Aston Martin’s endurance racing programme gathered serious momentum at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend as the Valkyrie Hypercar delivered its strongest FIA World Endurance Championship result yet, while the Vantage GT3 added another podium to the British brand’s growing motorsport legacy.
In a dramatic and unpredictable Total Energies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the Aston Martin THOR Team’s Valkyrie finished fourth overall after an intense late-race battle that saw the British hypercar cross the line just five seconds behind the winner. The result marked the Valkyrie’s best finish since entering the FIA World Endurance Championship and strengthened Aston Martin’s confidence ahead of next month’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Driven by British duo Harry Tincknell and Tom Gamble, the Valkyrie spent much of the race strategically working its way into contention. With two hours remaining, the car was still outside the points positions, but smart calls from the pit wall combined with a series of late Safety Car interventions completely reshaped the race.
Tincknell delivered one of the standout moments of the event with two overtakes in a single lap to move from tenth to eighth, helping position the Valkyrie for a final charge. As the race entered its closing stages, Gamble found himself in the middle of a frantic five-car fight for second place.
The final restart produced pure endurance racing chaos. Gamble narrowly avoided a spinning Alpine at Eau Rouge before launching an aggressive but controlled move on a Toyota in the final minutes to secure fourth place. The narrow escape added another layer of intensity to an already breathless finish. Tiny carbon-fibre angels probably filed overtime claims after that one.
The performance continued a clear upward trajectory for Aston Martin’s Hypercar programme. Valkyrie has now scored points in four consecutive WEC races, stretching back to Fuji and Bahrain last season, while Aston Martin currently holds fourth position in the Hypercar Manufacturers’ standings.
The Spa weekend also highlighted the growing pace of the Valkyrie package across a full race distance. Both cars reached Hyperpole during qualifying, securing sixth and seventh positions on the grid, another significant milestone for the developing programme.
There was also frustration mixed with optimism for the sister Valkyrie shared by Marco Sørensen and Alex Riberas. The pair had shown genuine podium potential throughout the race and appeared poised to capitalise on their strong pace on soft tyres late in the event.
However, disaster struck when Riberas was forced onto the grass along the high-speed Kemmel Straight while attempting an overtake. The resulting spin brought out another Safety Car and ultimately ended the crew’s race prematurely despite a highly competitive showing.
Tincknell praised the rapid development of the Valkyrie project after the race, describing the Spa result as a reward for the enormous effort invested by the team over the past year.
He noted that the car demonstrated particularly strong pace through sectors one and three of the circuit, sections that share characteristics with Le Mans, providing additional encouragement ahead of endurance racing’s biggest event in June.
Gamble admitted he had not expected the race to unfold in Aston Martin’s favour after the team spent much of the afternoon outside the leading battle. But once the late-race Safety Cars reshuffled the field, the Valkyrie suddenly became a serious contender.
The British driver described his near miss at Eau Rouge as one of the most intense moments of his career, saying his “life flashed before his eyes” as the Alpine spun ahead of him at high speed.
Despite the chaos, the Aston Martin THOR Team emerged from Spa with growing belief that Valkyrie can challenge more established Hypercar rivals at Le Mans. The car remains unique in top-level endurance racing as the only road-derived hypercar currently competing in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA competition.
Team Principal Ian James praised the resilience and execution of the squad, particularly highlighting the strategy gamble on soft tyres that briefly placed the Valkyrie in a powerful attacking position before its retirement.
James also pointed to Tom Gamble’s aggressive outside move on the Toyota at Les Combes as proof that the young Briton belongs among endurance racing’s elite drivers.
Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport Adam Carter described the fourth-place finish as an important achievement in one of the most competitive Hypercar fields ever assembled. He emphasised that finishing just five seconds off victory demonstrated how tightly matched modern endurance racing has become.
While Valkyrie captured attention in the Hypercar category, Aston Martin also celebrated success in the LMGT3 class as the Heart of Racing Team secured second place with the Vantage GT3.
Ian James, Zach Robichon and Mattia Drudi combined for a measured and resilient drive that delivered Aston Martin’s first Spa podium of the current LMGT3 era.
Starting from the front row after a strong qualifying effort, the team remained in contention throughout the race despite minor contact damage sustained early on. Late Safety Car periods once again transformed the strategic picture, allowing Drudi to mount a hard-fought charge through the field in the closing stages.
Initially finishing third on the road, the Vantage crew inherited second position after a rival received a post-race penalty for a pitlane infringement.
The result marked the 17th WEC podium appearance at Spa for the Aston Martin Vantage since 2012, further cementing its reputation as the company’s most successful racing car.
Built around the bonded aluminium chassis architecture of the road-going Vantage and powered by Aston Martin’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine, the Vantage GT3 continues to deliver results at the highest level of international endurance racing.
With Spa now complete, Aston Martin heads to Le Mans carrying genuine momentum across both Hypercar and GT competition. For Valkyrie especially, the performance in Belgium felt like more than just a strong finish. It felt like a warning shot fired down the Mulsanne Straight a month early.
