December 12, 2024
TF Sport open to running Astons alongside Corvette WEC programme

The British squad was announced last month as the first customer for the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R in next year’s WEC when LMGT3 regulations replace the existing GTE Am rule set.

TF currently runs two Aston Martin Vantage GTEs in the WEC and European Le Mans Series, which will also swap GTE rules for GT3, and has previously run GT3-spec Vantages in both British GT and GT World Challenge Europe.

Speaking to Autosport at Monza ahead of this weekend’s six-hour WEC round, Ferrier clarified that its Corvette deal is currently only for the WEC and has left the door open to continue running customers in Prodrive-built Aston machinery elsewhere.

“It is only a WEC programme still, so we still will look to run Astons at the moment,” he said.

“It may be in GT World Challenge or ELMS. [With Corvette] it is a focused, two-car WEC programme.

“There’s scope in the future [to do more with Corvette], it’s more that they’re not making a great number of cars to start with.

“What they’ve decided to make is the two cars in IMSA [GTD Pro], and then the two WEC cars, so, for now, it’s that and then we’ll see where we go really.”

TF’s first test with the Corvette will come next month at the Circuit of the Americas, where prospective customers will be invited to try the car developed extensively by factory drivers Tommy Milner, Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor.

Ferrier expects to receive its first chassis early next year due to a need to prioritise entrants running the Pratt and Miller-built car in the IMSA SportsCar Championship that commences with the Daytona 24 Hours in January.

“Things are still moving with them slightly in terms of the homologation process and bits,” he said.

“That is the plan. Their IMSA Daytona cars are obviously the priority with the race being so early.

“We’ve been over to Detroit already and had a look around straight after Le Mans. It’s a good facility and all very exciting.”

Ferrier explained that the deal was concluded at the Le Mans 24 Hours last month, after talks began last year with “just a very open, general chat”.

“We saw the car at Daytona when we were there and unveiled it,” he said.

“We carried on conversations and only in the last six weeks or so, two months, it started coming to a bit more fruition. At Le Mans was when we decided to say yes.

“For us, it was always strategically wanting to make sure we had a place and a home in WEC.

“The brand is synonymous with Le Mans, it’s good people who do a good product, so it’s all very exciting.”

TF Sport drivers Charlie Eastwood, Michael Dinan and Ahmad al Harthy sit 74 points behind Corvette Racing trio Nicky Catsburg, Nico Varrone and Ben Keating in the GTE Am standings, with the American outfit able to mathematically secure the title with two races to go.

But Ferrier stressed that he’s still keen to continue TF Sport’s record of finishing inside the top three in each season of its WEC participation to date and is anxious not to let the excitement over its upcoming switch of brands cause any distractions.

“The whole thing is still six months away so, while there’s work going on in the background, we’re still pretty focused on finishing this programme properly,” he added.

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