Blackthorn Aiming High in Asian Le Mans Series Debut
Interview with Dan Jeal and David McDonald
Founded in 2022 by team owner, Claude Bovet, British team Blackthorn has made its mark in a very short space of time.
This season Blackthorn entered an ACO series for the first time, with a single full season entry with an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the Michelin Le Mans Cup and a second car for the races at Le Mans, Mugello and Portimao.
The highlight of the season was the win at Le Mans with Martin Berry and Lorcan Hanafin standing on the top step of the most famous podium in endurance racing. James Swift also claimed the first MLMC pole position for Blackthorn in Mugello.
The next step on the journey for Blackthorn is a single car entry in the 2024/25 Asian Le Mans Series, with Claude Bovet and David McDonald being joined by 2022 Ferrari Challenge UK – Coppa Shell Champion Jason Ambrose in the no19 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3.
We caught up with founding team members of Blackthorn, Dan Jeal (Team Principal) and David McDonald (Commercial Director) as the team prepared for the opening round of the season in Malaysia, the 4 Hours of Sepang.
Q: Blackthorn was established in 2022. Can you tell us a bit more about the background to the team and how it came about?
DJ: “We had been working with Claude since 2021, as he started his racing journey, as well as other gentlemen drivers. In 2022, Claude approached us to build a team with him using our connections and experience in the industry. We began offering our services to clients, and things grew pretty quickly from there. We’ve run and raced various cars with him and our clients, including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes and now Aston Martin.
"Blackthorn is now an Aston Martin Partner team. The development of the new Aston GT3 Evo, of which we have three, was an important upgrade for the Aston as it made it more Am-friendly while still retaining its true race car form. We expect the GT3 to be well-positioned for next year’s racing season.”
Q: 2024 was the team’s first season in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, the first season competing in an ACO rules series. The highlight was the win in the feature Road To Le Mans race ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. How would you sum up the season?
DJ: “I think, overall, it's been pretty incredible. As David mentioned, everything has happened so quickly. With the new EVO Aston coming out, we did face some challenges getting the car fully dialled in and managing parts supply from Aston. At the start, it was all go—non-stop and incredibly busy—trying to pull together test programs, but after that, things just took off.
“It’s been a fantastic year, and both championships—British GT and Michelin Le Mans Cup—have been successful for us. We’ve enjoyed working with the ACO, and the Michelin Le Mans Cup is a well-organized championship. We definitely see our future within the ACO and are excited about what’s ahead."
Q: Now Blackthorn have entered in the 2024/25 Asian Le Mans Series with a single car entry in the GT category. Why did you decide to compete in this season’s Asian Le Mans Series?
DJ: "Obviously, it's a fantastic championship for the off-season, helping us get ready for the main season. It offers plenty of racing and track time, which is especially valuable for the AM drivers. We definitely see our future with the ACO, and we're focused on strengthening our relationship with them.
“Our goal is to be part of the European Le Mans Series, and eventually make our way to Le Mans. We feel that this is the perfect stepping stone for us to achieve that."
Q: David, you will race in the Asian Le Mans Series. How well do you know the Sepang, Dubai and Abu Dhabi tracks? If you had to choose, which one would be your favourite?
DM: “To be honest, I don’t know them at all yet—I haven’t driven any of them, so it’ll be a completely new challenge for me.
“I’ve heard great things about Sepang; apparently, it’s a real driver's circuit. Jason, one of the other drivers in the team, did a test at Abu Dhabi last week, and he told me it was his favourite circuit by far. So, for me, I’m definitely looking forward to both Sepang and Abu Dhabi—they’re the ones that really stand out.”
Q: Can you tell us who else will race in Sepang?
DM: "It’ll be myself, Claude, and Jason Ambrose driving. Jason is someone I coach, and he won the Ferrari Challenge Coppa Shell championship in the UK in 2022, which was only his first season of racing. He's relatively new to the sport, but he's a naturally fast driver.
“Both Claude and Jason are bronze drivers, but they’re a safe pair of hands, and they’re quick as well. We’re really looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together."
Q: With 25 entries the GT class is going to be hotly contested this season. Looking at the grid, what are your thoughts on your rivals and what would be a good result in Sepang for you?
DJ: “I think it's going to be tough. There are a lot of experienced teams and drivers with strong line-ups. We have two bronze drivers and a silver, so it’s definitely going to be a challenge. But one of our strengths this season, both in British GT and at Le Mans during the Road to Le Mans, has been our strategy. Hopefully, we can leverage that to our advantage. A couple of top 10 finishes would be a great goal for us, and I think that would be a really solid result for us."
The 4 Hours of Sepang is Round 1 of the 2024/25 Asian Le Mans Series. The weekend consists of two 4-hour races, one on Saturday 7th and one on Sunday 8th December.
CLICK HERE for the entry list for the 4 Hours of Sepang.
