Aston Martin is further expanding its presence in international motorsport by creating an ambitious collection of new one-make series around the world.
The Aston Martin Vantage Cup by R-Motorsport will be based around a specially developed version of the sports car. Powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 of racing specification, this will be priced at around €250,000 (£223,000).
Four Cup racing series are planned worldwide over the next four years, with the first in Europe due to start in 2020 – although a calendar has yet to be confirmed. Expansion into Asia is planned for 2021.
Grids will be capped at 25 cars for each series. Swiss-based R-Motorsport, which already runs Aston Martin's DTM and Blancpain GT programmes, will build the cars and supply a support and parts service. The company will also take on responsibility for running the series and is planning an “innovative solution for storage and transport of vehicles and spare parts”.
The announcement was made at the Nürburgring, where Aston Martin Lagonda president and CEO Andy Palmer is attending a round of the DTM. Along with the one-make series, Palmer also confirmed that its collaborative DTM and Blancpain GT campaigns will continue in 2020 following their launch this year.
“We're delighted that our brand will continue to be so well represented in international racing by R-Motorsport,” said Palmer. “The Aston Martin Vantage Cup by R-Motorsport offers interested customers the ideal opportunity with which to further their motor racing ambitions.”
Beyond these programmes, R-Motorsport’s parent company, AF Racing AG, is also a partner in Aston Martin’s Valkyrie project. The hypercar is due to make its racing debut next year, when the FIA World Endurance Championship launches its new hypercar-based class. The new era will begin in September, with the Valkyrie set to make its debut at the Le Mans 24 Hours – the crown jewel and final round of the WEC – in June 2021.
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