Aston Martin Racing factory driver Maxime Martin will be entering two Aston Martin Vantage GT4s into the DTM Trophy with his newly established Martin Racing outfit.
The Belgian, who drove in the DTM himself between 2014 and 2017, announced the creation of his own team last October as a collaboration between himself and senior BMW mechanic Thomas Matton.
“I definitely have some really good memories from my time in DTM,” says Martin. “Ever since I was very young, my goal was to be a DTM driver, and I managed that – earning some wins, some podiums, and having lots of great battles. The DTM has always been one of the best championships in the world, and I have to admit that I’m still in love with DTM.”
The Belgian will now be on the other side of the wall as team boss, and admitted he had been interested in DTM’s new GT support series for a while.
“We started looking at DTM Trophy when it was first announced last year,” Martin continued. “Now, as a team boss, I felt it would be a really great platform for young drivers entering GT racing for the first time – perhaps those with a little bit of GT4 experience, or who are graduating from single-seaters.”
“It offers drivers the perfect opportunity to develop and showcase their skills: all the events are for single drivers, are sprint races, and take place on the DTM stage – in front of senior personnel, and with big manufacturer presence.”
Martin Racing is the fourth team to publicly commit to the championship. German McLaren customer team Team GT was the first, followed by Leipert Motorsport fielding two Mercedes-AMG GT4 and Car Republic, which fields two Audi R8 LMS GT4s in conjunction with lifestyle beverage brand Superdrink.
The Belgian says he has not yet decided who will get to perform driving duties in the two car.
“We’re keen to talk to as many drivers as possible before we make our selection,” he says. “But it’s going to be a great year, we’re really looking forward to it and we’re convinced we can make it work.”