The new Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTE recorded its maiden FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) victory with a perfectly judged performance by Danish drivers Nicki Thiim and Marco Sorensen in the 6 Hours of Shanghai.
Aston Martin was the class of the GTE Pro field all day in difficult conditions and ran one-two, with the sister #97 car driven by Maxime Martin and Alex Lynn also leading at different stages of the event.
With an hour to go there was a possibility of a clean sweep at the top of the podium, but earlier in the race the team had chosen to split the two cars' strategy to optimise its chances for victory. This meant that the #97 had to change to its final set of wet tyres earlier than the #95 for the final stint, leaving them struggling for grip when a further rain shower came at the end of the race and they finished fourth.
So it was down to the #95 to contend for the win as the weather and the light deteriorated, making conditions treacherous. But following on from a typically committed and hard-charging middle stint from Thiim, Sorensen maintained his composure and delivered a historic victory despite the increased pressure of another late-race safety car.
Coincidentally, the Vantage GTE's first win comes at the same venue as that of its predecessor - the V8 Vantage GTE - which won here back in 2012.
