Round 04 - Valkyrie Delivers First Double-Points Finish in São Paulo

Aston Martin THOR Team achieved another important milestone in the development of the Valkyrie Hypercar at the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo, with the #007 finishing sixth and the sister #009 taking ninth. Both cars completed all 242 laps on the lead lap, giving Aston Martin its first double-points Hypercar result of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship season.

The LMGT3 side of Aston Martin’s weekend proved more frustrating. Kobe Pauwels placed the #23 Heart of Racing Vantage on class pole with a record-breaking Hyperpole lap, but neither Aston Martin converted its qualifying pace into race points. The #27 finished 13th in class, while the pole-starting #23 was classified 18th.

Hypercar: Both Valkyries Finish in the Points

The race began on a slightly damp Interlagos circuit, with the changing grip adding another challenge to an already closely matched Hypercar field. Cadillac led the opening phase, while BMW, Alpine and Ferrari pursued different fuel and pit-stop strategies at the front.

The two Aston Martin Valkyries settled into the top-ten contest during the opening hours. Marco Sørensen and Alex Riberas in the #009 and Harry Tincknell and Tom Gamble in the #007 were running eighth and ninth after two hours, keeping both cars firmly inside the points-paying positions as the strategies developed.

The #009 was involved in an early sequence of contact with the #8 Toyota, which subsequently required repairs after further contact with the #19 Genesis. Despite the incident, the Aston Martin continued without the lengthy delay suffered by the Toyota and remained involved in the midfield Hypercar battle.

The #007 encountered its own setback during the fourth hour. Gamble made contact with the #79 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 at Turn One, turning the Mercedes around and earning the Aston Martin a ten-second penalty. The punishment cost valuable time in a race where only seconds separated much of the Hypercar field, but the #007 remained within reach of a strong result.

As the final strategies unfolded, the #007 moved forward and recovered to sixth, finishing 35.566 seconds behind the winning BMW. The #009 crossed the line ninth, 45.523 seconds from the lead and only ten seconds behind its sister car. Both Valkyries remained on the same lap as the winner throughout the six-hour race.

Victory went to the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 shared by Kevin Magnussen, Dries Vanthoor and Raffaele Marciello. The #51 Ferrari AF Corse entry finished second, 2.254 seconds behind, with the #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA completing the podium.

For the #007 crew, sixth place extended an impressive run of points finishes that began at Imola and continued through Spa and Le Mans. For the #009, ninth represented its first championship points of 2026 after a difficult opening three rounds.

LMGT3: Pole Position Brings Promise but No Race Reward

Aston Martin entered the race with a major qualifying achievement already secured. Gray Newell guided the #23 Heart of Racing Vantage into Hyperpole before Pauwels produced the fastest LMGT3 lap ever recorded at Interlagos to claim class pole in only his second FIA WEC appearance. It was Aston Martin’s 72nd pole position across the championship’s various classes, a series record and its sixth in LMGT3.

The advantage was quickly lost at the start. Newell appeared to misjudge the opening acceleration and was engulfed by the following pack, allowing the Iron Lynx Mercedes, Akkodis ASP Lexus and Proton Competition Fords to move ahead. The #23 therefore began its recovery from the midfield rather than controlling the race from the front.

The sister #27 Vantage enjoyed a steadier beginning. Ian James completed a long opening sequence of stints and kept the car within the busy midfield group before handing over to Zacharie Robichon. During the middle of the race, the #27 was involved in an entertaining battle with the #88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang and ran close to the leading five on the developing pit-stop sequence.

The #23’s race became more difficult after contact with the #83 AF Corse Ferrari. The Ferrari was handed a ten-second penalty for the collision, but the disruption contributed to the Aston Martin losing further ground in an exceptionally competitive LMGT3 field.

Neither Heart of Racing entry was able to recover into the points during the closing stages. The #27 of James, Robichon and Mattia Drudi finished 13th, completing 217 laps and ending two laps behind the class winner. The #23 of Newell, Pauwels and Jonny Adam finished 18th after 216 laps, three laps down.

Racing Team Turkey by TF claimed LMGT3 victory with its #34 Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R, driven by Charlie Eastwood, Salih Yoluç and Peter Dempsey. The #69 Team WRT BMW finished second, with The Bend Manthey’s #92 Porsche taking third.

Another Clear Step Forward for Valkyrie

São Paulo didn’t deliver the first Valkyrie podium Aston Martin continues to pursue, but it strengthened the evidence that the programme is progressing. The #007 overcame a penalty to finish sixth, the #009 scored for the first time this season and both cars completed the race on the lead lap.

The result lifts Aston Martin to 40 points in the Hypercar Manufacturers’ Championship, only one behind fifth-placed Alpine. Tincknell and Gamble remain tenth in the Drivers’ standings with 30 points, while Sørensen and Riberas have opened their account with two.

The LMGT3 result was harder to accept. Aston Martin demonstrated genuine speed through Pauwels’ outstanding pole position, but the #23’s difficult start and subsequent contact left it unable to capitalise. The #27 ran competitively during parts of the race but also finished outside the points.

The FTP assessment is therefore encouraging for Valkyrie but mixed for Vantage. Aston Martin’s Hypercar campaign has now produced points at every completed round through the #007 and, for the first time in 2026, with both cars. The next objective is clear: convert that increasingly consistent top-ten pace into the programme’s first FIA WEC podium.