Darren Turner

Darren Turner
Turner at the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans driver parade
Nationality	British
Born	April 13, 1974 (1974-04-13) Camberley (England)
2012 FIA GT1 World Championship
Debut season	2010
Current team	Young Driver AMR
Car no.	7
Starts	20
Wins	3
Poles	2
Fastest laps	4
Best finish	4th in 2010
Previous series
2008–09 2008 2007–09 2006–08 2003, 2005–08 2003, 2007–09 2002 2000–01 2000–01 1999 1998 1997 1997, 1999 1995–96 1994 1993	Rolex Sports Car Series Formula Ford 1600 Le Mans Series BTCC American Le Mans Series FIA GT Championship ASCAR DTM Formula One testing Italian Formula 3000 Formula Palmer Audi British Formula Three Formula One testing Formula Renault UK Formula Vauxhall Lotus FFirst Great Britain W. Series
Championship titles
2007, 2008 1993	24 Hours of Le Mans – GT1 FFirst Great Britain W. Series
Awards
1996	McLaren Autosport Award

Darren Turner (born 13 April 1974 in Camberley, Surrey) is an English racing driver. He was McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year in 1996. He is a former test driver for the McLaren Formula One team, but has raced primarily in touring cars and sportscars since 2000. He spent 2 years in the DTM for Keke Rosberg's Mercedes-Benz-powered team, also winning several ASCAR races. In 2006 he raced sportscars for Aston Martin, but also competed five rounds of the British Touring Car Championship for SEAT, sharing their 2nd car with James Thompson. In his first drive for the team he finished 3rd.

He finished second in the first two races at Knockhill, but lost both results for technical infringements. While running second to team-mate Jason Plato under a safety car in race one, he did not stay close to Plato's car, thus preventing Plato's championship rivals from being close to him. This incurred a 20-second time penalty, dropping him to 10th, however the team then removed the 'Success Ballast' he had earned for second place. As this applies to the order cars cross the line, not the final amended race result (drivers who were elevated by his penalty did not gain extra success ballast), this is a disqualification offence. He remained with the team for 2007, now full time team-mate to Plato. Luck was again against him at Rockingham - after qualifying on pole the car had an electrical failure before race one. His first win came in race 11 at Croft [1], with two more at Knockhill.

Turner driving for SEAT at the Oulton Park round of the 2007 British Touring Car Championship.

24 Hours of Le Mans career
Participating years	2003 -
Teams	Prodrive Racing, Aston Martin Racing
Best finish	5th (2007)
Class wins	2 (2007, 2008)

As well as driving for SEAT in the BTCC, Darren also competed in the 2007 Le Mans 24 Hours, competing in the GT1 class driving for Prodrive Aston Martin Racing alongside David Brabham and Rickard Rydell. After a tense fight against the Corvette Racing Corvette C6.R of Johnny O' Connell, Jan Magnussen and Ron Fellows, the Aston prevailed to win a Le Mans class race for the first time since the return of Aston Martin to endurance sportscar racing.

He opened his 2008 racing season by competing in the Rolex 24 finishing 4th in class and overall sharing a Krohn Racing Pontiac-Riley with Niclas Jonsson and Ricardo Zonta. At the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans Turner won the GT1 class (13th overall) driving an Aston Martin DBR9 shared with David Brabham and Antonio García.

Turner also participated in the Gold Coast 600 race as part of the 2011 International V8 Supercars Championship. He entered the race as a replacement driver to Dan Wheldon, who was scheduled to drive in the race but was killed in a 15-car crash at the IndyCar World Championship race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, less than a week before the race.

Racing record

Complete GT1 World Championship results

Year	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	Pos	Points
2010	Young Driver AMR	Aston Martin	ABU QR Ret	ABU CR 11	SIL QR 4	SIL CR EX	BRN QR 2	BRN CR 2	PRI QR 10	PRI CR 16	SPA QR 10	SPA CR 6	NÜR QR 1	NÜR CR 1	ALG QR 4	ALG CR 10	NAV QR Ret	NAV CR 4	INT QR 2	INT CR 10	SAN QR 10	SAN CR 15	4th	104
2011	Young Driver AMR	Aston Martin	ABU QR Ret	ABU CR 5	ZOL QR Ret	ZOL CR 7	ALG QR 4	ALG CR 2	SAC QR 3	SAC CR 3	SIL QR Ret	SIL CR Ret	NAV QR 6	NAV CR Ret	PRI QR 3	PRI CR 2	ORD QR 7	ORD CR 5	BEI QR 2	BEI CR 1	SAN QR DNS	SAN CR DNS	2nd	120

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Class	No	Tyres	Car	Team	Co-Drivers	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
2003	GTS	80	M	Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello Ferrari F131 5.9L V12	Veloqx Prodrive Racing	Anthony Davidson Kelvin Burt	176	DNF	DNF
2004	GTS	65	M	Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello Ferrari F133 5.9L V12	Prodrive Racing	Colin McRae Rickard Rydell	329	9th	3rd
2005	GT1	59	M	Aston Martin DBR9 Aston Martin 6.0L V12	Aston Martin Racing	David Brabham Stéphane Sarrazin	333	9th	3rd
2006	GT1	007	M	Aston Martin DBR9 Aston Martin 6.0L V12	Aston Martin Racing	Tomáš Enge Andrea Piccini	350	6th	2nd
2007	GT1	009	M	Aston Martin DBR9 Aston Martin 6.0L V12	Aston Martin Racing	David Brabham Rickard Rydell	343	5th	1st
2008	GT1	009	M	Aston Martin DBR9 Aston Martin 6.0L V12	Aston Martin Racing	David Brabham Antonio García	344	13th	1st
2009	LMP1	008	M	Lola-Aston Martin B09/60 Aston Martin 6.0L V12	Aston Martin Racing	Anthony Davidson Jos Verstappen	342	13th	11th
2010	LMP1	009	M	Lola-Aston Martin B09/60 Aston Martin 6.0L V12	Aston Martin Racing	Juan Barazi Sam Hancock	368	DNF	DNF
2011	LMP1	007	M	Aston Martin AMR-One Aston Martin 2.0L Turbo I6	Aston Martin Racing	Stefan Mücke Christian Klien	4	DNF	DNF

External links

• Darren Turner official website
• Profile at BTCCPages.com

Awards
Preceded by Jonny Kane	McLaren Autosport BRDC Award 1996	Succeeded by Andrew Kirkaldy