With Aston Martin having revealed their full six-driver roster for its IMSA Sportscar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship campaigns, OE’s Tim and Phil had some thoughts to share on each driver. Do you agree with us?
Phil Oakley
Harry Tincknell: The perfect pilot to lead the Valkyrie
Tim: There’s no doubting that Tincknell is the headline driver of the programme, and the perfect pilot to lead the Valkyrie programme into its tender first race events.
The British ace might be known for his speed, reliability, and intelligence behind the wheel, but it’s his experience in the development of numerous prototype and GT programmes that will be invaluable to the Valkyrie. Not to mention his time with Proton Competition’s Porsche 963 in Hypercar meaning he is the most experienced across the 6-man squad when it comes to the current top class.
Phil: Tincknell is obviously very experienced and has raced a multitude of GTs and prototypes over the years. He’s the ideal driver for Aston Martin, The Heart of Racing, and Multimatic to lean on to gain understanding about the car quickly, rapidly gaining knowledge about setup and balance. And on track, he’s a safe and reliable pair of hands, while also being quick. He was faster than Neel Jani in the Proton Porsche last year at Le Mans, although Julien Andlauer had the upper hand on both. Regardless, Tincknell’s an excellent choice for ‘lead driver’ of the 6-man squad.
Tom Gamble: A genius new signing?
Tim: The new signing, and the driver that could be the one to watch. Before spending two years in McLaren’s GT3 roster, the 23-year-old had been picking up IMSA experience with Heart of Racing, and returned to their GTD squad for Daytona this year to help score a class podium. A prototype champion, Gamble spent last year mixing it amongst the best of the best in GT World Challenge Europe, and definitely has that quality of “put him anywhere and he’ll be quick.” Keep your eye out for him.
Phil: A bit of a left-field pick, but could be genius. Gamble’s won championships in prototypes, namely the ELMS LMP3 championship with United Autosports in 2020, and has raced in LMP2 in the past with race wins to his name. Last year he was in British GT and GT World Challenge Europe, racing with McLaren in both championships, and while he had good results, there was no real stand out "wow" moment. So, it’ll be interesting to see how he handles this step up to the top class of a world championship, and how much he learns from Tincknell's experience.
Alex Riberas: The solid hand and part of the family
Tim: Riberas has been part of the Heart of Racing setup since before it was even called that, so it’s no surprise to see him bag a seat in the WEC squad. Team Principal/driver Ian James trusted him with the team’s transition into the World Championship, and whilst he might not be the out-and-out fastest behind the wheel, it’s his ability to get the job done that will make him important in this first season. Put simply, you don’t win at Long Beach and Lime Rock park without knowing how to get your elbows out.
Phil: A solid pick and he’ll probably do fine, but I can’t help thinking it’s not the most exciting choice. Aston’s got a load of drivers on its roster and there are countless other drivers from sportscars and beyond looking for drives in the booming top classes of IMSA and WEC, so I think this one comes down to the Spaniard’s links and history with The Heart of Racing. That said, he’s a good driver, with previous GT success under his belt, and I have no doubt he’ll slot in well.
Phil Oakley
Marco Sørensen: Aston Martin's trophy hunter
Tim: There’s no two ways around it, Sørensen is the most successful Aston Martin driver in the WEC, and it’s his dedication to the marque through GTE PRO and wider customer programmes that means his selection is thoroughly deserved – and that’s before we mention his on-track ability. Fellow class champions Kevin Estre and Alessandro Pier Guidi have made the transition to the top category, Sørensen should follow that example with ease.
Phil: I don’t think there’s a driver more associated with Aston Martin than Sørensen. He’s waited a long time to get his shot at the top class and for that reason alone, and the years of loyal service he’s given Aston, he deserves this chance. Plus, he’s quick in a GT car, having won GTE PRO twice and GTE AM once over the years. Will be interesting to see how that translates over to prototypes — his only prototype race was Le Mans in 2021 with High Class.
Ross Gunn: No prototype experience? No problem.
Tim: Born and bred an Aston Martin driver, Ross Gunn’s rise through the ranks marks him out as one of the finest sportscar drivers of his generation. His dependency to deliver a hot lap in qualifying or climb the order in a race-defining stint, means he’s the perfect pick to head the IMSA GTP effort, a championship where he has over four years experience.
No prototype experience? No problem. Gunn is exactly the kind of driver that will thrive in the current global top category.
Phil: Gunn seems to fly a bit under the radar, but he’s a good pick to drive the Valkyrie in IMSA. He’s a GT driver through and through, though, and I wonder how his Aston GT experience — which he has in spades — will translate to a Hypercar. As far as I can tell he’s never raced a prototype in WEC, IMSA, and ELMS. Modern professional racing drivers are nothing if not adaptable though, so I’m sure he’ll pick up traffic management quickly and be on pace from the first race weekend at Sebring.
Roman De Angelis: The champion with a new challenge
Tim: To many De Angelis was the curveball, but the Canadian is as close as you can get to home-grown Heart of Racing talent. GTD champion in 2022, and Runner-Up a year later, the 23-year-old has a mature head on his shoulders. He might take a little longer to adapt to the LMH than the factory aces in the squad, but that won’t be for lack of trying. I’d expect De Angelis to treat 2025 as his one shot at developing into a fine prototype driver.
Phil: De Angelis might be the name some, especially those in Europe, say “who?”. But he’s cut his teeth in IMSA racing for multiple years with The Heart of Racing and Aston Martin. With his familiarity with THOR, he was the obvious pick for the IMSA programme. However, the first — and so far — time he’s raced an LMP2, at Le Mans in 2024, he was almost a second off Olli Caldwell’s average lap time when taking the top 20% lap times for each driver. It’ll be interesting to see how does in the Valkyrie in GTP, and in the longer races in WEC alongside Riberas and Sørensen.
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