Aston Martin Secures Double Success at the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans with Vantage Podium and Valkyrie Top-10 Finish
British marque celebrates a landmark weekend as the Vantage GT3 claims an LMGT3 podium while the Valkyrie Hypercar records its strongest-ever Le Mans result.
Aston Martin delivered one of its most memorable performances at the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, reinforcing its rich endurance racing heritage with a podium finish for the Vantage GT3 and a breakthrough top-10 result for the Valkyrie Hypercar.
The iconic British manufacturer celebrated its 11th class podium at the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe as the Heart of Racing Team secured third place in the fiercely contested LMGT3 category, while the Aston Martin THOR Team continued its impressive progress in the Hypercar class with an eighth-place finish.
Vantage GT3 Earns Podium in Dramatic Finish
The #23 Aston Martin Vantage GT3, driven by Gray Newell, Dudu Barrichello, and Aston Martin factory driver Jonny Adam, claimed third place after an intense battle that went down to the final laps.
Making his Le Mans debut, American driver Gray Newell impressed throughout the race, while Brazilian Dudu Barrichello successfully defended against relentless pressure to secure a podium finish just 2.5 seconds ahead of a chasing Lexus.
The result also marked the Heart of Racing Team’s first-ever podium at Le Mans, a significant milestone for the American team.
“This was an outstanding performance from Vantage and another excellent weekend at Le Mans for Aston Martin,” said Adam Carter, Head of Endurance at Aston Martin. “This generation of Vantage has proven it is capable of winning, and we look forward to returning even stronger.”
Pole Position Ends in Heartbreak
The team’s second entry, the #27 THOR Vantage driven by Ian James, Zach Robichon, and Mattia Drudi, looked set for victory after securing pole position for the second consecutive year.
Drudi also established a new LMGT3 qualifying record before the trio led the race for several hours.
However, a gearbox issue during the 21st hour ended their hopes of victory, forcing the team out of podium contention.
Valkyrie Hypercar Continues Its Rise
Alongside the GT success, Aston Martin’s Valkyrie Hypercar produced its strongest Le Mans performance to date.
The #007 Valkyrie, piloted by Tom Gamble, Ross Gunn, and Harry Tincknell, finished eighth overall, marking the car’s best result at the famous endurance race and extending Aston Martin THOR’s points-scoring streak in the FIA World Endurance Championship to five consecutive races.
Derived from Aston Martin’s road-going Valkyrie, the Hypercar remains the only production-based model competing simultaneously in both the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The Valkyries demonstrated impressive pace throughout race week, with both cars reaching Hyperpole and the #009 qualifying seventh on the grid.
Despite a late technical issue dropping the #009 entry to 14th, the overall performance highlighted the rapid development of Aston Martin’s Hypercar programme.
A Milestone Weekend for Aston Martin
The weekend also celebrated 25 years of partnership with Prodrive, Aston Martin’s long-time engineering partner. The Le Mans podium represented Prodrive’s 19th podium finish at the legendary race, adding another chapter to one of endurance racing’s most successful collaborations.
For Aston Martin, the results underline the competitiveness of both the Vantage GT3 and the Valkyrie Hypercar as the manufacturer continues its pursuit of endurance racing success.
With an LMGT3 podium, a top-10 Hypercar finish and valuable FIA World Endurance Championship points, the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans showcased Aston Martin’s ability to compete at the highest level across multiple classes.
As the championship moves to Brazil, the British marque leaves Le Mans with renewed confidence and growing momentum for the remainder of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship season.