The Heart of Racing Captures First GTP Podium with Aston Martin Valkyrie at Petit Le Mans
Braselton, GA (October 12, 2025) – The Heart of Racing and Aston Martin THOR Team closed out the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season in style, claiming their first-ever GTP class podium with a stellar second-place finish at the Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The team’s GTD entry also delivered a strong result, finishing fourth in the race to come home second in the overall IMSA GTD Championship standings to cap off an impressive 2025 campaign.
The No. 23 Aston Martin Valkyrie, driven by Ross Gunn, Roman De Angelis, and Alex Riberas, showcased the program’s true potential in its debut IMSA season. Gunn topped the timesheets in Thursday’s night practice with a 1:11.985-second lap, setting the tone for a competitive weekend. The British driver went on to qualify fifth on Friday — the best IMSA GTP qualifying effort to date for the Aston Martin THOR Team.
From the drop of the green flag, the No. 23 Valkyrie was a consistent threat at the front of the field. Gunn handled the opening 108 laps, keeping the car solidly inside the top five before handing off to Riberas and later De Angelis. With roughly three stints remaining, the team made a bold strategic call that positioned the Valkyrie squarely in podium contention. De Angelis delivered a composed and commanding drive to the finish, securing second place and marking a milestone moment for Aston Martin’s next-generation prototype.
The No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3, piloted by Casper Stevenson, Tom Gamble, and Zacharie Robichon, also ended the season on a high note. Stevenson qualified sixth and set the tone early, driving the first two stints before handing off to Gamble and Robichon. The trio maintained a strong presence within the top six throughout the ten-hour enduro, with Gamble closing the race just shy of the podium in fourth. The result locked the team into second place in the GTD Championship standings, underscoring another season of consistent speed and teamwork.
“A great day here at Road Atlanta,” said Ian James, Team Principal of The Heart of Racing. “We finished P2 in GTP, the first podium for the Valkyrie. It’s just a testament to all the hard work from everybody involved in the project, not just this year, but in the lead-up to it and the group back in the UK, and the race team here on the ground. It was a perfect execution today, and the drivers excelled. Our GT car even had a great run, finishing fourth in the race and securing second place in the team championship, with Casper in third place in the drivers' championship. It’s been a really great year here in IMSA, and I can’t wait to roll into Daytona next year.”
The Heart of Racing and Aston Martin THOR Team now set their sights on the 2026 season, building on the momentum of their Petit Le Mans success as they continue to chase victory and advance Aston Martin’s endurance racing legacy.
Heart of Racing Driver Quotes :
Roman De Angelis : “Wow, first podium for the Aston Martin THOR Valkyrie program. To do it at Petit Le Mans with Ross and Alex is just everything. The three of us went from a GTD PRO podium last year to a GTP podium this year. I’m so happy to be a part of this group. It’s been a tough year with lots of ups and downs, but we’ve really come a long way, and what a good way to end the year. I couldn’t thank everyone enough at The Heart of Racing, Aston Martin, Multimatic, and many other people who are behind the scenes. It’s been an honor. Thank you, Gabe and Ian, for making this possible, such a special day.”
Ross Gunn : “Over the season, there were a few teething issues as you’d expect from a new program, but we worked super hard at the start of the year on reliability, then after Le Mans, we began working on performance. It’s been a privilege to be a part of something that’s been continuously improving. I think for us the main thing was that, come to the end of the season, you wanted to be fighting for something a bit more than just a fifth or a sixth. I think this weekend we can definitely be proud of.”
Alex Riberas : “I’m just so proud of everyone on the team and what a way to finish the season here in IMSA. It means a great deal to this organization, the Heart of Racing, and Aston Martin, and it is all for them. We are so privileged to have some of the best engineers I’ve ever worked with here at the Heart of Racing, and they went for it there towards the end of the race, and it played out. I have to take my hat off to Roman and Ross for doing such a great job this season and for what they have accomplished.”
Casper Stevenson : “Overall, the weekend was pretty good. I think the only reason we were slightly disappointed is that we thought we could have finished third, but finishing fourth in an ultra-competitive race like Petit Le Mans is still good. It resulted in the team finishing second in the team championship, and myself, third in the drivers' championship. I think that’s huge and I’m really happy with how it played out.”
Tom Gamble : “I think it would have been nice to get third place at the end of the race and secure second in the drivers' championship for him, but we just fell short there at the end. I tried my best, but the Lexus just had a bit more pace in the right places than we did. I’ll remember the image of the back of that car for a while. The team did a great job and has been phenomenal all year. It has been an honor to be part of the program. Fourth is a very solid result, and I think it was a weekend where we maximized the package we had.”
Zacharie Robichon : “I think we finished where we were on pace. Realistically, I don’t think we had the outright pace to battle the Ferraris this weekend, and we saw the one-lap pace of the Lexas and a few other cars were just a bit quicker than us. We had a clean race, and ultimately, all of us drivers drove a good, clean race. If we were to do it again, we probably would go out and do the same thing, and that’s all we can ask for. We are disappointed, but still proud of the team and what we did.”
