup, both Pittard and Fagg feel that the No. 97 Aston Martin has a significant shot at Silver Cup honors in the race.

“It’s a great feeling not going in just to make the numbers up,” Fagg concluded.

“Actually to go there and obviously the aim is to win it. I know everyone is, it’s a big grid of 19 in Silver, but the three teammates I have with me are mega.

“There is no reason why we shouldn’t be able to have a good result.

“Combine that with a fantastic team in Beechdean AMR and I think it is a good recipe for success.”

Davey Euwema is Sportscar365's European Editor. Based in The Netherlands, Euwema covers the FIA World Endurance Championship, European Le Mans Series and Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, among other series.

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