Here's the thing about endurance racing: when you have a machine as decorated as the Aston Martin Vantage, expectations never drop. Adam Carter, the Head of Endurance Motorsport for Aston Martin, is heading into the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship with high hopes for the British brand's 14th consecutive campaign in the series. The legendary GT challenger already boasts 53 category victories, 11 titles, 69 pole positions, and five Le Mans class triumphs across 13 seasons and five iterations, making it the company's most decorated racing car of all time.
Now, that rich lineage is getting an expanded two-car assault run by long-time partner The Heart of Racing. The US-based squad triumphed from pole position at COTA in 2024 and secured a trio of poles last year—including one at the 24 Hours of Le Mans—alongside a pair of podium finishes. Mattia Drudi, Zacharie Robichon, and Ian James even came less than two seconds shy of victory in the eight-hour Bahrain finale. Team Principal James will step back into the driver's seat for a third full campaign as the Bronze driver in the #27 entry.
Gray was impressive during the Rookie Test, where he set times that would likely have given him the chance to fight in Hyperpole for the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain,
Alongside the #27 machine, the outfit will field the championship's second Vantage in the #23 car, previously operated by Racing Spirit of Léman. That entry will feature American ace Gray Newell, who earned his promotion after an impressive outing during November's Rookie Test in Bahrain. The 28-year-old makes the step up following a strong maiden campaign at GT3 level, which included reaching the GT World Challenge America Pro-Am rostrum three times alongside Aston Martin works driver Darren Turner in 2025.
“I was very surprised but honoured to be asked to compete for The Heart of Racing in FIA WEC,” Newell admitted. “When I was given the chance to drive in the Rookie Test, I had a sense that this might be the long-term goal, but I wasn’t anticipating being moved up so fast.”
James was equally direct about the new driver's potential and the upcoming workload. “Gray was impressive during the Rookie Test, where he set times that would likely have given him the chance to fight in Hyperpole for the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain,” James noted. “That said, it’s a big step for a rookie to race in FIA WEC and there will be a lot for him to learn.” For his own part behind the wheel, James confirmed that the #27 crew has some unfinished business after finishing fourth in the LMGT3 championship last year, with another crack at the 24 Hours of Le Mans podium firmly in their crosshairs.
With Carter praising The Heart of Racing as an outstanding partner equipped with the right engineering expertise and intensity for the job, the pieces are in place for 2026. Aston Martin is fully backing the expanded operation, and the factory expects exciting results as this partnership scales up to the next level.
