Aston Martin THOR Team will return to the FIA WEC in 2026, with an unchanged driver line-up in Hypercar and an expanded two-car effort in LMGT3.
The headline here is the team’s expansion in the LMGT3 ranks, as the US-flagged team will embark on its third full FIA WEC campaign with two Vantages, after fielding a single Vantage AMR LMGT3 for the past two seasons, winning the class at Lone Star Le Mans in 2024 and finishing in the top five in the teams’ championship on both occasions.
So far, The Heart of Racing has only confirmed its Bronze-rated driver for each entry.
Team principal James will return to the #27 Vantage AMR LMGT3 he shared with Mattia Drudi and Zacharie Robichon last season, whilst WEC rookie Gray Newell will compete in the new #23 entry.
Newell, the son of team co-founder and Valve Corporation President Gabe, made his LMGT3 debut with an appearance at last month’s FIA WEC Rookie Test.
The 28-year-old has been a regular in SRO competition in North America with The Heart of Racing in recent seasons, rising the ranks through GT4 America, GT America and most recently GT World Challenge America competition alongside Aston Martin factory driver Darren Turner.
In 2025, Newell and Turner recorded three podium finishes in GT World Challenge America’s Pro-Am class, whilst the American also made the occasional start in 24H Series competition and finished second overall at the 12H Mugello alongside James and Hannah Grisham.
“I was very surprised but honoured to be asked to race for The Heart of Racing team in WEC in 2026,” Newell said.
“When I was given the chance to drive in the Rookie Test, I had a sense that this might be the long-term goal, but I was not anticipating being moved up to WEC so fast. I feel a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation.
“For the team to be placing this level of trust in me is an immense honour and I’m ready to meet the moment. There is a lot to learn, but Ian and the team have always known exactly how far to push me, and I trust their judgement completely. Time for a new chapter!”
Aston Martin THOR team principal, Ian James, added: “Gray was impressive during the Rookie Test, where he set times that would likely have given him the chance to fight in Hyperpole for the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain. That said, it’s a big step up for a rookie to race in WEC and there will be a lot for him to learn. We will do all we can to make that transition successful and to continue to help Gray to build on the potential he has shown so far in his racing career.
“As for me, WEC represents some unfinished business; we will focus hard on improving on this year’s fourth position in the LMGT3 championship and to have another crack at standing on the 24 Hours of Le Mans podium.”
The second Heart of Racing Team Vantage replaces Racing Spirit of Leman on the LMGT3 grid.
This means that RSL exits the FIA WEC after just a single campaign, during which it claimed a pair of pole positions with Eduardo Barrichello and a popular podium finish at São Paulo.
Meanwhile, in Hypercar, Aston Martin THOR Team will return with a pair of Valkyries steered by the same set of drivers that embarked on the Valkyrie’s debut season.
For its sophomore campaign, the #007 Valkyrie will again feature an all-British line-up of Harry Tincknell and Tom Gamble for the full season, with Ross Gunn joining them for the longer races.
In the #009, Marco Sørensen and Alex Riberas both return, with Roman De Angelis again supporting them at select events.
This season, Aston Martin THOR Team utilised its third drivers at Qatar, Le Mans and Bahrain, but the team has not yet confirmed if Gunn and De Angelis will run the same FIA WEC schedule in 2026.
Aston Martin is one of the few Hypercar manufacturers which has not taken advantage of one of its allotted ‘Evo’ jokers over the off-season, as it continues to build on its learnings from 2025.
The British manufacturer and Heart of Racing made significant progress through the season and achieved a best result of fifth at the 6 Hours of Fuji. Other highlights included five Hyperpole appearances, leading on pace at the season-closing 8 Hours of Bahrain, and getting both cars to the finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“Throughout 2025, as the programme grew and developed, we achieved a great deal as a team, but we also learned a considerable amount,” said James.
“The drivers as a group delivered over and above what we asked from them. That included a lot of work at the very beginning that required them to dig deep. But it also means that we have generated a hugely valuable hub of understanding and knowledge about Valkyrie that will be valuable as we move into season two.
“As we continue to understand more about how to exploit the competitive nature of Valkyrie, it’s a great opportunity for all our drivers to use what they have learned and push on to achieve more in 2026, and we have every faith that they will.”
Images courtesy of Aston Martin
