Published: March 14, 2010
The iconic powder-blue and orange Gulf racing color scheme adorns the No. 009 Aston Martin Lola B09 60 - the most striking car entered in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida.
Adrian Fernandez is the best-known of the four pilots who hope to strike a blow to Peugeot's plans of winning the American Le Mans Series presented by Patron Tequila season-opening event. The defending LMP2 Sebring champion is the newest addition to Aston Martin's P1 factory driver lineup.
"The car is beautiful," Fernandez says. "It is very fast on the (Sebring) straights compared to the Acura last year and in the corners it definitely feels a lot heavier. It is very powerful with the V-12 engine. You have to drive it a lot more smoothly. I am still adapting to the car and also to the closed cockpit and the limited visibility. The more laps I do, the more comfortable I feel. The car is fun to drive because it is fast. The first time out I had to control the power which I didn't have to in other cars. You have plenty of power and I like that."
The popular Mexican driver is excited about joining a team with Aston Martin's sterling reputation - and allure.
"I wanted to look at different options and I wanted to continue at the top," Fernandez says. "I had to see where would be the best place for me. I talked to Aston Martin but at the beginning they did not have any openings. A couple months later we saw there was an opportunity. I talked to Lowe's (his long-time sponsor) to see if they could be a part of it. After several discussions, they decided they could help given their plans for the European market.
"Aston Martin is a top team - very professional and they have a lot of experienced people. I am still in the early learning stages of names and who does what and things like that. Trust comes with time and if I have some input from my experience that will help the team, that would be good so I am open-minded."
Fernandez will co-drive with Chris Buncombe of England, Harold Primat of Switzerland and Stefan Mucke of Germany at Sebring. It's a British team with drivers from four different countries, a virtual United Nations of sports car racing.
"Again, I am quite new to the team but first impressions were good," Fernandez said after the Winter Test on Feb. 23. "We did a lot of miles and worked well together and everyone wants to cooperate so that is a good start."
(His enthusiasm is boosted by the fact that the Aston Martin was quickest overall at Winter Test, but remember that Peugeot was absent.)
Since joining the ALMS in 2006 following a 12-year career in Indy Cars, Fernandez has become one of the most popular drivers. He shared the 2009 ALMS LMP2 Drivers Championship with teammate Luis Diaz. They posted eight LMP2 victories in their Lowe's Acura, starting with his first ALMS career victory at Sebring.
"I love racing at Sebring," Fernandez says. "It is a track I know very well. It is tough and challenging. There will be a lot of good competition in the race and I am really looking forward to it. We are still working on setups and things like that but have made good progress and turned a lot of laps. This is a heavier car so obviously it feels more harsh over the bumps than the car last year. The car was designed more for Le Mans and this is a tough track in that respect."
The prototype is the same car AMR entered at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Le Mans Series in 2009, with some small evolutions in the areas of the engine, aerodynamics and suspension along with modifications to meet the 2010 regulations for the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), the sanctioning body for Le Mans.
The team also plans on entering the ALMS race at Long Beach in preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Winning at Le Mans is the team's primary target. Three years ago at Le Mans, Fernandez qualified on the LMP2 pole position in a Lowe's-sponsored Zytek and placed second in class.
"I loved Le Mans," he says. "The experience in 2007 was phenomenal. I couldn't be in an environment better than Aston Martin. They want to win as much as I want to."
This marks the first time since 1983 that an Aston Martin-powered prototype has entered the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Fernandez and his teammates figure they should finish better than their '83 counterparts, who were fifth.
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