The 2016 World Endurance Championship GTE-Pro winners, Young Driver AMR, are taking a sabbatical in 2017. The driver line-up of Marco Sorensen and Nicki Thiim remain in the #95 Aston Martin entry this year to defend their title, but their car will not be run by Young Driver AMR.
Jan Struve stated that the team is taking a step back from its managerial role for the upcoming season and is happy for Aston Martin to continue to run the #95 entry with last year’s drivers Sorensen and Thiim. Selected FIA WEC events will be attended by the team, but they will no longer have any association with the #95 car.
“Our well known and rapid Aston Martin Vantage GTE will continue in the FIA World Endurance Championship with Aston Martin Racing, but Young Driver AMR will take a sabbatical”, said Struve.
Young Driver AMR started its GT journey in 2010. Since this time, they have competed with GT1, GT3, and GTE specifications of Aston Martin race cars participating in the FIA GT1 World Championship, the ADAC GT Masters, and FIA WEC.
They joined the Endurance family in 2013, taking their first class championship in 2014 winning the GTE-Am class as well as winning the GTE-Am class in the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans. 2016 saw Young Driver AMR, with the line-up of Sorensen and Thiim, take the Championship victory in the GTE-Pro class.
Over their six-year career with Aston Martin racing GT cars, Young Driver AMR has taken 16 victories and two World Championships, participating in 90 races.
It is unknown what Young Driver AMR will be doing this year after having backed away from the FIA WEC or whether they will resume their managerial status of the #95 Aston Martin for the 2018 season of the World Endurance Championship.
