Dec 27 2009 by Zoe Burn, Sunday Sun
SPORTSCAR sensation Rob Bell will switch from a Ferrari to an Aston Martin next season.
The two-time Le Mans Series (LMS) GT2 Champion will remain with the JMW Motorsport squad for 2010, after team chiefs inked a deal to become the official development outfit for the GT2 Aston Martin.
And although the rest of the line-up is still to be finalised, it was revealed last week that Bell is staying with the team to spearhead its attack on next year’s championship.
JMW Motorsport, runners-up in their debut Le Mans Series GT2 season last year, have signed a two-year year deal to compete with the Vantage GT2 in the Le Mans Series and at the Le Mans 24 Hours as Aston Martin Racing’s official global GT2 Development Partner.
And Morpeth-born Bell admits he can’t wait to get behind the wheel for the first time.
“I am so excited about this new challenge, the only way I can describe it is I feel rejuvenated,” he said.
“As a driver, the opportunity not only to race the Aston Martin Vantage GT2 but to play such an integral part in the development of the car fires me up.”
The core team, which took JMW Motorsport to fourth at Le Mans in 2009, remains with Tim Sugden as team manager and Steve ‘Doc’ Bunkhall as technical director, ably backed by Davey Nicholas, Duncan Ritchie and Ian Jones.
And the team will retain their strong partnership with Dunlop, which has renewed its long-term commitment to the team as development partners in the GT2 programme.
The JMW Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT2 will feature in Dunlop’s 2010 Le Mans Livery Design Competition.
An intensive testing programme begins in early January ahead of the opening Le Mans Series race on April 11, the 8 Hours of Le Castellet event in France.
Jim McWhirter, JMW Team Principal added: “This is a very exciting development for our team and reflects the efforts invested over the past seasons.
“This may be a new car for JMW, but the same desire, commitment and perseverance is still there and we are confident we shall be in the mix from the start.
“Dunlop have been an integral part of our success and it is extremely rewarding that they are joining forces with JMW and Aston Martin Racing in this challenging new adventure.”
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