Aston Martin and The Heart of Racing arrive at the 2026 edition 24 Hours of Le Mans with renewed momentum after delivering their strongest FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) result to date.
Tom Gamble and Harry Tincknell took the #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie to fourth place at the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, finishing just five seconds behind the race-winning #20 BMW. The result marked a major step forward for the British manufacturer and its American partner team as the Valkyrie continues to mature in Hypercar competition.
Although the sister #009 car retired in the final hour after a fight for fifth along the Kemmel Straight, Aston Martin still left Belgium with clear evidence of progress. Moreover, one of the two Valkyries has now scored points in each of the last four FIA WEC rounds, giving the team confidence before the championship’s biggest race.
Tincknell praises Aston Martin THOR’s progress
Tincknell believes the Spa result reflected the intense development work behind the scenes. Aston Martin THOR Team has continued to refine the Valkyrie since its FIA WEC debut, and Spa offered its clearest sign yet that the programme has moved into a more competitive phase.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the boys and girls behind me who have worked so hard to improve the car so much,” Tincknell said to FIAWEC. “We are a completely different set-up now compared to this time last year.”
That progress comes at an important time. Le Mans will mark only the Valkyrie’s 11th race in FIA WEC competition, yet Aston Martin already enters the event with growing belief after its recent points-scoring run.
Carter says 2026 6 Hours of Spa rewarded strong execution
Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport Adam Carter also highlighted the team’s execution at Spa. While the Belgian round created opportunities as several rivals encountered difficulties, Carter stressed that THOR still had to perform well enough to capitalise.
“Spa was a difficult event for several of our competitors, which created a lot of opportunity, but the team had to be ready and capable to make the most of that, and it was.”
Aston Martin could have strengthened its position in fourth place in the FIA Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers’ Championship had the #009 car reached the finish. However, the team still demonstrated stronger race pace and operational sharpness across the weekend.
Carter, therefore, views the recent run as a meaningful sign of development.
“If we can continue to build upon that, it will be very satisfying indeed,” Carter mulled.
Valkyrie programme continues to gather strength
Aston Martin’s Hypercar project has made significant progress since its early stages. Carter, who previously worked in Formula 1 with teams including Renault and Williams, believes the programme’s evolution has depended on more than technical development alone.
Instead, he pointed to the broader process of building the right structure around the car and giving people the conditions to perform.
“It’s all ultimately based upon team performance, and it’s about getting the right people and creating the right environment for everybody to perform. That’s a huge effort.”
That work has helped Aston Martin THOR Team shift its expectations for its second FIA WEC campaign. Rather than focusing solely on completing race distances and gathering data, the team now focuses on on-track performance and continuous refinement.
Carter explained that the squad reviewed its first year with the Valkyrie and identified areas that needed improvement.
“A lot of the work we did was looking at where our deficits were – for example, out-lap performance – and finding solutions.”
Although the Valkyries appeared to struggle with tyre warm-up at Spa, they showed encouraging performance through the circuit’s fastest sections. As a result, the team can take optimism to Le Mans, where speed, stability and efficiency over long stints will all play crucial roles.
Le Mans presents Aston Martin with its biggest test
Aston Martin THOR Team returns to La Sarthe after a promising first Le Mans appearance with the Valkyrie in 2025. On that occasion, both the #007 and #009 cars reached the chequered flag without major technical issues, giving the programme an important foundation.
Carter still views that result as one of the standout moments from the Valkyrie’s first season in competition.
“Le Mans was a milestone moment for us,” he reflected. “The event is incredibly challenging – not just for the cars, but for the drivers and everyone working in the team – so to finish with both cars at our first attempt was very special.”
Nevertheless, Aston Martin now arrives with higher expectations. The team still acknowledges the scale of the Le Mans challenge, but its stronger Spa performance has placed it closer to the front of the Hypercar fight.
Aston Martin keeps victory as the ultimate target
Aston Martin has not won Le Mans outright since Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby triumphed in the #5 DBR1 in 1959. Therefore, the Valkyrie carries historic significance as the brand looks to reconnect with one of its most celebrated achievements.
Carter made clear that the team still races with that ambition in mind, even while it continues to learn in one of motorsport’s most competitive categories.
“Aston Martin’s very DNA was forged through competition, and that spirit runs through every single part of the team,” he asserted. “Every one of us wants to see the famous Wings succeed again, and we are doing everything in our power to make that happen.”
He added that Aston Martin travels to France with victory as its ultimate aim, while also focusing on measurable progress across the weekend.
“We will continue to work on understanding and developing to improve our platform,” he urged. “If we can show by the end of the weekend that we have taken a step forward in this direction, that will count as success.”
Carter praises strength of Hypercar competition
The Valkyrie stands out in the current Hypercar field through its naturally aspirated, non-hybrid V12 and its close link to Aston Martin’s road-car identity. However, Carter believes the strength of the current ruleset gives the project genuine value because it allows a diverse range of manufacturers to compete on a meaningful stage.
“We’ve always said there is only any point in racing if there is worthwhile competition. The competition in this paddock is very much worthwhile.”
He also credited the FIA, the ACO and IMSA for creating a platform that allows different car concepts, including the road-derived Valkyrie, to compete across endurance racing’s biggest events.
“They deserve a great deal of credit for successfully achieving this difficult task. Aston Martin and The Heart of Racing have every faith in the powers-that-be to give us the fairest playing field possible to go racing. We are very proud to bring Valkyrie to the fight.”
With its best FIA WEC result behind it and Le Mans ahead, Aston Martin THOR Team now faces a defining test. The team has already shown progress, but La Sarthe will reveal how far the Valkyrie has truly come against the strongest Hypercar field in the world.
