Three official Aston Martin Racing drivers with Comtoyou Racing in Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe

For the 2024 season, Comtoyou Racing is embarking on a long-term partnership with Aston Martin Racing. On Wednesday 21 February, the Belgian team presented its Aston Martin Vantage GT3 for the first time. This first official outing was highly symbolic: by displaying its car within the context of the launch of the centenary edition of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, the Belgian team also announced that it would be aiming for a leading role in the Belgian classic, scheduled from 26 to 30 June.

“The team has been testing the new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 for several weeks now, getting to know it better,” smiled Team Principal Jean-Michel Baert, who was present at the launch event at Stavelot Abbey. “But we are particularly pleased to have been able to present it to the public for the first time. As a Belgian team, it is clear that the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa was one of the reasons why we decided to enter the GT category. To be able to start the centenary edition with Aston Martin is a source of pride. Knowing that we will be doing it with such a prestigious line-up of drivers, fully capable of aiming for victory, further strengthens our motivation!”

We will have to wait a few more weeks before we know who all the drivers will be representing Comtoyou Racing. “We are still in discussions to finalise our crews,” confirms Team Manager François Verbist. “We have a great many contacts and we are still open to last-minute discussions. Our objective is clear: to put together the best possible crews, while also taking into account the constraints faced by a team like ours.”

One thing is certain: the partnership between Aston Martin Racing and Comtoyou will take the form of a presence in the Endurance Cup of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe with a trio of official AMR drivers. This team will be aiming to give Aston Martin a second victory in the great Belgian endurance classic, the first coming in 1948 with St. John Horsfall and Leslie Johnson in an Aston Martin 2-Litre Sports.

Danish drivers Nicki Thiim and Marco Sørensen, who won the FIA WEC Endurance World Championship in the GTE Pro class with Aston Martin, will once again be teamed up. They will be joined by new AMR official driver Mattia Drudi, last year's champion in the Sprint Cup of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe.

On the podium of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa in 2021 and 2023, Nicki Thiim is aiming for victory this year. “Unlike my previous appearances, Spa will not be a one-off, as we will be taking part in all five Endurance Cup races,” confirms the 34-year-old Dane. “I am delighted to be competing in this championship, which is undoubtedly the toughest in the world of GT3 racing, with a large number of line-ups made up of official drivers. The Comtoyou Racing team has motivated me enormously and I am looking forward to starting the season with them.”

Nicki Thiim and Marco Sørensen, nicknamed the “Dane Train”, won the WEC GTE Pro class together in 2016 and 2020, in addition to their podium finish at Spa in 2021. Since then, Marco has added a world crown in GTE Am to his list of achievements in 2022, punctuated by a class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This time, it is the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa which the 33-year-old hopes to add to his tally.

“I am convinced that we can put in some great performances with this Comtoyou Racing team,” confirms the former single-seater driver. “I am eagerly awaiting the start of the season. With the arrival of the new car, we all have much to learn: the team, the engineers, the drivers and so on. But I am sure we will all enjoy working together. Comtoyou has already proved its qualities as a team and we are highly motivated. We cannot wait to get started!” 

Alongside the must-watch duo, Italian Mattia Drudi is a newcomer to Aston Martin Racing. His performances in 2023, and in particular his title in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup, have made the 25-year-old Italian one of GT's rising stars.

“I am really looking forward to my first season as an official Aston Martin Racing driver,” confides the driver from Misano. “And to share the car with such fast and experienced team-mates as Nicki and Marco is an honour. In 2023, I witnessed Comtoyou's GT debut as an opponent and they immediately demonstrated their potential. With the new Aston Martin Vantage GT3, I think we can have great ambitions. We have a busy month ahead of us with a great deal of testing, but I am confident that we will be ready for the first race of the season.”

The Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe will begin with a 3-hour race on the Circuit Paul Ricard from 5 to 7 April. The Endurance Cup will then continue with the centenary edition of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa (June 26-30). the Nürburgring (26-28 July), Monza (20-22 September) and the 6 Hours of Jeddah (21-23 November) complete the programme.