Aston Martin Racing has confirmed it will return to GT racing by entering its Vantage in the GTE Pro class of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The move marks a return to production-based sports car competition for the factory Aston program after three years in prototypes ended with 2011's unsuccessful AMR-One project. Aston regulars Darren Turner, Adrian Fernandez and Stefan Mucke will drive the one-car full-season WEC entry. A second car will be added for Le Mans.
Aston Martin chairman David Richards believes the return to GT racing is the right move for the manufacturer at this time.
"It's great to be returning to our core motorsport activity – production-based GT racing," he said. "It formed the basis for Aston Martin's return to competition when the DBR9 GT1 racer was launched in 2004, and it was in GT racing that we achieved our famous victories at Le Mans in 2007 and 2008.
"The GT category is also now the most competitive class in world sports car racing and with the new FIA World Endurance Championship the GTE class will, I believe, offer the closest fought and most exciting spectacle.
"We will see many premium sports car brands competing with great-sounding racing cars based on their production models, which all the fans can relate to."