Herbert joins Aston Martin line-up

The former Grand Prix racer - and winner of the 1991 Le Mans - was announced as part of the Prodrive-run squad's 2007 driver line-up yesterday.

Herbert joins Aston regulars Darren Turner, Tomas Enge, Peter Kox and David Brabham, plus Prodrive returnee Rickard Rydell, who raced for the team's touring car operations and Ferrari GT project in the early 2000s.

Herbert switched to sportscars after the end of his Formula One career, driving for customer Audi teams and the works Maserati squad, but sat out most of 2005 and 2006 to work with the Midland F1 team.

He was keen to return to racing after his role as sporting relations manager ended following the Spyker takeover, and will compete at Le Mans in addition to a Grand Prix Masters programme and a possible drive in the new Speedcar Series.

"Although Johnny is new to our team, he is a Le Mans veteran, no-one can question his speed, he just needs to adapt to the DBR9," said team principal George Howard-Chappell.

"We have a strong driver line-up this year. All of the drivers have prior experience at Le Mans and four of the guys have driven the DBR9 extensively since its launch in 2005.

"We are expecting a tough battle at Le Mans again this year, the competition within the GT1 category is strong and we have to accept that with only one race this year we are the underdogs but, as ever, we will come out fighting."

Herbert will partner Enge - who has taken class poles at each of the past five Le Mans - and Kox.

"This is a great opportunity for me to drive for Aston Martin, a manufacturer with such a name and history behind it," said Herbert.

"We want to go to Le Mans to win it; we are not going there to do anything else. It is really exciting to finally be part of it, even more so for me, being British.

"We know that Tomas is dynamite in qualifying at Le Mans, and I think that with myself and Peter on board with him, we will give each other the support we all need to get into a position where we can actually win the 24 hours of Le Mans for Aston Martin."

The team also announced new title sponsorship from InterContinental Hotels & Resorts. Le Mans will be the only outing for the year for the factory squad, who have withdrawn from the American Le Mans Series this season.