Riders of the Valkyrie

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Harry Tincknell, 33 (GB) 

The two-time class winner will be making his 12th attempt at the Le Mans 24 Hours, but only his third in the top class. A veteran of the Ganassi-run Ford GT campaigns, he has only raced for Aston once at Le Mans, when he won the GTE Pro class with Alex Lynn and Maxime Martin in 2020.

“To be in the middle of this Hypercar era is absolutely amazing. You’re in the paddock and you think, ‘I can’t believe this is really happening.’ Every brand you can think of, that you associate with speed and luxury, are all here. Not only in WEC but also across the pond in IMSA as well. To think where the top class was not that long ago to where it is now, it is an embarrassment of riches.

“Also there were 14 ex-F1 drivers on the grid in Qatar. The level has never been higher. You feel that is being embraced by the fans. Last year Spa and Imola felt like F1 races. Of course Le Mans is always busy, but in sports car racing you are close to the fans and you can feel the energy from them. Everyone is just buzzing at the level and the commitment from the manufacturers.”

Tom Gamble, 23 (GB) 

The younger brother of BTCC racer George is a former Autosport BRDC award winner who switched to sports car racing in 2019. Gamble has previous with THOR from IMSA in 2022 and now steps up to Hypercar as one of Britain’s most highly rated young endurance racers.

“I’ve done quite a bit of prototype stuff in LMP2, so that’s beneficial. The cars are of similar dimensions and behave not too dissimilarly. But the Valkyrie is a thing of its own and is a lot different to operate. Compared to LMP2s it is probably slower in the corners, but a lot faster in the straights – a different animal. It’s been exciting to find out what it does and see the improvements the team are making every time we roll the car out.”

Ross Gunn, 28 (GB) 

The Aston Martin Evolution Academy gave Gunn a racing lifeline when his single-seater budget ran dry. He shared GT4 honours in the 2015 British GT Championship with Jamie Chadwick driving for Beechdean-AMR and has amassed a wealth of experience in Aston GTs. This will be his fourth Le Mans start, but first since 2021.

“From what we’ve seen in the early races it’s a massive fan favourite already. I don’t want to sound too cocky or arrogant, but we were expecting that. For me at Le Mans, I haven’t raced there for four years and ever since my last race in 2021 I’ve been desperate to get back. To be back on those roads will be so incredible. In the No007, in a Valkyrie, it doesn’t get much better than that. I’m pinching myself.”

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Marco Sørensen, 34 (DK) 

Officially Aston Martin’s most experienced current-era racing driver, Sørensen is a three-time GTE class champion in WEC (twice in Pro, once in Am), and won GTE Am honours at Le Mans in 2022 in a Vantage run by TF Sport. This will be his 11th start at the 24 Hours, all bar one of which have come in Astons.

“Nicki Thiim and I did GTE from 2015 to 2020, and just before Covid hit there was talk about Aston Martin bringing the Valkyrie to Le Mans. Unfortunately it didn’t happen. It would have been a perfect switch after the GTE Pro era to go straight into the Hypercar. So I’ve had four extra years in Pro-Am GT racing, which you still learn a lot from. Now it’s motivating for The Heart of Racing to be a part of this project and get it going again.

“To be in the top class at Le Mans is special. There is no limit from the team, which is what’s inspiring. When you look back, it’s good timing with THOR coming in now. We have the support we need to have a good programme. In the Valkyrie there’s a lot of noise, so you don’t get this clean sound you get on the outside. But if you don’t like the sound of this car, you need to get checked!”

Alex Riberas, 31 (ESP) 

An old hand with The Heart of Racing in IMSA, Riberas has been at the wheel of Aston Martins since 2020. He has made two previous starts at Le Mans in the GT divisions, both times sharing with THOR team chief Ian James.

“It’s a dream to work with Ian. He has been there in the toughest times of my career. Every occasion I thought I was finished, he was always there for me. He’s a father figure. Years ago we would talk and daydream about such a project without really considering it a possibility. Now we are going into one of the greatest endurance projects in the world.

“To be able to do it with him… he’s the only person I would consider the perfect man to be in that role.”

Roman De Angelis, 24 (CDN) 

Another THOR regular since 2020, De Angelis (whose middle name is Senna!) has an IMSA GTD class title to his name from 2022. He made his one and only previous start at Le Mans last year in Algarve Pro Racing’s LMP2 ORECA.

“We have a very tight-knit group already. I’ve driven with all the drivers at some point minus Harry, but I’ve spent a lot of time with him. Everyone just gets on which is super-important. This is a team sport and I want to do just as well for my team-mates as well as for myself. I want to leave a weekend knowing I did everything I could. You never want to be in a position where you ruin their day.”