Aston Martin has completed the traditional pre-Le Mans test day at the La Sarthe circuit in France, two weeks prior to the endurance classic Le Mans 24-hour race.

The test was an opportunity for the teams and drivers to familiarize themselves with the eight-mile circuit and to finalize the set-up for the round the clock race. This year, Aston Martin Racing will be defending its GT1 class win with two Gulf-sponsored DBR9s, numbered 007 and 009. Also competing in the event is an Aston Martin-powered LMP1 prototype, entered by Charouz Racing System, as well as two customer DBR9s from Team Modena and Vitaphone Racing.

Conditions for the test day were a mixture of wet and dry weather, which limited what the teams could do.
The 007 DBR9 was crewed by Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Andrea Piccini and Karl Wendlinger, while 009 was driven by David Brabham and Antonio Garcia. The car’s remaining driver, Darren Turner – who won the GT1 class along with Brabham in 009 last year – was absent due to touring car commitments in the UK, but he has plenty of previous Le Mans experience to fall back on when it comes to the race.
The 76th Le Mans 24 Hours will start on Saturday June 14 at 3pm local time. The Aston Martin/Gulf team is among the favorites to win the race. And while the conditions may not have been ideal, they certainly provided some fantastic photo opportunities. So we have decided to make this incredible photograph of the 007 DB9R passing the famous Dunlop bridge into wallpaper for you to download. Please visit www.eurotuner.com/freestuff to download this atmospheric image.