Current British GT champion with Beechdean-AMR in the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3, Adam will be defending his title this season. He is also driving in the World Endurance Championship with Aston Martin Racing, the European Le Mans Series and the Blancpain Endurance Series. Having driven all WEC rounds after Le Mans 24 Hours last year, he has a seat for the full 2016 season:

It’s going to be a busy 2016. I’ve been doing a lot of testing already. I know the GT3 very well. This will be my fifth or sixth season with the car and it’s still a very, very good car, especially in the UK and the UK circuits. It’s nice to be partnered with Richie and Fernando to do the world championship. I’ve never done Le Mans, so this is a big bucket-list item for me. To do this and to do it this year, in a pro car with these great teammates is cool.

Do you think you’re ready for Le Mans?

Yes, definitely. Last year I did the last five or six rounds of WEC. I learned a lot as we went on and it was nice to finish on a podium in Bahrain. I definitely feel ready for it. It’s a hard category obviously. There are some very good teams. Ford is coming over to do the programme, Ferrari are always strong, especially with the new car and Porsche with a private car that has factory support and two very good drivers. It’s great to see the LM GTE Pro category so strong.

Adam has actually already driven at Le Mans, at the test day in 2013. How did you find the circuit?

It was wet. It was horrible. So yes, I’ve done the test day but it’s still a new circuit to learn, although I normally pick up circuits fairly quickly. I think experience is a key factor at Le Mans. The weather changes all the time, conditions and circumstances change as well. It’s such a big lap as well. Ten laps are not enough but it is nice to have that already before I go ahead and I’ll have plenty of time to learn more before the actual main race. I’ll be fully prepared for it and we’re very hungry for success at Le Mans.

 

Very happy to be racing with @AMR_Official in @FIAWEC this year with @RichieStanaway @Fernando_Rees #teamAMR #97 pic.twitter.com/4uQuT9m5Ys

— Jonny Adam (@JonnyAdam) February 19, 2016

 

How do you prepare for a new season?

I try and do as much fitness training as possible in the off-season. And seat time. This year, I think I’ll probably end up with maybe 25 weekends altogether and seat time is good training. Mentally, just be strong going into the weekend and work as a team. There’s no specific mental preparation. I treat every race pretty much the same, whether it’s in the UK or on the world championship. I’m there to do my job. We’re all paid professionals in this class now, and we’re there to represent an iconic brand such as Aston Martin and work closely with our engineers and partners to get the best result we can.

Adam will be a rookie at Le Mans but is no stranger to long races. He has raced the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the 24 Hours of Dubai, the Britcar 24 and the Gulf 12 Hours, so he knows what it takes:

24-hour racing is all about teamwork. Working together to make sure you finish. It’s about not being silly in any circumstances. It is a 24-hour sprint. The pace is strong all the way through, but you need to get to the finish and not be silly through curves or over curbs and damage the car. You can be in the car for well over three hours at Le Mans so physically you have to be ready for it. But also mentally. You have to be very, very consistent with your lap times and concentrate for a long period.

 

 

Productive few days testing at @fiawec_official with @astonmartinracingofficial. Roll on @silverstonecircuit in a few weeks! #prologue2016 #wec #astonmartin

Une photo publiée par @jonnyadam007 le 26 Mars 2016 à 12h21 PDT

 

Would you say Le Mans will be the high point of your season?

Le Mans is the one race in the WEC that we want to do well in because the points on offer are huge. I think it determines the championship thereafter. So it’s a big race for us and we want to be able to capitalise on a good result.

How does it feel to finally be entered for Le Mans?

Whether you’re in single-seaters or in tin tops, everyone talks about Le Mans and watches it. Last year I went as a spectator with Aston and the atmosphere was incredible. It made the reality of getting in the car a dream. It was such a special occasion. When I started car racing at 16-17, like many I had aspirations to get to F1 but then you soon realise that that isn’t a goal. As soon as I got in a GT car with Aston, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to race at the highest level in my sport, which is the world championship, and to race at Le Mans. Hopefully, the British racing green in our livery will be a lucky charm for Aston this year.

Geoffroy Barre

Photo: Experienced GT driver Jonny Adam will be a rookie at Le Mans this year with Aston Martin.