Enge tastes new Aston Martin powered LMP1 Coupe

Tomas Enge's first test with the new Aston Martin powered LMP1 Coupe has made a big impression on the Czech driver. Enge's first taste of the car, which is being developed for Charouz Racing System by Aston Martin Racing, came during a test at Snetterton, which he fully enjoyed . He shared the wheel with team-mates Jan Charouz, a fellow Czech, and Stefan Mucke, from Germany.

Despite a minor interruption due to heavy fog, the test was a successful one. Enge completed 50 laps in the new prototype and praised the car. Mucke was equally happy. On this occasion Charouz spent most of his time on other testing duties, as the LMP1 Coupe was just one of several different cars that Aston Martin Racing had taken to the circuit.

The next test for the LMP1 Coupe is scheduled for 2nd and 3rd March at Le Castellet, as part of the official Le Mans Series session.

George Howard-Chappell, Aston Martin Racing team principal: "Following a shakedown at Prodrive's private proving ground, we took the LMP1 car to Snetterton as part of a scheduled winter test for Aston Martin Racing. Apart from a brief disruption due to fog, the LMP1 car completed four days of testing in largely dry and sunny conditions – very unusual for the UK at this time of the year. The car ran well and, when it came, the favorable weather allowed us to make lots of progress. We are looking forward to some intense racing with the opposition in June."

Tomas Enge: "I drove a few different Aston Martin racing cars during my two days at Snetterton, but there is no doubt that the best experience was behind the wheel of the new Aston Martin powered coupe prototype. I thought that it would be interesting but the reality exceeded my expectations by a big margin. The car is still at the very beginning of its development and it will take some time to tune it and set-up it properly, but it is already good. I felt immediately at home. The car is very fast in quick corners, thanks to good downforce, the engine is powerful and it is nice to work with carbon brakes, so all in all I enjoyed it a lot. The interesting thing for me is that I got used to it basically immediately, partly because the seat felt ideal from the beginning . I posted very solid and consistent lap times during my 50 laps, with the difference between them being just tenths. Everyone in the team has been putting a lot of energy into this project and you can see how strongly they believe in it."

Stefan Mucke: "Although my time in the car was reduced by a period of foggy weather, the test delivered a lot for us. By far the important thing is that I learned a lot about the car. I felt big improvements during my runs. This Aston Martin powered prototype won my heart immediately. All aspects are good and the sound is simply unique! I can hardly wait for the next test and especially the races."

Jan Charouz: "I am now looking forward to the official Le Mans Series test at Le Castellet on March 2nd and 3rd." BPA.CZ