Pista – Four Aston Martins in three different classes for Comtoyou Racing in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup
After months of intense preparation, Comtoyou Racing’s 2024 season will be officially launched this weekend. From 5 to 7 April, the Circuit Paul Ricard awaits the competitors in the Endurance Cup of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS. For Comtoyou Racing, this three-hour race marks not only the launch of the season, but also the start of a new adventure with its new partner, Aston Martin Racing.
“We are delighted to be entering four Aston Martin Vantage GT3s in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe,” smiles Team Principal Jean-Michel Baert. “This is the finest championship for GT3 cars. The level is fantastic, the races are hotly contested and we know it is a considerable challenge. But that is also what motivates us! After our good start in GT3 last year, we want to build on that with one car in the Pro class, two in the Silver Cup and one in the Bronze Cup.”
As announced at the end of February, Comtoyou Racing will field a ‘Dream Team’ in the #007 Aston Martin Vantage GT3. FIA WEC World Endurance Champions in GTE Pro with Aston Martin, Danes Nicki Thiim and Marco Sørensen will team up with new official driver Mattia Drudi, last year’s champion in the Sprint Cup of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe. This team clearly has its sights set on battling at the front!
Comtoyou Racing has always been involved in the development of young drivers. This year, 2024, is clearly a continuation of that tradition, with two cars lining up in the Silver Cup. In the first car, which will carry the number #12, we find Nicolas Baert. Last year’s Gold Cup champion, he will this time be aiming for the Silver Cup crown. The 22-year-old from Waterloo will be partnered by another Belgian: Esteban Muth. After distinguishing himself in the DTM, to the point of earning the nickname ‘The Overtaker’, the 22-year-old from Brussels had no major programme in 2023. He returns in 2024 with the firm intention of making a name for himself on the international scene! The third man is Sebastian Øgaard. With a single-seater background, the 20-year-old Dane finished third in Eurocup-3 in 2023 and will be discovering GT3 racing this season.
The second car entered in the Silver Cup, with the number #21, will also include two Belgians in its trio. Already present in 2023 and runner-up in the Silver Cup in Endurance, Sam Dejonghe will act as captain at the age of 32. He will be working alongside 19-year-old Matisse Lismont, who is making his GT3 debut. This duo will be joined by Briton Charles Clark (23), last year’s British GT runner-up in GT4.
Finally, Comtoyou Racing will be making its debut in the Bronze Cup, a category which combines a professional driver, a semi-professional (classified as Silver) and an amateur driver (classified as Bronze). Once again, the crew will include Belgian drivers. Having often demonstrated his talent at the wheel of a Porsche Cup car, John de Wilde is taking on a new challenge by entering the most competitive GT3 championship on the planet. The man from Ghent can count on the support of two experienced team-mates. Dutchman Job Van Uitert, a prototype specialist with three runner-up finishes in the European Le Mans Series, is aiming to prove his worth in GT3. As for the Silver-placed driver, he is a familiar face at Comtoyou Racing. The revelation of TCR Europe last year, with six wins and a 3rd place finish, Kobe Pauwels has already had a taste of GT3 with Comtoyou Racing at the Nürburgring last year. This time, a full season awaits the citizen of Leopoldsburg.
“We put a great deal of work into finalising our crews, as we wanted to bring together four competitive trios in their class,” emphasises François Verbist, the Team Manager. “But I am proud of it! There is a mix of professionals and young drivers with huge appetites. What is more, we will be entering the Bronze Cup for the first time. To be honest, we would have liked to have had a little more preparation time, but the Circuit Paul Ricard is a great place to launch our season and build the confidence of our drivers.”
After this 3-hour endurance race on the Circuit Paul Ricard, the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe will turn to the Sprint Cup at the beginning of May. The Comtoyou Racing crews for this competition will be revealed at a later date. In the meantime, be sure to visit the Circuit Paul Ricard this weekend, or check out the GT World YouTube channel. You can follow the first Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin race in full!
