The entry list for the 2025 WEC season is taking shape. After Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche, Cadillac Team Jota and Akkodis-ASP yesterday, it is the turn of Aston Martin THOR (for The Heart of Racing) to formalize the identity of two of the drivers brought to pilot the highly anticipated Valkyrie in the World Endurance Championship next year.
???????? Aston Martin THOR Team confirms Riberas and Tincknell for 2025 Valkyrie world title assault
The first is Alex Riberas. Aged 30, the Spaniard turned to Endurance in 2014 and has never left the American championship since. It is a pure product of The Heart of Racing Team, an entity whose colors he first wore more than ten years ago, in the Porsche Supercup, IMSA, WEC and even the 24 Spa hours.
« It is a great honor to be chosen as pilot for such an exciting project, admits Riberas. I have been part of The Heart of Racing for 10 years and to be able to continue my journey with them, now at the top of the endurance pyramid, is like a dream come true. Additionally, having the opportunity to represent such an iconic brand as Aston Martin, which has a remarkable history in Endurance and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. The Aston Martin Valkyrie is the most spectacular car I've ever driven, and it sounds incredible. So being able to share that with the fans is something I'm looking forward to. »
Alex Riberas – © Aston Martin THOR
The second official pilot is, for its part, linked to the Multimatic house – responsible for the design, construction and operation of the car. It is obviously Harry Tincknell. Aged 33 and of British nationality, he also has a history with Aston Martin, the brand with which he won the 2020 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in GTE Pro alongside Maxime Martin and Alex Lynn.
➡️ IMSA – No Aston Martin Valkyrie at the 24 Hours of Daytona
Harry, who had already won in Sarthe on his first attempt in 2014, on a Zytek Z11SN-Nissan run by Jota Sport. He will therefore participate in his 12th double round of the clock at La Sarthe next June, the second with Aston Martin, the fifth with Multimatic since he was also one of the players in the Ford GT campaign.
« C’est an honor to return to Aston Martin for the Valkyrie program, souligne Tincknell. I have no doubt the car will be a fan favorite thanks to its stunning looks and incredible V12 sound. Participating in the first development trials was an exciting experience. I'm very proud of the work we've done so far as we prepare for the first race. Everyone at the Aston Martin THOR team made me feel welcome and I know I am joining a professional team. Aston Martin has an incredible history in Endurance and I have to pinch myself to believe what is happening to me. I have great memories of Le Mans 2020, and the goal is to repeat this feat with Valkyrie. »
Harry Tincknell – © Aston Martin THOR
Apart from the fact that the beautiful English car will make its debut across the Atlantic at the 12 Hours of Sebring, the other information comes from the numbers assigned to the two Valkyries lined up in the WEC. The one on which Tincknell is written will display the 007, and the one on which Riberas is expected to have the 009. This will not be without bringing back memories for some of us…
« Both drivers demonstrated patience, speed and dedication to the team throughout the testing phase of the Aston Martin Valkyrie program and earned the right to take one of the seats in 2025, explains Ian James, team principal of Aston Martin THOR. We are all very excited about the next season, especially considering all the work accomplished so far ».
➡️ Cars, teams, drivers… Our list of entries for the WEC 2025
« There's still a long way to go, and I think I speak for all of us when I say we can't wait to race this incredible car. It’s a special honor to lead a team with this iconic brand and to be able to bring Aston Martin’s wings back to where they belong, at the pinnacle of endurance racing. ».
© Aston Martin Racing
And Adam Carter, director of the Endurance Motorsport department at Aston Martin continued: “ Both Harry and Alex deserve their place on the 2025 team and we can't wait to see how they progress next season. It is also a pleasure to see the return of the famous racing numbers #007 and #009, synonymous with success at Le Mans for the brand. »
And for good reason, the 009 notably triumphed in GT1 in 2007 (David Brabham / Darren Turner / Rickard Rydell) and 2008 (David Brabham / Antonio Garcia / Darren Turner) with the legendary Aston Martin DBR9. On the 007 side, note in particular a fourth place in 2009 behind two Peugeot 908s and an Audi R15 TDI for the Lola-Aston Martin (Jan Charouz / Tomas Enge / Stefan Mücke). A convincing result, but this time it will not be enough to satisfy the appetite of the legendary Gaydon brand…
