TF Sport wins Round 5 of 2021 FIA WEC with Aston Martin Vantage

MANILA: Aston Martin Racing (AMR) partner team TF Sport won the fifth round of the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) last Saturday, October 30, after completing the the Bapco 6 Hours of Bahrain using an Aston Martin Vantage GTE.

The Vantage is powered by a four-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 engine. The vehicle was also used to win the the 2019/20 FIA GT Manufacturers title. It also helped Danish racers Nicki Thiim and Marco Sorensen in getting the GTE Pro title in the same season. It has showcased its impressive performance in GTE Am once again in the hands of TF Sport, Paul Dalla Lana’s NorthWest AMR team, and D’station Racing.

The first GTE Am class win of the season for Vantage was earned by TF Sport’s #33 crew which is composed of Ben Keating from the USA, Dylan Pereira from Luxembourg, and Felipe Fraga from Brazil. Last September, the team also clinched the second place in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In Bahrain, Keating, Pereira, and Fraga delivered a strategic masterclass. Keating completed two successful stints in scorching temperatures up of to 35 degrees Celsius at the desert venue before handing over the Vantage to Pereira in the third hour. The Luxembourg national was able to take the lead and open up a distance that Fraga was able to close in the final stage of the race. Despite tremendous pressure from various class oppositions, Fraga maintained his composure and captured the checkered flag with only five seconds to spare.

Each of the three Aston Martin customer teams took the lead of the race, with the D’station team composed of Japanese racers Tomonobu Fujii and Satoshi Hoshino and British racer Andrew Watson setting the pace in the first hour. This came before the #98 NorthWest AMR machine entered and was driven by Canadian racing driver Dalla Lana, who was joined by Marco Gomes and Augusto Farfus of Brazil. They ended up finishing in fourth place.

TF Sport took the top step of the GTE Am podium, closing the margin on the title chase to just 21.5 points. It was also the team’s third appearance on the rostrum this year. Keating, Gomes, and Fraga are in a strong position to mount a concerted title challenge in the 8 Hour final round on Saturday, November 6, with 39 points on the line.

“It was really hot out there today and two hours in the car was demanding but I was able to push, and the handling was excellent, especially the brakes — which are important here in Bahrain. It’s enjoyable to have a WEC race win because we were extremely close at Spa, Monza and Le Mans, so it's really nice to get a win and narrow the gap in the standings,” Keating stated.

AMR Managing Director John Gaw said, “The Aston Martin Vantage GTE has been a force throughout the WEC GTE Am season and is long overdue its first victory of the year. The nature of the win, when it finally came, was emphatic, and the fact that all three Aston Martins were contenders at various stages of the race shows what a mighty prospect the car remains in the hands of talented and motivated customers. We will do everything in our power to ensure that our partners can end the season on a high note.”

The final round of the 2021 FIA WEC is the 8 Hours of Bahrain, which will be held at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC).

AMR has also confirmed the drivers who will test the three Vantage GTEs owned by NorthWest AMR, TF Sport, and D’station Racing during the WEC Rookie Test in Bahrain on Sunday, November 7.

The recent winner of the Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy, Valentin Hasse-Clot of France, will be driving the #777 D’station Racing car alongside GTWC GT4 America series frontrunner and Vantage GT4 champion Kenton Koch.

British racer and Nürburging racing specialist David Pittard, together with AMR Academy member Nicolai Kjaergaard of Denmark and IMSA Sprint Cup GTD champion Roman De Angelis of Canada will pilot the Northwest AMR Vantage. Meanwhile, the #33 TF Sport Vantage will be driven by American racer Scott Huffaker, Keating’s former teammate in IMSA prototypes, and French racer and Porsche Supercup driver Florian Latorre.

Photos from Aston Martin

Also read: Aston Martin, Girard Perregaux collaborate on new chronograph