Aston Martin continued its encouraging 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) progress at Spa-Francorchamps as the #007 Valkyrie secured a breakthrough fourth-place finish in the six-hour race.
Harry Tincknell and Tom Gamble delivered the road-derived Hypercar’s strongest result yet in only its tenth series appearance. The pair recovered from early setbacks, benefited from a timely safety car, and then fought deep into the closing stages against BMW, Ferrari and Toyota machinery.
The result also extended the Valkyrie’s points-scoring run to four consecutive events. Therefore, Aston Martin leaves Belgium with valuable momentum before the 24 Hours of Le Mans, despite late disappointment for the sister #009 car.
Tincknell hails “unbelievable” Aston Martin 2026 WEC Spa fightback
Aston Martin showed promising pace before the race, with one of its two works Valkyrie Hypercars featuring inside the top five in each free practice session. Alex Riberas also placed the #009 second fastest in FP1, underlining the car’s potential around the Belgian circuit.
The team then lined up sixth and seventh on the grid for the six-hour contest. However, Tincknell initially lost ground in the #007 and slipped to 13th in the early stages. Rather than forcing the issue, he focused on managing the stint, saving fuel and keeping the car in contention as the race developed.
That approach later paid off. Tincknell fought back with a series of decisive overtakes, while the team’s strategy helped move the #007 into the leading battle before the final two hours.
“It was an unbelievable race!” reflected Tincknell to FIAWEC. “I said to myself in the first stint, just stay calm and save fuel, because it will come back to us. This championship and this racing create amazing things at Spa – it was epic!
Continued progress shows
Tincknell also highlighted how far the Valkyrie programme has progressed since its earlier development phase. Although Aston Martin did not always have the fastest car during the race, the British driver felt the team showed key strengths in the areas most relevant to Le Mans.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the boys and girls in this team who have worked so hard and improved the car so much from this time last year to now. We weren’t always super-fast, but at other points we were lightning and we will learn a lot from this to take into Le Mans. The main thing is we were strong in the sectors that most resemble Le Mans, so it’s exciting.”
As a result, the #007 crew turned a difficult opening phase into Aston Martin’s strongest Hypercar result so far.
Gamble survives scare before late charge
Following Tincknell’s recovery drive, Gamble took over the car for a dramatic final phase. A timely safety car intervention helped Aston Martin top up on fuel and move back in sync with its rivals, which suddenly transformed the #007’s race.
However, Gamble first had to avoid a major incident. António Félix da Costa’s Alpine spun at the top of Raidillon, forcing the Briton to react quickly as the car came across his path. Gamble avoided contact by a narrow margin and then refocused on the fight ahead.
Once the race restarted, he joined a four-way scrap for second place with Kevin Magnussen in the BMW, Antonio Fuoco in the Ferrari and Kamui Kobayashi in the Toyota. Although the podium ultimately remained just out of reach, Gamble delivered one of the standout moves of the race by passing Kobayashi along the Kemmel Straight.
“I didn’t really expect that,” mulled Gamble. “With two hours to go we were P11, and I thought it was probably going to be a bit of an annoying race, given the strong pace we had – but then it all changed! Things panned out for us with the safety cars at the end and we were able to move forward.
Turning a scare into momentum
The close call with the Alpine also stayed with Gamble after the race. Nevertheless, he turned that scare into momentum and gave Aston Martin a strong finish before the championship heads to its biggest event of the season.
“I think my life flashed before my eyes when the Alpine went off in front of me – that was a close call! I was ten inches away from a monumental crash, and then my heart was racing for a bit. We managed to get past the Toyota with a nice clean move, and there was some fantastic racing at the end for second place. I’m so proud of the team; to have finished in the points twice in a row, and so strongly, is a great morale boost going to Le Mans.”
Fourth place marked the Valkyrie’s finest result to date and gave Gamble and Tincknell further reward for their encouraging start to the 2026 campaign.
Riberas suffers late heartbreak in sister car
Meanwhile, the #009 Valkyrie also ran strongly for much of the race. Riberas and Marco Sørensen even moved ahead of the sister car during the contest, giving Aston Martin two cars in the top-10 battle.
Riberas showed impressive racecraft as he passed Ferrari’s Nicklas Nielsen and Cadillac’s Louis Delétraz. However, his race unravelled late on when he attempted to take fifth from da Costa along the high-speed Kemmel Straight. The Spaniard put his wheels onto the grass during the move, lost control and speared into the barriers on the opposite side of the track. The impact damaged the #009 heavily enough to force its retirement.
Therefore, Aston Martin left Spa with mixed emotions. The #007 delivered a landmark fourth place, while the #009 lost a likely strong finish after showing front-running potential.
Aston Martin looks towards 2026 Le Mans with optimism after Spa WEC success
Despite the disappointment for the #009, Aston Martin can approach Le Mans in a positive mood. The British marque holds fourth in the Manufacturers’ standings and has built a stronger foundation with each recent event.
The Spa performance also mattered because the circuit rewards efficiency, speed and stability in sectors that offer useful comparisons with Le Mans. For Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance Motorsport Adam Carter, the result gave the team an important platform before June.
“Finishing fourth in such a fiercely-contested race was a good achievement and a great way for Aston Martin THOR Team to begin its preparations for the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” acknowledged Carter.
Carter also stressed the competitiveness of the modern Hypercar field. Aston Martin finished only five seconds behind the winner, which offered a clear sign of progress for a programme still early in its WEC journey.
“The Valkyrie was competitive all weekend at Spa, and we are very pleased for Harry and Tom, who have worked hard and waited a long time to be rewarded with a strong finish. To be just five seconds behind the winner at the end is a clear indication of how competitive the sport is now, and gives us plenty to be optimistic about ahead of a critical month in June.”
That optimism now carries Aston Martin towards the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an event the brand famously won outright in 1959 with the DBR1.
James praises team effort after “bittersweet” result
Team Principal Ian James also experienced a busy Spa weekend. Alongside his leadership role, he finished second in LMGT3 with the Heart of Racing Team’s #27 Aston Martin Vantage, which he shared with Mattia Drudi and Zacharie Robichon.
In Hypercar, James watched both Valkyries fight inside the top 10 for much of the race. He praised the team’s execution while also acknowledging the frustration of losing the #009 late on.
“The team did an amazing job, the Valkyries were duking it out inside the top ten throughout and my heart rate was going up-and-down all day long!” added James.
James then singled out Gamble’s performance in the closing stages. The Briton’s move on Kobayashi into Les Combes captured the confidence Aston Martin has started to build with the Valkyrie.
“To finish fourth was fantastic; it was obviously a bit bittersweet with what happened to Alex, but P4 for the #007 was just reward for all the hard work that’s gone into this. Tom’s been on fire all year, and I think he proved what a star he is and that he belongs in this class – going around the outside of the Toyota into Les Combes was a big move, and he pulled it off well.
Finally, James placed Aston Martin’s result within the wider strength of the WEC field. With multiple manufacturers fighting near the front, he believes sportscar racing currently offers exceptional competition.
“From a fan’s perspective, there isn’t a better form of racing on the planet right now – to have so many manufacturers inside the top six is testament to the quality of sportscar racing and how exciting it is.”
Aston Martin boasts clear WEC gains ahead of 2026 Le Mans
Aston Martin left Spa with its clearest sign yet that the Valkyrie project has moved forward. Tincknell and Gamble combined patience, racecraft and late attacking pace to secure fourth, while the #009 also showed enough speed to suggest more potential remains.
As a result, the British marque heads to Le Mans with confidence, momentum and a growing belief that its Hypercar programme can challenge closer to the front.
