On June 12th, 2022—over 3,500 miles from Long Island—two Aston Martin Vantage GTEs added even more prestigious Le Mans silverware to the automaker’s cabinet. The heritage automaker’s Vantage GTE model took home first- and third-place finishes in the GTE-Am class during the 90th year of the world’s oldest continuous endurance race.
With over 80% of each lap run with a wide-open throttle and driver teams demanding optimal performance for a continuous 24 hours, Aston Martin’s legacy was on full display in the victory.
This success marks the Vantage GTE’s third Le Mans win, with the car taking double first place in the GTE-Pro and GTE-Am classes in 2020. The driver teams from TF Sport—the 2022 and 2020 winner—and NorthWest AMR seized victory against a record-equalling 23-car entry consisting of Porsche 911 RSR-19s, Ferrari 488 GTE Evos, and another Vantage GTE driven by D’station Racing.
Both ends of the endurance racing spectrum were displayed at this year’s Le Mans—the perfection required to take and hold an early lead along with the perseverance necessary to recover from the challenges a full day of top-speed racing entails.
TF Sport and NorthWest AMR began by steadily climbing into leading spots with the customary wave of the French tricolor. As the sun started to set over the time-honored race course, the two Vantage GTEs accelerated into the top four.
Throughout the night, both teams kept up their intense pace and near-flawless handling, with TF Sport seizing the lead at roughly the halfway point and NorthWest AMR closing the distance. TF Sport would maintain its pole position until the checkered flag was waved, but NorthWest AMR had more challenges in store.
By the time the sun rose again, the pair of Vantage GTEs were holding first and second. However, slow zones and safety car interruptions saw NorthWest AMR surrender into fourth.
Not to be deterred, they kept the Vantage’s 4.0L, twin-turbo-charged V8 purring with their eyes firmly fixed on making the podium. After competing for a top-three spot for almost 20 hours—and with only about 90 minutes remaining—they lept back into third when another leading competitor experienced their own difficulties.
At the conclusion of the world’s most famous race, TF Sport had completed 343 laps, with a top speed of 210.3 mph and a best lap time of 3:53.266. NorthWest AMR’s podium-placing finish saw 342 laps completed, with their efforts to catch back up achieving a slightly better 210.6 mph top speed and 3:52.908 best lap.
Although TF Sport claimed GTE-Am victory at Le Mans in 2020, this year’s team consisted of all first-time winners:
The first-place finish for TF Sport was particularly momentous for Ben Keating, who’d claimed victory in 2019—then with a Ford GT—only to be disqualified on technicalities during post-race vehicle inspections. This year, however, TF Sport’s Vantage GTE cleared all competitors and rulebook specifications.
“This is a great result and performance from TF Sport,” effused Keating. “We’ve had no penalties, no mistakes, no trips to the gravel or anything.”
Furthermore, the stellar TF Sport result also places the team and the #33 Vantage GTE as the leader of the FIA World Endurance Championship [WEC] standings. Prior to the historic race, the NorthWest AMR team had held the position after securing a victory in the year’s opener at 1000 Miles of Sebring and a close duel with the TF Sport team at 6 Hours of Spa.
Between TF Sport and NorthWest AMR, Aston Martin’s Vantage GTE has claimed four podium spots in the GTE-Am class in 2022’s exciting three races so far. With three rounds remaining in the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship, both teams are poised to continue competing for series victory through the upcoming 6 Hours of Monza in Italy, 6 Hours of Fuji in Japan, and the concluding 8 Hours of Bahrain.
As Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman at Aston Martin, glowingly proclaimed following the 2022 Le Mans victory:
“To enjoy this kind of success at the top level of endurance racing is testimony to the quality of the Vantage GTE, the TF Sport team and the Vantage road car that is the basis of the race car. Congratulations to Ben, Marco and Henrique on a faultless race and their first win at Le Mans.
“Aston Martin was born 109-years ago out of a love of racing and competing at all levels of motorsport is at the heart of Aston Martin’s DNA. It is fitting that Vantage, our most focused performance sports car is a true success with our customers on the road and track – Vantage F1®️ Edition, V12 Vantage, Vantage GTE – all winners.”
Aston Martin is thrilled with the five years of Vantage GTE performances seen on the World Endurance Championship stage.
The results achieved by the Vantage GTE and the TF Sport and NorthWest AMR drivers are a continuation of one of the best starts to a decade that Aston Martin has seen. In every class that an Aston Martin has entered, the drivers and vehicles have accomplished at least podium placement.
At the world’s oldest continuing endurance race—and three times as long as the second-longest even in the WEC series—there’s no better stage for showcasing superior performance than the Vantage GTE offers to racers and roadway drivers alike.
Aston Martin’s heritage and winning performance aren’t only found on the Circuit de la Sarthe course in Le Mans, France. At Long Island Sports Cars in Roslyn, NY, you can capture the same performance capable of exceeding 200 mph on the Mulsanne straight and handling the rigors of turns like the Tertre Rouge.
As one of only three Heritage dealers for Aston Martin in the US, our team is unparalleled in providing sales and service for the automaker’s powerful and elegant models—whether new or vintage.
Stop by our showroom today to test drive the road-ready version of this year’s Le Mans GTE-Am winner!
Source: Aston Martin Media
