Aston Martin Racing today announced 24 fresh Aston Martin Vantage racers to be part of the 2023 Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy. The initiative’s next winner will receive Aston Martin Racing support and assistance through 2024 and a test in a Vantage GT3. Part of the 2023 AMR Driver Academy is the Swedish racer Jessica Bäckman as the only Swede and female driver.

Competitors aged between 17 and 26 with Vantage GT3 and GT4 race programmes in recognised championships are eligible. The prize on offer for the successful graduate includes financial support towards their 2024 race programme, as well as assistance and guidance from the factory, tailored to their season plans. Further evaluation of the most outstanding candidates may also include a test in a Vantage GT3 at the end of the 2023 season.

-Super happy & thankful to be part of the AMR Driver Academy 2023. This is exactly what I need to take the next step as a racing driver and to get a glint of what it takes to be a factory driver for a luxury brand like Aston Martin, Jessica Bäckman says.

The candidates benefit from a two-day seminar that includes media training with FIA World Endurance Championship commentator Louise Beckett, simulator training at Base Performance, a DNAFit assessment including a bespoke training programme and nutrition plan, Aston Martin Racing in-house commercial training and a factory-based engineering workshop to further their understanding of how to competitively set-up Vantage.

- I really enjoyed the seminar days at Prodrive last week. Was amazing to learn from the best and to see factory and all these amazing cars. I’m super excited to go racing now and big thanks to Aston Martin Racing for including me, Jessica Bäckman says.

The judging panel, which includes three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner and 2023 Rolex 24 at Daytona GTD class champion Darren Turner (GB), four-times British GT champion Jonny Adam, former Academy winner and works driver Valentin Hasse Clot, AMR Head of Performance Gus Beteli and Head of AMR Partner Racing Huw Tasker, will evaluate each drivers’ ability to manage the strategic, teamwork, commercial and public relations aspects of their role. Finally, the outstanding candidate will demonstrate the most potential to develop their talent for the future.

- As a mechanism for assessing and identifying outstanding talent within our partner ranks, the AMR Driver Academy remains instructive and essential, and looking at the list of candidates lined up for 2023 we’re certain that tradition is set to continue, Huw Tasker says, AMR Head of Partner Racing.