The Heart of Racing World Endurance Championship Event Recap | 6 Hours of Imola
No. 007 Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie Information
Driver Lineup : Harry Tincknell, Tom Gamble
Class : Hypercar
Started : 12th
Finished : 9th
Highest Position : 7th
Laps : 212/213
Laps Led : 0
Pit Stops : 7
Team Notes
Stint rotation : Tincknell, Gamble, Tincknell
The No. 007 squad earns its first points in WEC after finishing ninth after running in the top ten for most of the six-hour race.
Chatting with the drivers…
Harry Tincknell : “I’ve worked really hard over the winter on myself, and the team has brought a new level of calmness this weekend. We’ve had people in the right areas, we have consolidated, and definitely, the way the car behaves has improved over the winter with everything we have worked on. It’s a terrible track for us, if I’m honest, with the curbs and the low traction areas, so there is tons to be confident about looking ahead. The racing on the soft tire was really good; tire wear was really good, and the pace was pretty good. The biggest problem we had today was getting stuck behind other cars, so that is never a bad thing! We are light years away from this time last year, and like I say, as soon as we go to some other tracks, hopefully we can have some more fun!”
Tom Gamble : “A pretty positive start to the season, probably not our best circuit to be honest. Compared to where we were last year at Imola, we were night-and-day better. Not too bad going today; not too many safety cars in the end, and we were still fighting in the top ten. Harry has an incredibly strong pace at the end of the race as well. We had a couple of things not go our way, getting stuck behind other cars throughout the race. Nevertheless, the team made some mega improvements throughout the weekend. So really, really proud of them and what they did in the off-season as well. Spa is a good track for us, so I’m looking forward to going back there. Hopefully, we can chase into the top five. It’s a nice way to start the season with a couple of points.”
Season Standings
Race 1 of 10 : Imola Circuit
Highest Season Finish : 9th (Imola Circuit)
Completed Laps : 212/213
Provisional Championship Standings : 9th
No. 009 Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie Information
Driver Lineup : Marco Sorensen, Alex Riberas
Class : Hypercar
Started : 14th
Finished : 14th
Highest Position : 10th
Laps : 212/213
Laps Led : 0
Pit Stops : 7
Team Notes
Stint rotation : Sorensen, Riberas, Sorensen
After an incident in Tuesday’s prologue, the No. 009 crew brought out a new chassis that was ready for Friday’s practice sessions.
The No. 009 Valkyrie had a near-flawless race running in the top ten for a majority of the six-hour enduro.
Chatting with the drivers…
Marco Sorensen : “It was a long race. I think, actually, our pace wasn't too bad when you look at it, but we started a little too far back to make the most of it. We were also a little bit unlucky with some of the strategy calls. All in all, not the best day, but there were plenty of positives to take away from it. I think we can look at Spa and imagine that it can be better. I feel like we have a lot of potential that we can unlock as the season continues.”
Alex Riberas : “I think from the get-go we knew that this was going to be a hard track for us, not the best circuit for the Valkyrie. However, it was a massive step forward compared to last year. We are way closer to the front than we expected. I’m proud of the whole team, especially the No. 007 guys, for getting their first points in the program; it’s quite an accomplishment. I think we have a lot of reasons to be optimistic for the future and are already looking forward to Spa.”
Season Standings
Race 1 of 10 : Imola Circuit
Highest Season Finish : 14th (Imola Circuit)
Completed Laps : 212/213
Provisional Championship Standings : 14th
No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage Information
Driver Lineup : Gray Newell, Kobe Pauwels, Jonny Adam
Class : LMGT3
Started : 17th
Finished : 9th
Highest Position : 9th
Laps : 193/194
Laps Led : 0
Pit Stops : 8
Team Notes
Stint rotation : Newell, Pauwels, Adam
During the No. 23 Vantage’s first pit stop, Newell received a pit lane speeding penalty, which called him back down the pit lane for a five-second stop-and-go.
Adam drove his way into the top ten in the final hour of the race to finish ninth, earning two championship points.
Chatting with the drivers…
Gray Newell : “A solid race for us, a bit of a quiet race for us, which I think is what you want first time out. I’m proud of myself, proud of my performance. I think I made a huge step forward this weekend, just getting in the groove, putting my head down, and getting going. The team did great. We had one penalty issue, but we got lucky, and it didn’t matter much. Hopefully, we can put our heads down and get back to work at Spa.”
Season Standings
Race 1 of 10 : Imola Circuit
Highest Season Finish : 9th (Imola Circuit)
Completed Laps : 193/194
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 : 15th
Finished : 17th
Highest Position : 8th
Laps : 146/194
Laps Led : 0
Pit Stops : 6
Team Notes
Stint rotation : James, Robichon, Drudi
The No. 27 Vantage received a penalty–five seconds added to the team’s first pit stop due to not following starting procedures.
With Robichon behind the wheel, the No. 27 Vantage had to replace a mirror after contact took the mirror off with just two hours and thirty-six minutes remaining.
Drudi was in eighth with just an hour and twenty minutes to go when the No. 27 Vantage suffered a suspension failure, forcing an early retirement.
Chatting with the drivers…
Ian James : “Mixed emotions, we got our first points of the year with the Valkyrie and the No. 23 car, so happy with that. Just missed opportunities with the No. 27 car there. We were probably heading for a third- or fourth-place finish, I believe. We had a suspension failure, but these things happen in racing. All four cars, the crew's effort, and everyone involved in the program this weekend were amazing. There are better days to come, we’ll enjoy this one, and we’ll roll into Spa, which should suit the GT and Hypercar a little bit more.”
Season Standings
Race 1 of 10 : Imola Circuit
Highest Season Finish : 17th (Imola Circuit)
Completed Laps : 146/194
Provisional Championship Standings : 17th
2026 6 Hours of Imola Information
Race Length : 6 hours
Safety Cars : 2
Upcoming Race
The team now shifts focus to the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship season, returning to action May 7–9 at Circuit de Spa‑Francorchamps. Set in the Ardennes forest, the iconic circuit presents one of the most demanding challenges on the calendar, as the team looks to build on its early-season momentum.
