The Heart of Racing World Endurance Championship Event Recap | 2026 6 Hours of Barcelona
No. 009 Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie Information
Driver Lineup: Marco Sørensen, Alex Riberas
Class: Hypercar
Started: 11th (1:31.443-Alex Riberas)
Finished: 9th
Laps: 197/198
Laps Led: 0
Pit Stops: 6
Team Notes
Driver Rotation: Riberas, Sørensen
Riberas kept the No. 009 Valkyrie in the top ten for most of the first half before handing over to Sørensen.
Sørensen climbed to fifth before making a final pit stop with 20 minutes remaining. The No. 009 Valkyrie ultimately finished ninth.
Chatting with the drivers…
Alex Riberas: “Without a doubt, one of the most special weekends of my life, just as an experience on the human side of things. It felt incredible to receive that much love from the fans and to have my family and friends here. On track, it feels like we got stuck and couldn’t find ways to move forward while the others did. I think Monza will be a good track for us. It’s usually a track that provides a lot of opportunities for overtaking and for good racing.”
Season Standings
Race 7 of 8: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Highest Season Finish: 6th (Fuji Speedway)
Completed Laps: 1,529/1,555
Provisional Championship Standings: 16th
No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage Information
Driver Lineup: Gray Newell, Dudu Barrichello, Jonny Adam
Class: LMGT3
Started: 14th (1:43.513-Gray Newell)
Finished: 10
Laps: 182/183
Laps Led: 0
Pit Stops: 6
Team Notes:
Driver Rotation: Newell, Barrichello, Adam
Newell kept the No. 23 Vantage out of trouble through his two stints before handing over to Barrichello, who moved into the top ten.
Adam took over for the final two stints. An incident involving a Mercedes and a Ford sent both Adam and the Ford off track. Adam rejoined with minimal damage and brought the No. 23 Vantage home in tenth.
Chatting with the drivers…
Jonny Adam: “It was a tricky weekend; the weather was a bit mixed throughout the race. We picked up a bit of damage towards the end there. It was okay to score P10 and grab a point. It wasn’t our best circuit; we lacked pace all around, especially in the race. I think Monza will be a better circuit for us in general. Hopefully we can end the championship on a high note.”
Season Standings
Race 7 of 8: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Highest Season Finish: 3rd (Circuit de la Sarthe & Circuit of The Americas)
Completed Laps: 1,075/1,229
Provisional Championship Standings: 9th
No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage Information
Driver Lineup: Ian James, Zacharie Robichon, Mattia Drudi
Class: LMGT3
Started: 18th (1:49.121-Ian James)
Finished: 16th
Laps: 178/183
Laps Led: 0
Pit Stops: 5
Team Notes
Driver Rotation: James, Robichon, Drudi
James charged from last into the top ten over his two stints before handing the No. 27 Vantage over to Robichon.
During his second stint in the latter half of the race, Robichon and two other drivers hit a slick patch, sending all three into the gravel. The incident left the No. 27 Vantage five laps down.
Chatting with the drivers…
Zacharie Robichon: “I think we were doing the best we could; we committed to a full rain setup and didn’t get as much rain as we thought, which probably made things a little bit more difficult. I messed it up toward the end of my second stint. I got into a bit of water there on the white line and got stuck in the gravel. It took us out of the race; I’m very sorry for the team. We will be back for Monza to end the year.”
Season Standings
Race 7 of 8: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Highest Season Finish: 1st (Circuit of The Americas)
Completed Laps: 1,311/1,412
Provisional Championship Standings: 6th
No. 007 Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie Information
Driver Lineup: Harry Tincknell, Tom Gamble
Class: Hypercar
Started: 12th (1:31.464-Harry Tincknell)
Finished: DNF
Laps: 115/198
Laps Led: 0
Pit Stops: 4
Team Notes
Driver Rotation: Tincknell, Gamble, Tincknell
Tincknell went off track in wet conditions just 30 minutes into the race and got stuck in the gravel. The No. 007 Valkyrie lost just one lap and pitted shortly afterward with minimal damage.
Shortly after the three-hour mark, Tincknell returned to the wheel during a Safety Car period, but an electrical issue forced the No. 007 Valkyrie into an early retirement.
Chatting with the drivers…
Tom Gamble: “We started quite strong on Friday and then just hasn't really gone to plan since. Harry got into an unfortunate incident, locking up in the tricky conditions at the start. It happens to us all, and it's one of those things, really. Then I had a double stint, which was pretty nice. The car felt quite good, but we were obviously quite far behind at that point. Then Harry got back in, and the car shut down, so I'm not quite sure of the exact issue yet, but it's a bit of a disappointing weekend; these things happen. You win some, you lose some, and hopefully we can come back at Monza and finish the series strongly.”
Season Standings
Race 7 of 8: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Highest Season Finish: 4th (Spa-Francorchamps & COTA)
Completed Laps: 1,468/1,555
Provisional Championship Standings: 14th
Upcoming Race
The Heart of Racing will head to Italy for the FIA World Endurance Championship season finale at Monza. The No. 007 and No. 009 Aston Martin Valkyries will have one final opportunity to chase a Hypercar podium, while the No. 23 and No. 27 Aston Martin Vantages aim to close out the LMGT3 campaign on a high note. Racing on home soil, Mattia Drudi will look to give Italian fans something to celebrate in the No. 27 Vantage.
