ASTONMARTINDANETRAIN JOINSTFFORBRITISHGT
Worldendurancestarsthiimandsorensentofightforukchampionship
Aston Martin Racing’s World Endurance Championship duo, Nicki Thiim and Marco Sorensen, will join TF Sport’s attack on this year’s British GT Championship.
The Danish pair – nicknamed the ‘Dane Train’ in the WEC – will join TF to share its pair of Aston Martin Vantage GT3S with amateur drivers Derek Johnston and Mark Farmer.
Sorensen, 27, will share with Johnston in the 2016 championship-winning car, while Thiim, 28, will partner Farmer in the sister chassis.
The deal means both Thiim and Sorensen will return to UK racing for the first time since their respective Formula Ford programmes a decade ago.
Both drivers graduated through the Danish Fford series before competing in Britain. Thiim only raced at the Formula Ford Festival in 2006 in a factory Ray, while Sorensen contested the full British championship in 2008 with a Fluid Van Diemen.
Both drivers shared AMR’S number 95 Vantage GTE Pro entry in the WEC last year, winning in Mexico and finishing sixth in the world championship points.
With the WEC now spread over a 13-month superseason AMR’S factory drivers have a greater availability for customer teams in national series.
“To have two of Aston’s real rising stars join us for British GT is absolutely fantastic, and they’ll help take us to the next level,” said TF Sport team boss Tom Ferrier.
“Last year was a difficult season in many respects for us so we felt it was time for a shuffle to refresh things and this will definitely mix it up a bit.
“We worked with Nicki last year in our European Le Mans Series programme and he’s absolutely rapid. He’s a bit crazy, but he’s a truly superb racer. Marco knows the British tracks from his time in Fford, so the pair will work together and spur each other on.”
Thiim and Sorensen replace Jonathan Adam – who has switched to Optimum Motorsport – and Jon Barnes, who is searching for a drive.
“Both Nicki and Marco are consummate professionals so I know they’ll work well with Derek and Mark,” added Ferrier. “The team dynamic will shift as we’ve got two new driver pairings – there will be less ‘hand-holding’ for the Am drivers, but both Derek and Mark have more than enough experience now. I think we’ll have two cars going for the title.”