Garage 59 has revealed its full driver line-up for the 2019 season, which will see the British outfit contend for overall and class honours in the five-round Endurance Cup championship.
The former McLaren squad will campaign Aston Martin machinery this term, deploying a brace of freshly-liveried Vantage GT3s. The #59 will bid for Pro class honours, while the #188 will resume its assault on the Am Cup.
Despite switching manufacturer Garage 59 has made just one change to its line-up, with Aston Martin works driver Jonny Adam joining for the season ahead. Acknowledged as a standout talent, the 34-year-old Scotsman clinched the 2017 Endurance Cup title in the Pro-Am class and has been crowned British GT champion on three occasions.
He will link up with two established Garage 59 drivers as the squad goes in search of its second Endurance Cup title. French ace Come Ledogar was part of the previous success in 2016 and remains in place for a fourth successive season, bringing considerable race-winning experience to the #59 crew.
Northern Irish racer Andrew Watson completes the line-up, and has also joined the Aston Martin brand as a junior driver for 2019. The 24-year-old will contest has fourth season in the Endurance Cup and his third as part of the Garage 59 outfit, having first raced for the team in 2016 before rejoining last term.
The #188 Am Cup entry remains unchanged from 2018, with Chris Goodwin, Alex West and Chris Harris sharing driving duties aboard the new Vantage GT3.
The crew has already proven its ability to win races by taking class honours at Silverstone and Circuit Paul Ricard last term, the latter in dominant fashion. Having ultimately finished second in the Am Cup standings, they will be keen to go one better in 2019.
“I’m pleased with the driver line-ups we have secured,” commented team principal Andrew Kirkaldy. “We worked with Andrew and Côme for many years on the McLaren GT programme. I’ve always been impressed with them and it is great to welcome Jonny to the team as an Aston Martin works driver who has been involved in the development of the new car. The Am squad was a case of getting the band back together so they can go after the title again.”
Garage 59 first clinched the Endurance Cup crown in 2016 thanks to Ledogar, Rob Bell and Shane van Gisbergen. The British outfit has undergone a number of changes since last term, including the switch to Aston machinery, a new livery, and the addition of Goodwin and West as co-owners.
The new-look team will debut at Monza, which will stage the opening round of the 2019 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup over the weekend of 13/14 April.