Aston Martin team partner owner announces retirement

The owner of Aston Martin team partner NorthWest AMR, Paul Dalla Lana, has announced his retirement from motorsports.

According to Aston Martin, the 57-year-old entrepreneur said that he no longer has the time required to prepare fully for competition at an elite level.

“To race for Aston Martin, compete at Le Mans, and win a world championship title, has been one of the greatest adventures of my life and has given me so many memories that I will cherish for the rest of my days,” Dalla Lana stated.

“Enviable” is the word Aston Martin used to describe Dalla Lana’s racing career. He is considered one of the most successful amateur racers in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) history with 17 class victories putting him fourth on the all-time winners’ list, behind Sebastian Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Dalla Lana’s old team-mate Pedro Lamy.

The man had a 54-percent WEC podium strike rate, including the one he took on his world championship debut at Silverstone alongside Lamy and Fred Makowiecki in 2013. His most recent victory is at the GTE Am class as he secured a podium finish with works driver Nicki Thiim and David Pittard last year.

“But the racing always had to stop at some point, and for me, that time has been coming for a while now. It has become increasingly challenging to find enough time to prepare and compete at the highest level; and to fight for a world championship you must be able to give your all. I’ve been lucky enough to race alongside some great drivers and great friends and compete against the very best in sportscar racing. I’ve been there as WEC has grown in stature and I’ve been able to drive the mighty V12, V8, and now the turbo-charged V8 Vantages at places like Daytona, Sebring, and Le Mans. It’s been one hell of a ride and I’m very grateful to have been able to take it all on board an Aston Martin. Thanks to all the incredible fans that have come out to watch us over the years, and I’d like to wish Aston Martin luck in the future. I’m sure going to miss it!” Dalla Lana concluded.

Due to the sudden disbandment of NorthWest AMR, the reigning IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD class champion team, Heart of Racing finally got a slot in WEC. The team will be making its debut at Spa-Francorchamps, in Belgium, this weekend.

“The Heart of Racing team has had ambitions to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the FIA WEC for some time. We are an ambitious group and to add WEC to what we have been fortunate to achieve in our other programs over the past three years is an honor. Going for the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona/24 Hours of Le Mans double is very exciting. I’d like to take the opportunity to wish Paul well in the future and to thank him for giving us the chance to take over his entry for the rest of 2023. It will be a baptism of fire in Spa, but we hope to continue the successful heritage of the #98 plate in WEC,” commented Heart of Racing Team Principal Ian James.

Photos from Aston Martin and FIA World Endurance Championship

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