Anthony will join the Gigawave Team at the historic Spa 24 Hours race this weekend, racing in the iconic Nissan GT-R.  Anthony was able to test the Nissan GT-R in Portugal in June, and is looking forward to joining the team for the challenge of the classic endurance event, alongside Darren Turner (GB) and Michael Krumm (Germany).

“I am looking forward to this years Spa 24 Hours race, driving the new Nissan GT-R with the Gigawave / NISSAN Motorsport Team. Endurance racing of this length offers an interesting challenge for everyone involved, and it will be good to get back behind the wheel – particularly as Spa has always been a circuit I enjoy.”

The GT-R has completed over 10,000 kms’ of testing since its shakedown in December 2008, including its pair of appearances in the FIA GT Championship, and is now fully prepared for its biggest challenge of the current season. The new car’s outings in the European-based GT championship are a precursor to a full assault on the series next season.

After a challenging but exciting 24 hours, Anthony and the crew of the 008 Aston Martin – Darren Turner (GB) and Jos Verstappen (NL) – crossed the finish line of the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours race.  Anthony enjoyed his first taste of the LMP1 category, and put in a strong performance – qualifying the 008 car ninth in just one flying lap on his first ever stint on new tyres in the Aston, and at one point on Saturday evening climbing as high as third in the overall race standings.

As expected, the diesel-powered cars enjoyed a margin of superiority, but Aston Martin Racing fulfilled its mission of being the first petrol car home with the 007 car, having also been the quickest of the petrol cars during qualifying on Thursday night. Anthony qualified the 008 car in ninth place for the start of the 77th Le Mans 24 Hours, despite never having driven the car in qualifying trim before. This was also in spite of extremely limited dry running before qualifying, as the six-hour long free practice session on Wednesday was hit by heavy rain.

Anthony enjoyed a strong first stint in the car, a triple stint which started around 7pm.  Driving at sunset and into the dark, Anthony managed to run as high as P3 and a lap ahead of the sister 007 Aston Martin, which went on to finish 4th.  After his first driver change Anthony was out of the car when the 008 car lost time at around 10pm following a collision with a GT1 car at Tertre Rouge. The effect of this was to damage the suspension and floor, which necessitated several visits to the pits to repair. Furthermore, the crew was handed a five-minute stop-and-go penalty in relation to the incident, which was taken in the early hours of Sunday morning. Afterwards, 008 was amongst the quickest petrol-powered cars in the race, but it subsequently lost time with several mechanical problems relating to the gearbox and brakes. It was eventually classified 13th, having followed the 007 car across the line on Sunday in a spectacular formation finish. The 008 crew completed 342 laps, with all the drivers delighted to get to the finish of this epic race.

Says Anthony:

“It’s been an absolutely great experience… I’ve been really impressed with the performance we’ve shown here and I hope we’ve surprised a few people with our speed. It’s been fantastic to be part of the Aston Martin team and I think between us all we’ve put on a great show. We ran as high as third overall and I think had we experienced no problems, then we could have challenged for the podium.”

Aston Martin Racing has confirmed that Anthony will be one of three new drivers recruited to enable the team to run a trio of Gulf-liveried LMP1 cars at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, which marks the 50th anniversary of Aston Martin’s first victory at La Sarthe in 1959. Joining the existing Aston Martin drivers along with Anthony will be Stuart Hall (GB) and Jos Verstappen (NL). The three LMP1 cars will be numbered 007, 008 and 009 and the exact configuration of the crews for the race, which takes place on June 13-14, will be announced at a later date.

Anthony recently tested Aston Martin’s LMP1 car in Portugal, completing three one-hour stints. The Englishman is an experienced Formula One race and test driver and this year he has become well-known as a Grand Prix commentator on British radio. Davidson is a familiar face as he worked with the team in 2003, racing at Le Mans, Sebring and Petit Le Mans in the GT class.

Anthony says of the opportunity:

“Particularly as a British driver, racing for a team as prestigious as Aston Martin is a fantastic opportunity. I know the team and its capabilities extremely well from the past, and I’m convinced that there is nobody better prepared to tackle all the challenges that Le Mans will present us with. At the test I felt comfortable with the car straight away, and now I’m looking forward to taking the fight to the other teams at Le Mans. I’m certainly aiming for us to be the quickest petrol car there and hopefully we can get in amongst the diesels as well.”

The three newcomers, along with the existing Aston Martin crews, are due to test Aston Martin’s LMP1 challenger in Italy at the end of the month, as part of the team’s ongoing development programme for the unique round-the-clock challenge of Le Mans which takes place on 13-14 June.

Aston Martin Racing Chairman, David Richards concluded:

“I’d personally like to extend the warmest possible welcome to Anthony, Stuart and Jos, who collectively form a fantastic addition to the Aston Martin family. Our nine-strong driver line-up now allows us to run three LMP1 cars at Le Mans, and I am sure that our trio of blue and orange racing cars will make an amazing spectacle at what is almost certainly the toughest and most famous race in the world. I believe that we now have an excellent blend of youth and experience amongst our three cars on this very important anniversary in our rich racing history.”