Kobe Pauwels Graduates Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy
2025 GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Silver Cup champion Kobe Pauwels has become the latest rising star to graduate from the prestigious Aston Martin Racing [AMR] Driver Academy, strengthening his pathway towards professional GT racing with Aston Martin Vantage.
The 21-year-old from Diest, Belgium, becomes the eighth winner of the coveted prize and joins an impressive list of past graduates. It includes works Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie drivers Rossi Gunn (GBR), an IMSA GTD race winner, and Roman De Angelis (CDN), the 2022 IMSA GTD champion, plus works driver and 2023 Le Mans Cup GT3 champion Valentin Hasse Clot (FRA). The roll of honour also features former British GT4 title winner Tom Canning (GBR), Spa 24 Hours class winner Romain Leroux (FRA), and, most recently, Pauwels’ 2025 GTWC co-champion Jamie Day (GBR).
Pauwels secured the GTWC Sprint Cup title at the final round alongside Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage team-mate Day, delivering three class victories and five podiums across the season. He stood out in an exceptional AMR Academy class of 2025, rising above 23 candidates and excelling throughout the Academy process. He also impressed during an exhaustive post-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit, where evaluators measured overall pace, driver feedback and systems analysis.
The Belgian has not yet concluded his season as he makes his 2025/26 Asian Le Mans Series debut in the Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn Aston Martin Vantage GT3 alongside Giacomo Petrobelli (ITA) and Adam this weekend.
Pauwels said of his AMR Driver Academy graduation: “I am very proud to be the winner of the Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy. It’s already been a fantastic year with Vantage with the Silver Cup title in GT World Challenge Europe Sprint, and this makes a great 2025 even better. With the support of one of sports car racing’s all-time great manufacturers, I am now able to take a big step towards my ambition to be a professional racing driver. I want to thank the Aston Martin family for their support this year and into 2026.”
Aston Martin Racing runs the AMR Driver Academy each year to fast-track talent from within Aston Martin’s partner team network. The programme enables the legendary British ultra-luxury sportscar manufacturer to invest directly in future motorsport talent while sharpening the skills young drivers need to succeed in GT3 and GT4 competition.
The Academy offers a unique platform for learning and development with an established manufacturer, and AMR refines it annually to coach drivers through the early stages of their careers. Drivers aged 17 to 26 who race Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and GT4 programmes in recognised championships can apply, and selection has now opened for candidates for the 2026 AMR Driver Academy.
AMR awards the successful graduate financial support towards their 2027 race programme, alongside factory assistance and guidance tailored to their season plans. AMR may also invite the most outstanding candidates to further evaluation, including a Vantage GT3 test at the end of the 2026 season.
Candidates gain access to an exclusive training camp that includes media coaching, simulator training, and tailored support for physical preparation and nutrition. AMR’s in-house commercial team provides marketing and sponsorship advice, while a factory-based engineering workshop builds each candidate’s understanding of how to set up Vantage competitively.
The judging panel includes three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner and 2023 Rolex 24 at Daytona GTD class champion Darren Turner (GB), four-times British GT champion Jonny Adam, former Academy winner and works driver Valentin Hasse Clot, AMR Head of Performance Gus Beteli, Head of AMR Partner Racing Huw Tasker, AMR Team Manager Simon Edwards and AMR Driver Academy Director Rachel Adam, and it evaluates each driver’s ability to handle the strategic, teamwork, commercial and public relations demands of their role. The panel then selects the outstanding candidate who shows the most substantial long-term potential.
Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport, said: “The Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy has earned a proud legacy of winners, and we are delighted to see Kobe become the latest graduate and to be able to support another incredibly talented young driver through the next phase of his professional racing career. Since he began racing Vantage in 2024, Kobe has consistently displayed outstanding speed, determination and a willingness to self-improve. These are qualities that have helped previous AMR Driver Academy winners stand out and were clearly evident among an incredibly high-quality group of drivers in 2025. These characteristics will be fundamental to his racing career in the future, and we are looking forward to actively being a part of that.”
