Alex MacDowall will be using the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans as a fact finding weekend after the Craft-Bamboo team were forced to retire due to accident damage sustained in free practice.
Fernando Rees was driving the Aston Martin in the evening session when the car suffered a high speed impact with the barrier at the Porsche Curves; Thankfully Rees’ only injury was bruising to his ankle but unfortunately the car was too damaged to continue.
MacDowall commented, “I’m just glad that Fernando is alright, we’re a tight team and Fernando is also my friend.” He continued. “The thought of not being able to compete this weekend is a great shame but on the plus side, at least I got the first laps of Le Mans under my belt.
“I am staying out here with the team to learn as much as I can over the next few days, this will see me even better prepared for Le Mans 2015, it’s like the ultimate preparation session.”
Aston Martin Racing Team Principal John Gaw added “It is with huge regret that we have had to withdraw the car from the race. The team has evaluated the damage and has confirmed that the chassis is irreparable at the circuit. The most important thing is that Fernando is safe and well, this is testament to the safety of the cars and the track.”
MacDowall will be back in action for the next round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, in the 6 Hours of the Circuit of the Americas, held on the 20 September in Texas, USA.
