Heart of Racing Team scores a 1-3 finish in LMGT3 as Valkyrie comes within seconds of its first WEC podium
Aston Martin enjoyed a standout weekend at Circuit of the Americas, with the Vantage GT3 claiming its first FIA World Endurance Championship victory of 2026 while the Valkyrie Hypercar recorded its best WEC finish yet.
In the LMGT3 class, Aston Martin partner team Heart of Racing Team delivered a dominant 1-3 result. The #27 Vantage GT3 of Ian James, Mattia Drudi and Zach Robichon took the win, while the sister #23 Vantage of Gray Newell, Dudu Barrichello and Jonny Adam finished third.
The result marked THOR’s first WEC double podium and the latest-generation Vantage GT3’s first victory of the season. Starting second, James kept the #27 out of trouble during the opening hour before handing the car to Robichon. The Canadian moved into the class lead during the second hour, passing the leading Porsche.
Drudi then took over and held his nerve through a late Safety Car period before pulling clear during the final 45 minutes to secure the win. It was the Vantage’s second victory at COTA in three years.
“This was an exemplary performance from Vantage, and a fantastic result for our partner team, the Heart of Racing Team,” said Aston Martin Head of Endurance Adam Carter. “Vantage has been a competitive force in WEC throughout 2026, and this victory feels long overdue.”
The #23 Vantage ran inside the top six for most of the race before Barrichello fought his way into third during the closing stages. The result gives the young Brazilian his second podium in three races after finishing third at Le Mans in June.
“After one and a half seasons trying to get this win, we’ve always been tripped up by something that stopped us from achieving our goal,” said Drudi. “Now, finally, it feels good to get our first win, and to have the #23 in third position. I’m really happy.”
Robichon added: “Relief is the prevailing feeling right now. We’ve been so close so many times, and we’ve done so much to deserve this over the past two years. It just goes to show what we can do when we have a clean race.”
The result moves the #23 Vantage to fourth in the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGT3 Teams with 49 points, while the #27 climbs to sixth with 44. With 78 points still available, both remain in championship contention.
Vantage adds British GT4 title
Aston Martin also celebrated success in British GT, where Grange Racing by FSR secured the GT4 Pro-Am title with one race remaining.
Daniel Lavery and Darren Turner scored their fifth consecutive class victory in a rain-affected race at Donington Park to seal the championship. For Turner, the title is his third GT4 Pro-Am championship after previous successes in 2021 and 2022 with the earlier Vantage GT4. The current-generation Vantage GT4 has now claimed three British GT titles.
The overall GT4 championship will be decided at Brands Hatch on September 26-27, with Lavery, Turner, Will Orton and Jessica Hawkins still in contention.
Valkyrie finishes fourth at COTA
Aston Martin’s Valkyrie Hypercar also delivered a breakthrough performance. The #007 Valkyrie of Tom Gamble and Harry Tincknell finished fourth in the six-hour Lone Star Le Mans, less than three seconds from the final podium position.
It is the car’s best WEC finish and extends Aston Martin’s points-scoring streak to eight consecutive races. Gamble and Tincknell have scored points in every WEC round in 2026.
“To finish just a couple of seconds away from the podium was a spectacular performance by Valkyrie,” said THOR team principal Ian James. “It just shows how much progress we continue to make with this car and this team.”
Developed from the road-going Valkyrie, the WEC-spec LMH is the only Hypercar on the grid derived from a road-legal production hypercar. It is also the only Hypercar homologation car competing in both WEC and IMSA.
Aston Martin remains locked in a battle with Alpine for fifth in the Hypercar manufacturers’ championship, with three rounds remaining at Fuji, Barcelona and Monza. After 18 months of development, the Valkyrie’s growing pace—and the Vantage’s breakthrough victory—suggest Aston Martin’s endurance racing program is finally hitting its stride.
