Assisted by Pirelli’s durable P Zero racing slicks, Darren Turner drove his Pirelli-equipped Aston Martin V12 vantage to a resounding victory at the second round of the Blancpain Endurance Series at Silverstone over the weekend.
Pirelli is the official tyre supplier to this year’s Blancpain Endurance Series: a five-round endurance racing championship which features an array of supercars including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and Aston Martin. The cars eligible are race versions of road-going supercars, as have already been displayed on the season-opener at Monza back in April. As well as supporting the series, Pirelli is also the proud sponsor of an award to the top-placed team contesting both the FIA GT and the Blancpain, underlining the Italian firm’s commitment to world-class endurance racing.
Track temperatures were relatively high at Silverstone but once again the Pirelli tyres did not fail 57 spectacular GT3 cars on the grid. Despite being a late entry, Darren Turner, Frederic Makowiecki and Stefan Mucke dominated the three-hour race for Aston Martin, reaching the chequered flag 20-seconds ahead of the WRT Audi R8 LMS ultras.
The Gentlemen Trophy was won by ARC Bratislava Porsche 911 GT3-R, which was driven by Ahmad Al Harthy and Miro Konopka. But it is Kessel Racing and its Ferrari 458 that continue to lead the overall standings – five points ahead of Belgian Audi Club WRT.
Pirelli’s senior engineer Matteo Braga, who was trackside at Silverstone, commented afterwards: “Aston Martin did a sterling job over the weekend and the winning trio managed the Vantage V12 and the Pirelli slicks remarkably well. In fact, our P Zero tyres in the DHA version adapted very well to the number of different manufacturers that finished inside the top 10. Silverstone circuit is no easy feat and with so many fast corners it is demanding for both man and machine. Pirelli is also helping Aston Martin to celebrate its centenary year in 2013 and it is a fitting tribute for the British manufacturer to take a win on its home circuit.”
Round three of the 2013 Blancpain Endurance Series will take place at the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France which will run from 29-30 June.