Drudi Joins Walkenhorst Pro Lineup at N24

Photo: Michele Scudiero/Aston Martin

Mattia Drudi will make his first Nürburgring 24 appearance as an Aston Martin factory driver as part of Walkenhorst Motorsport’s Pro lineup for the Eifel endurance classic.

The reigning CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa winner joins Christian Krognes, David Pittard and Nicki Thiim aboard the German squad’s Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo.

Drudi replaces Kuba Giermaziak in an otherwise unchanged lineup for Walkenhorst, with the team looking for a better result after its competitive run was curtailed by contact on the opening lap last year.

The 26-year-old, who also competes with Aston Martin in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, will make his fifth N24 appearance.

All of his four previous starts came as an Audi factory driver. He finished sixth twice, most recently with Scherer Sport PHX, while his other two outings resulted in retirement.

“I’m looking forward to returning to the Green Hell, especially for the 24-hour race,” said Drudi.

“I believe that the Aston Martin Vantage is very well suited to this racetrack, and with such an experienced team and team-mate, I’m confident that we can put in a strong race.”

Walkenhorst is set to field a total of five cars in this year’s N24, with two additional GT3 entries (one in SP9 Pro-Am and one in the Am class) joined by an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 and a Hyundai i30N.

“For many years we have been chasing a top result in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring – we want to change that this year,” said managing director Joerg Breuer.

“Our Pro car has an incredibly strong line-up, including long-standing Walkenhorst Motorsport drivers and ultra-fast Aston Martin factory drivers.

“We will also use the Pro car to compete in the remaining preparation races to ensure we are as well prepared as possible for the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring.”