Issue 25 - Fuel the Passion (FTP) Weekly Roundup
Week Ending 24th May 2026
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
Aston Martin has its first overall Nürburgring 24 Hours podium. That’s where this week’s Roundup has to begin. Last weekend, Walkenhorst Motorsport and its Aston Martin Vantage GT3 delivered one of the marque’s most significant endurance-racing results in recent years, finishing third overall in the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours. More than that, the Vantage was right in the fight for second place deep into the closing stages, only for the final laps to deny Aston Martin an even bigger result.
Much of the outside attention around this year’s race centred on Max Verstappen’s appearance, and understandably so. But behind that noise was a superb Aston Martin story: a factory-supported customer team, a fast and resilient Vantage, smart strategy, strong driving from Mattia Drudi, Christian Krognes and Nicki Thiim, and a performance that kept the car firmly in podium contention across one of the toughest races in world motorsport.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
For Aston Martin, this was not just a respectable finish, it was a milestone. Third overall marks the brand’s best-ever Nürburgring 24 Hours result and its first outright podium in the event, achieved on the 20th anniversary of Aston Martin’s debut in the race. It also underlined the strength of the current Vantage GT3 package and the value of Aston Martin’s wider endurance-racing programme.
From that high point in GT racing, attention also turns to Formula One, where this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix brings Lance Stroll’s home race and another important checkpoint for Aston Martin Aramco and Honda. After a difficult start to the season, Miami appeared to bring progress on vibration and reliability, but Canada should give us a clearer sense of whether the team has made another small step forward, not towards miracles, but towards a more settled, more driveable AMR26.
So before we move on to the wider Aston Martin world, from Canada and the latest F1 developments, to road cars, commercial partnerships, market observations and this week’s Fuel the Passion update, we start in the Eifel, because Aston Martin’s Nürburgring podium was a weekend that deserved proper attention.
Aston Martin Vantage makes Nürburgring 24 Hours history
As mentioned above, Aston Martin’s week should start with a podium in the Green Hell. The No. 34 Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT3, shared by Mattia Drudi, Christian Krognes and Nicki Thiim, finished third overall in the 2026 ADAC Ravenol Nürburgring 24 Hours. In doing so, it gave Aston Martin its first overall podium in the race and its best-ever result at the event.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Pro Drivers-Drudi, Krognes, Thiim
That’s a significant achievement in any year, but this one carried added weight. The result came on the 20th anniversary of Aston Martin’s Nürburgring 24 Hours debut, and in a race where much of the wider attention was inevitably drawn towards Max Verstappen’s appearance. That Verstappen spotlight was understandable, but it shouldn’t distract from the Aston Martin story. The Vantage was not simply circulating and waiting for trouble to come to others. It was fast, strategically well managed, and in the podium fight for almost the entire race. The scale of the task should not be underestimated. Walkenhorst Motorsport was competing in SP9 Pro, with more than 40 GT3 cars in the SP9 class and a 161-car grid overall. This was a proper Nürburgring field, and the Vantage had to earn its place at the front.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
The signs were there before the race began. Drudi and Krognes put the Aston Martin first and second in their respective Top Qualifying sessions, showing the underlying pace in the car, before Thiim placed the Vantage 11th in Top Qualifying 3.
From there, Walkenhorst made one of the key calls of the race. The team pitted early, offsetting its fuel strategy by two laps and allowing Thiim to undercut several rivals. That moved the Aston Martin into the top five, where it would remain for the rest of the race.
Cold ambient conditions, reportedly around 3°C to 5°C, also appeared to suit the Pirelli-shod Vantage. Krognes moved the car up to second after Thiim’s opening double stint, before Drudi took over and built a lead of around 40 seconds despite the arrival of rain. That period was important because it showed this was not just a survival run. The Aston Martin had genuine pace, and Walkenhorst was making the strategy work.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
As always at the Nürburgring, the race then became a test of judgement as much as speed. Rain, traffic, Code 60 zones and the usual Nordschleife unpredictability all played their part.
Several fancied contenders fell away through the night, while the Aston remained in the lead battle behind the leading Mercedes entries, fighting with a Lamborghini and BMW as strategies began to converge.
Sportscar365 later reported Drudi describing Aston Martin and Walkenhorst as “underdogs” in such a strong field, and that’s perhaps part of what makes this result feel so satisfying. The team knew the car could be competitive, but the Nürburgring rarely gives anything easily.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
To survive is one thing.
To survive while remaining in the overall podium fight for 24 hours is another.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
Drudi charged on, and for a time it looked as though Aston Martin might turn a historic podium into something even bigger. But the Nürburgring had one more interruption waiting. A final-lap Code 60 near the Döttinger Höhe delayed the Aston Martin just as Drudi was trying to complete the chase. The opportunity for second slipped away, and the Vantage crossed the line third.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
There will be understandable frustration in that. Drudi himself made clear that missing second was painful, especially after the late push and the time lost on the final lap. But the bigger picture is still hugely positive. Aston Martin finished third overall at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Not third in class. Not best of the rest in a quiet year. Third overall, in one of the hardest endurance races in the world.
Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance Motorsport, Adam Carter, described it as an outstanding result and pointed to the Nürburgring 24 Hours as one of the most robust tests of any racing car, he’s right. This race asks almost everything of a GT3 car: pace, braking stability, traction, reliability, tyre performance, night running, wet-weather control and the ability to cope with endless traffic. The Vantage answered those questions across a full day and night of racing.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
It also adds another important chapter to Aston Martin’s Nürburgring story. The marque’s history at the circuit stretches back to Stirling Moss and the 1000km victories of the 1950s, including the great 1959 season that also brought Le Mans victory for the DBR1.
Since Aston Martin returned to modern sportscar racing in the mid-2000s, Vantage generations have collected class wins and podiums at the Nürburgring, but this result moves the story forward. This was Aston Martin standing on the overall Nürburgring 24 Hours podium for the first time.
During the week Aston Martin released a 3 minute 17 second YouTube Video, showing some of the highlights of the Nürburgring 24 Hours and more specifically following the Walkenhorst Team. I’ve featured it on the front page of this website on the day it was released, it’s well worth your 3 minutes and 17 seconds, especially if you love Aston Martin Racing. For convenience, I’ll place it here as well;
For Fuel the Passion, this deserves proper recognition. In a week of F1 previews, commercial stories and road-car news, this was the result that put Aston Martin on a major endurance podium.
Walkenhorst Motorsport, Drudi, Krognes, Thiim and the Vantage GT3 gave Aston Martin Racing a milestone weekend. Thank you team!
The wider motorsport world may have been watching Verstappen, but like many of you, we were also focused on Aston Martin, who nearly stole second place in the Green Hell.
Canada becomes another checkpoint for Aston Martin and Honda
From Aston Martin’s strongest GT racing moment of the week, attention now turns back to Formula One, where the picture is very different. The Nürburgring gave Aston Martin a podium to celebrate, the Canadian Grand Prix gives Aston Martin Aramco and Honda another chance to show whether the early pain of 2026 is beginning to translate into useful progress.
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes. Lance Stroll.
This weekend’s race at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is Lance Stroll’s home Grand Prix, and that gives the story an obvious human angle. Stroll has described Canada as his favourite race of the year, with the energy of the Montreal crowd making the weekend feel special from the first out-lap in practice. After such a difficult start to Aston Martin’s 2026 season, a more settled weekend at his home race would be very welcome.
The important word, though, is “settled”. This doesn’t feel like a weekend to overhype.
Aston Martin is not arriving in Montreal with a magic fix, a major performance upgrade or a sudden expectation of fighting near the front. Instead, the message from the team, Honda and the drivers is more measured: Miami was a step forward because both cars reached the chequered flag and the vibration problems appear to have improved, but the AMR26 still needs much more performance.
Image © Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Used for editorial purposes.
Honda’s Canadian Grand Prix preview was useful because it explained where the focus now sits. Shintaro Orihara, Honda’s Trackside General Manager and Chief Engineer, said Miami confirmed battery vibration improvements and overall power-unit reliability.
Canada now becomes another important opportunity to improve energy management and driveability under the updated 2026 regulations.
Montreal is a stop-start circuit with heavy braking zones, traction demands out of slower corners, long straights and the ever-present need for confidence on corner entry. If a car is awkward on downshifts, engine braking, torque delivery or energy deployment, the driver will feel it quickly. Honda’s target is therefore not just more reliability, but a power unit and drivetrain package that helps Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll attack the lap with more confidence.
Stroll’s own comments added a useful dose of realism. He said Miami was a step forward because both Aston Martins finished the race and the vibration issue was improved, but he was also very clear that the team still needs “a lot more downforce and power”. That’s probably the most honest summary of where Aston Martin is right now. Reliability and driveability are important, but the wider performance deficit remains.
Fernando Alonso made the same point even more sharply. He has identified smoother upshifts, downshifts and engine braking as immediate areas to improve, especially at a circuit like Montreal. But he also warned that these driveability gains may be worth only “half a tenth”, not the two or three seconds Aston Martin is still missing. That’s the crucial reality check, a better-feeling AMR26 would be progress, but it wouldn’t suddenly solve the bigger lap-time problem.
Image © Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Used for editorial purposes.
There’s also a technical learning curve behind all of this. Aston Martin is now working with Honda as its power-unit partner, building more of its own package and learning under a very different set of Formula One regulations.
Energy recovery, engine braking, gearbox behaviour and deployment are all closely linked, and early reliability problems have limited the clean running needed to understand the car properly. In simple terms, the team is still trying to make the AMR26 more predictable before it can properly unlock the performance it needs.
Alonso also said the focus in Canada is to optimise what the team already has, because there are no major performance upgrades for this weekend. Stroll suggested a future upgrade may come around Spa or the race after, but even then he was clear that it will not suddenly put Aston Martin into front-running territory. That honesty is important, it keeps expectations grounded.
For Fuel the Passion, Canada is therefore not a weekend of wild prediction, it’s rather a weekend of evidence. Can Aston Martin and Honda run more reliably? Can the drivers trust the car more under braking and on corner entry? Can the gearbox, energy deployment and driveability feel cleaner? Can Lance Stroll, at home in Montreal, find a positive step in front of his own crowd?
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes.
If the answer to some of those questions is yes, that would represent another small but meaningful step forward. Not a breakthrough, not a turnaround, but perhaps another sign that Aston Martin and Honda are beginning to work through the problems that made the start of 2026 so difficult. The stopwatch will tell us how much progress has really been made.
We will return to the Formula One story in the FTP Motorsport Hub early next week, once the Canadian Grand Prix weekend has played out and there is something meaningful to assess. For now, from Montreal, we widen the lens again and look across the rest of the Aston Martin motorsport world.
Wider Aston Martin motorsport: endurance momentum continues
Away from Formula One, the wider Aston Martin motorsport picture continues to feel much more positive. As we’ve already covered, the Nürburgring 24 Hours podium was the headline achievement, but it also sits within a broader run of endurance and GT racing activity where Aston Martin machinery is continuing to build credibility across different championships. As we know, Formula One will always bring the biggest spotlight, but Aston Martin’s racing story has never belonged to F1 alone.
The next major focus is Le Mans, where the Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie programme continues to build towards one of the most important weekends of the year.
The Valkyrie Hypercar’s fourth-place finish at Spa remains the key recent reference point: not a win, but a genuinely encouraging sign that the programme is beginning to show progress in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
Le Mans will be a very different test. The circuit, the event, the traffic, the pressure and the scale of the challenge are all unique. For Aston Martin, simply being back in the top Hypercar class with Valkyrie is already significant, but expectations will naturally start to build if the car continues to show the kind of promise seen at Spa.
The Nürburgring result for the Vantage GT3 also adds to that sense of momentum. It’s a reminder that Aston Martin’s endurance racing identity is not theoretical, it’s active, visible and capable of delivering proper results.
The Heart of Racing also remains one of the key Aston Martin teams to follow. In IMSA, the Vantage GT3 has already been a regular feature near the front of the GTD field this season, with Dudu Barrichello and Tom Gamble keeping the #27 Aston Martin firmly in the championship conversation. That consistency matters because it shows the Vantage GT3 performing not just in one isolated event, but across a season.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
There are also customer racing stories to keep tracking. Blackthorn Racing remains one of the more interesting Aston Martin-linked teams of the year because its programme stretches across several GT platforms and championships. That makes it a useful team for Fuel the Passion to follow, not only through headline results, but through the shape of a full season: the strong weekends, the difficult weekends, the recoveries and the learning.
GT World Challenge Europe also returns shortly, with Monza next on the calendar, while the Michelin Le Mans Cup and International GT Open continue to give Aston Martin customer teams further opportunities to build their seasons. Not every week will produce a major Aston Martin headline from each series, and it’s important not to force a story where there isn’t one, but taken together, these championships show the depth of Aston Martin’s presence beyond the factory spotlight.
That’s the wider motorsport point this week; Aston Martin’s Formula One project is still searching for progress, but elsewhere the marque has been reminding us why GT and endurance racing remain such an important part of its identity. From the Vantage GT3 fighting for an overall Nürburgring podium, to Valkyrie preparing for Le Mans, to customer teams carrying the wings across Europe and North America, there’s a lot to follow.
For Fuel the Passion, that’s exactly why the Motorsport Hub exists: to keep these stories visible, connected and easy to follow as the season develops.
Aston Martin’s commercial story keeps building
From the race track, there’s also a wider business story developing around Aston Martin this week. While results remain the part of the story enthusiasts care about most, Aston Martin is also trying to build the commercial platform behind the brand, both through the road-car business and through the Formula One team.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
That wider picture was underlined by Aston Martin Lagonda’s appointment of Andrea Baldi as Chief Commercial Officer. Baldi joins Aston Martin’s Executive Committee and will lead the company’s global commercial function, bringing more than 25 years of automotive experience, including senior roles at Ducati and Lamborghini.
It’s the sort of appointment that matters because Aston Martin’s future is not just about building desirable cars. It’s also about how those cars are positioned, sold and supported across global markets. Under Adrian Hallmark, Aston Martin continues to emphasise ultra-luxury performance, stronger demand, regional growth and sustainable commercial results. A senior commercial appointment with Lamborghini and Ducati experience fits that direction.
On the Formula One side, the commercial machine is also very visible. The Hollywood Reporter published an interesting business feature this week looking at how Formula One has become part sport, part entertainment platform and part luxury lifestyle stage, with Aston Martin Aramco used as a central example. The piece explored how the team is positioning itself beyond the old idea of a racing team simply appearing on track every other weekend.
That’s a delicate balance for any Formula One team. On-track performance still has to matter most. No amount of celebrity presence, lifestyle activation or brand partnership can replace lap time. But the commercial side of modern F1 is real, and Aston Martin Aramco appears very aware of it. The team is trying to build fan engagement, hospitality, partner value and cultural relevance around the racing programme.
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes.
The Xerox feature on Aston Martin Aramco’s own website added a more business-to-business angle. Xerox Chief Marketing Officer Darren Cassidy explained that the partnership is not simply about a logo on a car. For Xerox, the Aston Martin relationship is about reaching a younger audience, repositioning the company beyond its traditional photocopying and print association, and using Formula One to talk about IT solutions, digital services and technology.
The AMR Technology Campus appears to be a major part of that appeal. Xerox described strong client interest around events at Silverstone, with the campus helping to create a premium environment for business conversations. There were also interesting technical details, including Xerox exploring augmented reality software to help preview race-by-race livery changes before physical work is done. That’s exactly the sort of detail that shows how F1 partnerships can move beyond simple branding into practical technology and client engagement.
A smaller but still relevant partnership story came with AQUAME becoming Aston Martin Aramco’s Official Water Bottle Supplier. The team and AQUAME have launched a range of smart water bottles in team colourways, with hydration tracking, app connectivity and personalised insights. It’s not a major racing development, and shouldn’t be treated as one, but it fits into the wider picture of Aston Martin Aramco building out its lifestyle, licensing and performance-related product ecosystem.
Taken together, these stories show the scale of what Aston Martin is trying to build. At Lagonda level, the focus is on commercial leadership, market strength and profitable growth. At Formula One level, the team is increasingly being used as a platform for technology, hospitality, culture, lifestyle partnerships and fan engagement. The challenge is making sure the racing story catches up with the commercial one. Aston Martin clearly has ambition, facilities, partners and brand reach. The next step, especially in Formula One, is turning that energy into performance.
Lawrence Stroll linked with £50m London mansion purchase
That wider business backdrop also brings us to a softer, but still interesting, Aston Martin-related story from the week. The Telegraph reported that Lawrence Stroll is set to buy a Grade II*-listed London mansion from Howard Barclay for around £50 million.
Image © Google Earth. Used for editorial purposes.
The report was careful to say that the deal had not been completed and could still fall through, so this should not be treated as final unless confirmed later.
For Aston Martin followers, the interest is obvious. Stroll is Aston Martin’s controlling shareholder and the owner of the Aston Martin Formula One team, so a reported property purchase of that scale in London naturally attracts attention. It also sits within the broader public picture of Stroll as a major UK-facing business figure, with significant interests connected to Aston Martin Lagonda, the Silverstone-based F1 team and the marque’s long-term direction.
It would be easy to read too much into it, and we should avoid doing that. This isn’t an Aston Martin Lagonda investment announcement. It’s not proof of a strategic shift, and it doesn’t necessarily tell us anything about Stroll’s future intentions for the road-car business or the F1 team. It may simply be a private property transaction involving a high-profile businessman.
But it’s still a note worth including, because Aston Martin’s modern story is closely tied to Stroll’s ownership, investment and public profile. Whether we’re talking about the F1 team, the brand’s commercial direction or the wider ambition to rebuild Aston Martin’s strength, Stroll remains one of the central figures. So, for now, this sits as an interesting business and lifestyle footnote: notable, but not something to over-interpret.
Aston Martin London representation set for change ahead of Berkeley Square flagship
Earlier this month, Fuel the Passion published a Featured Article looking at Aston Martin’s global dealer network, including the marque’s move towards more carefully positioned luxury retail spaces and flagship locations. This week brought a timely example of that strategy in action.
Aston Martin has informed customers of an upcoming change to its Central London representation. According to the customer notice, Lithia UK will cease its Aston Martin sales and aftersales representation across Park Lane and Western Avenue in London from 29th May 2026. That may sound, at first glance, like a straightforward closure story, but the wider context is more interesting. Aston Martin says it will open a new global flagship store in Berkeley Square, London, in Q4 2026, following the launch of its first global flagship store in New York City.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Aston Martin Q Flagship, New York
The company describes the new London location as offering the highest levels of customer service and craftsmanship, with a focus on a sophisticated luxury specification experience.
In other words, this looks less like Aston Martin stepping back from London and more like Aston Martin reshaping how it wants to present itself in one of the world’s most important luxury markets.
During the transition, Aston Martin says customers can use surrounding dealerships including Hatfield, Reading, Walton-on-Thames, Brentwood and Tunbridge Wells for servicing and sales requirements. The company also says it will provide further details on the exact timing, opening date and aftersales arrangements for the new Berkeley Square showroom.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Aston Martin Q Flagship, New York
For Aston Martin owners, the practical point is clear: anyone using Park Lane or Western Avenue will need to check where their future sales or servicing support will sit during the transition.
But strategically, this is another sign of Aston Martin continuing to refine its dealer and retail footprint around flagship locations, high-end specification experiences and a more deliberate luxury-brand presentation.
Given the timing, it also reinforces one of the themes from our recent FTP dealer-network feature: Aston Martin’s retail network is not static. It’s evolving, and London appears to be an important part of that next phase.
Aston Martin beyond cars: the AMB 001 returns to the market
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
Before we move to this week’s FTP Car of the Week, there was another Aston Martin-linked collector story that caught the eye. Visordown reported this week that an Aston Martin and Brough Superior AMB 001 has appeared on the second-hand market in the United States, with an asking price of $101,000, around £74,400. For most motorcycles, that would sound extraordinary. For the AMB 001, it’s almost part of the point.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
This was never a normal bike. First shown at EICMA in 2019 (EICMA is the major international motorcycle show held in Milan, Italy. The full name is Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori, which roughly translates as the International Motorcycle and Accessories Exhibition), the AMB 001 brought together Aston Martin design language with Brough Superior engineering, wrapped around carbon-fibre bodywork and a turbocharged 997cc V-twin producing around 180bhp. Production was limited to just 100 examples, and the bike was always more track-only design object than everyday transport.
What makes the story interesting is not simply that one has come up for sale. It’s what it says about rare Aston Martin-linked objects more generally. These machines are often bought because they are beautiful, limited and connected to the brand’s world of design and performance. But the question is always the same: are they really being used, or are they being stored away as collector pieces?
That same question brings us neatly to this week’s FTP Car of the Week.
Car of the Week: Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Coupe
Staying with rare Aston Martins, this week’s FTP Car of the Week has to be one of the Vanquish Zagatos currently visible on the UK market.
Image © Kaaimans International. Used for editorial purposes.
The one I have chosen is the 2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Coupe listed by Kaaimans International in Nottingham.
It’s a Lava Red example, listed at £349,975, showing just 364 miles, and described as number 37 of 99 made.
What makes it stand out is not simply the rarity, although that is part of it. It’s the shape. Seeing Zagatos in the metal again is a reminder of just how dramatic these cars are: the double-bubble roof, the sculpted rear, the wide stance, the bronze detailing and that unmistakable blend of Aston Martin elegance with Zagato theatre. The Vanquish Zagato Coupe is not subtle, but it is still beautiful.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
There is also a wider observation here. Looking across the current listings, the mileages are astonishingly low. Some cars have covered only tens or hundreds of miles, despite now being several years old.
That is understandable in one sense: these were limited-run, high-value collector cars from the beginning. But it’s also a little sad. Cars like this were designed to be seen, heard and enjoyed. When they disappear into storage as investment pieces, the wider Aston Martin community rarely gets to appreciate them properly.
The asking prices also tell an interesting story. The Zagato Coupes listed are clustered relatively close together compared with the more extreme Speedsters, with several Coupes sitting roughly between the high £200,000s and high £300,000s. When these cars were new, the Vanquish Zagato sat in very serious money territory, commonly reported at around the half-million pound mark depending on market, specification and taxes.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
On that basis, some Coupe asking prices appear to sit below original list levels, while the rarer Speedsters are clearly operating in a different collector space altogether.
For me, the Kaaimans Coupe feels like the right Car of the Week. The Speedsters may be rarer and more expensive, but the Coupe is arguably the purest Vanquish Zagato shape. It also fits perfectly with this year’s wider Vanquish story. In 2026, as Aston Martin marks 25 years of Vanquish, this is exactly the sort of car that deserves another look, not just as a market object, but as one of the most striking design chapters in the Vanquish bloodline.
FTP Vanquish 25th Anniversary Series trailer now live
As part of the 25-year celebration of Aston Martin Vanquish, the Fuel the Passion trailer went live on Friday. Filmed at Aston Martin Works, Newport Pagnell, the short preview features Aston Martin historian Steve Waddingham speaking with a number of long-serving Aston Martin colleagues who worked on the original Vanquish when it was built at Works and who remain part of Aston Martin today.
A sincere thank you goes to Steve Waddingham, who was unsurprisingly excellent at asking the right questions and drawing out the human stories behind the car, and to everyone who kindly took part. Thanks also to Aston Martin Works for helping make the filming possible, and to the Aston Martin Owners Club and Aston Martin Heritage Trust, who are also sharing the short trailer through their own platforms.
It’s only a two-minute glimpse of the wider project, but hopefully it gives a taste of what is to come later in June, subject to Aston Martin Lagonda approval for the longer films.
Fuel the Passion update
Away from the wider Aston Martin news cycle, it’s been another busy week behind the scenes at Fuel the Passion.
This weekend I’ll be joining Area 6, Yorkshire of the Aston Martin Owners Club as we head to Whitby for an early summer drive. With the weather looking rather warm and sunny, it should be a great day out with Aston Martins on the road, good company and hopefully a few opportunities to capture some footage. If all goes well, it may become a short Fuel the Passion film.
I’ve also spent a lot of time working on the Fuel the Passion website, particularly around the early research for the upcoming FTP Aston Martin Buyers Guide.
Image © Fuel the Passion. Collecting the FTP Vantage, Aston Martin Sevenoaks, August 2024.
This is something I’ve wanted to do carefully and properly. When I bought my own previously owned Aston Martin, the FTP Vantage, I spent a considerable amount of time researching the model, looking at pricing, common issues, known faults, running costs, ownership experiences and what to check before buying.
The information was out there, but it was scattered across forums, videos, magazine reviews, specialist blogs and personal opinions. Some of it was excellent, some of it was contradictory, much of it required a lot of digging.
That experience made me think there’s real value in having a calm, balanced and evidence-led Aston Martin Buyers Guide in one place. Not to frighten people away from buying these cars, but to help them buy with their eyes open. The pre-owned market is a hugely important part of the Aston Martin story. It’s often where future owners first enter the brand, where cars stay visible, where communities grow and where confidence in long-term ownership really matters. If people feel informed, supported and reassured, that can only help the marque.
The first guides being researched include models such as the V8 Vantage, DB9, DB11, Vanquish and DBS, with the aim of producing something useful for enthusiasts, prospective owners and existing owners alike. As always with Fuel the Passion, the focus will be on accuracy, fairness and credibility.
I’ve also been keeping up with as much Aston Martin-related motorsport as possible, and like many of you, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Vantage fight its way to that superb third-place finish at the Nürburgring 24 Hours last weekend. It was a proper reminder of why Aston Martin racing stories deserve to be followed closely, not just through the headline result, but through the effort, strategy and resilience behind it.
Final thoughts
This has been one of those weeks where Aston Martin’s story has stretched well beyond a single headline. On track, the Vantage GT3 gave Aston Martin its first overall Nürburgring 24 Hours podium, and did so in a race where it was genuinely in the fight for second place until the final laps. That deserved to lead the Roundup, because it was not just a good result, it was a milestone for the Vantage, for Walkenhorst Motorsport, and for Aston Martin Racing.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
Away from the circuit, the brand has continued to show how much is changing around it. The news that Aston Martin’s Central London representation is being reshaped ahead of a new global flagship store in Berkeley Square links directly to the themes we explored earlier this month in the Fuel the Passion Featured Article, Inside Aston Martin’s Global Dealer Network.
Aston Martin’s retail network is not standing still. It’s becoming more deliberate, more luxury-led and, in key locations, more focused on flagship brand experiences rather than traditional dealership presence alone.
That matters for owners as well as prospective buyers. The way Aston Martin sells, supports and presents its cars is part of the ownership experience, and it sits alongside the cars themselves, the motorsport programme, the heritage, and the community around the marque.
There’s also more Aston Martin racing to come immediately. British GT is at Oulton Park this Bank Holiday Monday, giving Aston Martin machinery another opportunity to feature over the weekend. I’ll pick up the results and key Aston Martin stories from both British GT and the Canadian Grand Prix on the FTP Motorsport Hub early next week, once the racing has played out properly.
This week also reminded us of something more emotional. Whether it’s a Vantage GT3 fighting through the night at the Nürburgring, a rare Vanquish Zagato sitting almost unused with only a few hundred miles on the clock, or a two-minute Vanquish anniversary trailer from where those amazing cars were built, Aston Martin Works, these cars are at their best when they’re seen, heard, driven, remembered and shared.
That’s really what Fuel the Passion is here for: to follow the business, the racing, the ownership stories and the human stories around Aston Martin with enthusiasm, but also with care. The marque continues to evolve, and we’ll keep following that journey properly.
Until next time, enjoy the cars, enjoy the stories and keep fuelling the passion. See you on the next one!👆
👇 This week’s question 👇
The Vanquish Zagato listings this week raised a question I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts on.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
When a car is as rare, valuable and beautiful as a Vanquish Zagato, I completely understand why some owners choose to preserve it, protect it and keep the mileage incredibly low. These cars are special, and for many people they are also significant collector pieces.
But is there also something a little sad about that?
Should rare Aston Martins like the Vanquish Zagato be preserved almost as rolling works of art, or should they be driven, shown and enjoyed more often so that more people get to see and appreciate them?
I’d be really interested to know where you stand on this. Is careful preservation part of protecting Aston Martin history, or do cars like this only truly come alive when they are out on the road? Why not leave your thoughts and comments below. 👇
