There are dream jobs, and then there are dream jobs. And Darren Turner appears to have one of the very best of all. The 50-year-old is one of Britain’s most successful and experienced racing drivers. Not only does he work for Aston Martin Racing as a factory driver, but he also works as a highperformance test driver for the brand, and so spends more time in a car than he does on terra firma. In fact, when you speak to him about his career, he talks about his relationship with Aston Martin, and the enjoyment he gets from the cars, like a guitarist might about a cherished Les Paul or Stratocaster, and instead of rhapsodising about a particular solo, will talk with enormous passion about races he’s won and cars he’s driven that he’ll never forget. When he talks it’s not as though he’s showing off, simply revelling in his good fortune. In the nicest possible way, he is half man, half machine. Or rather half man, half Aston Martin.
Turner’s talent was recognised early in his career when he won the much-coveted McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award in 1996, joining an elite group of racers including David Coulthard, George Russell and Lando Norris (he is currently a judge and sits on the board). Darren then worked for many years as a test driver for the McLaren F1 Team, while juggling an insanely busy racing career in single-seaters, touring cars and sportscars. Since 2005, however, when Aston Martin came back to racing competitively, Darren has been a key member of the Aston Martin Racing team, a partnership that has seen him win the toughest race of them all, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an extraordinary three times.
So it’s perhaps not such a surprise to discover that this is a man who loves his job.
“There is so much travel with my job, and to be honest with you I really enjoy it,” he says. “I think some people who travel around the world can get a bit frustrated with it, what with airports and delays and everything else, but I have to say I love it. I enjoy the fact that every week is different. Every week is a surprise, and what more could you ask for? The one thing about this sport is the opportunities it’s afforded me, travelling all over the world and meeting so many different people from different cultures. It’s made me a better person and probably a better driver.”
A lot of drivers Turner’s age have retired, or hung up their helmets and driving gloves, although Darren can’t think of anything worse. He doesn’t feel like stopping and has also managed to get involved in the business side and the industry-facing aspect of the sport without stopping being competitive. Some drivers can stop and never have any desire to ever get back in a race car.
Not Turner.
“I still love dancing with a car and get a real buzz about driving them. I look at some of the younger Aston Martin drivers, who might have 20 races a year, admittedly with some testing, but they certainly seem to have more downtime. And I enjoyed having that downtime too, but now because of everything I do on the automotive side, I’m in a car every week and I love it. Some weeks I can spend five days a week in a car.”
One thing he can’t disguise is his devotion to Aston Martin, a brand he thinks keeps getting better and better. He’s driven Ferraris, Mercedes and McLarens and has enjoyed all his automotive experiences, but nothing compares to Aston. Especially these days, considering the array of road cars available, and the fact the racing team has been so successful. “Aston is going through such a great phase at the moment, and continues to build on its great heritage while developing a world-class racing team. It’s unbelievably exciting. I remember what it felt like being a British driver working for an iconic brand like Aston Martin. I remember thinking it must have been the same as an Italian driving for Ferrari. I still feel like that. It’s still a huge privilege to be involved with the brand. I also enjoy being so closely associated with the brand. Twenty-one years is a long time! Essentially, I feel pride.”
When I asked him how he had changed as a driver since he started, his answer surprised me.
“Like any sport, motor racing is a conveyor belt, and you have no idea what the journey is going to be, and you’re not sure how long you’re going to be on it. But you’re just excited to be doing something that you’d do for fun anyway. I’m part of a very small group of people who get paid to do what they absolutely love. I’m lucky.”
So, what are his favourite Aston Martin road cars to drive? He must be spoilt for choice…
“For the past few years, I’ve spent so much time on products like the Aston Martin Valkyrie, the hypercar, and that car is something so, so special. Whether we will ever see something like that again, in years to come, I really don’t know. Maybe something will come along in the future, but the Aston Martin Valkyrie surely needs to be regarded in the same light as a McLaren F1 or the Ferrari 250 GTO. It’s a class apart, iconic, unique, an extremely special racing car. It was great to be part of the development programme on that car. I actually think it’s relatively easy to develop a racing car compared to a road car, but Aston Martin has managed to develop both, using the same technology, which is an incredible achievement. I’ve also done a bit of work on the DBX707 and that’s been fun, too, and I’m staggered that it has such great performance and handling. I’m a huge fan of that car, although if you look across the whole range of Aston Martin there is nothing that is not exceptional, from the Vantage to the Vanquish, and the specials like Valkyrie and Valiant, and the Valhalla that’s coming in the future. It’s a very different company to the one I started at 21 years ago.”
So which one would he have parked outside his house if he could choose any Aston?
“Simple. The DBR9. I raced that car 18 years ago and was very successful in it, and you never forget something like that. I felt at one with that car. Whenever I drive one, it feels like it fits like a glove. It smells like a DBR9 too!”
And what, in his eyes, makes the brand so iconic? Because the brand is admired as much for its heritage as it is for its performance and technological development. What makes Aston Martin so special? As a racing driver, his perspective must be more salient than almost any other kind of driver…
“Aston Martin started its journey by trying to be the ultimate race car, and that’s an amazing ambition. It’s had an interesting history over the years, but it’s always bounced back, and the product that it puts out is always desirable. The design is iconic, the association with James Bond, which was my way into the brand back in the day, my first touchpoint as a child, and the fact that it’s always been aspirational. It has a lovely British feel about it, and that’s one of the things that makes it so unique. And, of course, the luxury.”
And the best thing about the association?
“For me, it’s getting behind the wheel. From the moment you start the engine, you feel special. You feel part of the car as soon as you engage with the driving experience. It’s wonderful. And to be honest with you it’s the same with the race cars too.”
Like I said, dream job. Dream driver, too.
