The news this morning that Paul Dalla Lana has chosen to retire from racing in the run-up to this weekend’s 6 Hours of Spa surprised all of us at DSC. His departure from the FIA WEC marks the end of an era for the championship and for Aston Martin Racing, which provided the platform for […]
The post Paul Dalla Lana’s WEC Career In Pictures first appeared on dailysportscar.com.The news this morning that Paul Dalla Lana has chosen to retire from racing in the run-up to this weekend’s 6 Hours of Spa surprised all of us at DSC.
His departure from the FIA WEC marks the end of an era for the championship and for Aston Martin Racing, which provided the platform for his entire career that dates back to 2013 season opener.
During his time in the WEC, Dalla Lana set the bar for ‘Bronze’ drivers and ultimately inspired those around him in the same position to up the ante. During his run, he scored 17 class wins, 37 podiums and a spectacular 2017 GTE Am class title.
Unfortunately, after multiple near misses, a Le Mans 24 Hours win eluded him, but that should take nothing away from a sterling effort.
Over the past decade, he has shared cars with Bill Auberlen, Augusto Farfus, Marcos Gomes, Ross Gunn, Axcil Jefferies, Pedro Lamy, Mathias Lauda, Fred Makowiecki, Christoffer Nygaard, David Pittard, Richie Stanaway, Nicki Thiim and Darren Turner. Quite a list!
The paddock won’t be the same without PDL, he will be missed when we reconvene this weekend in Belgium and beyond.
He of course raced elsewhere, including appearances in IMSA, Grand Am, IGTC, and Dubai 24 Hours and more, principally in Aston Martin machinery, but also with Audi (WRT), BMW (Turner Motorsport & Team Schubert), Ferrari (Spirit of Race) and Mercedes-AMG (HTP). But for this feature, we have chosen to focus on his seasons in the FIA WEC. Here is a pictorial look at his time on the world stage with a picture from each of his victories and a few additional highlights.
The post Paul Dalla Lana’s WEC Career In Pictures first appeared on dailysportscar.com.
