Top 20 spot for Gunn at Le Mans

For Vale-based racer, Ross Gunn, the race granted him the opportunity to contest the Grand Prix d'Endurance for a fifth time, and for this year's running he was tasked with representing Aston Martin with the much-anticipated race debut for their Valkyrie Hypercar.

A member of the Aston Martin Racing roster of factory-supported drivers, Gunn has been central to the development of the British marque's new racer that is being entered in events during 2025 by The Heart of Racing team led by Ian James.

Gunn is racing the car in American IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar races on a full-time basis, but for Le Mans - a round of the FIA World Endurance Championship - he joined fellow drivers Harry Tincknell and Tom Gamble in the James Bond numbered 007 car.

As applause echoed around the famous track for the winners, there were also plenty of cheers from the thousands of travelling British fans for the performance of the Aston Martin Valkyrie cars, that successfully reached the finish of their first 24 Hours of Le Mans. Gunn's 007 was classified nineteenth, two positions behind the 009 sister car driven by Roman De Angelis, Alex Riberas and Marco Sorensen.

The V12-powered Aston Martins were fan favourites throughout the event, running in the colours of British Racing Green and providing a popular exhaust sound to those at trackside. The Aston Martin cars were not expected to win, and indeed a top ten finish would have been a remarkable performance on their Le Mans debut, but in a race with few retirements and one run at such a fast pace in hot conditions, for both cars to reach the end was regarded as something of a success.

Speaking afterwards, Gunn said, "This has been an amazing experience from start to finish. The Aston Martin Valkyrie is so popular, from the town centre scrutineering in Le Mans and test day through the practice sessions and into race weekend. It was great to see so many people supporting us."

Adding, "We know we will be back next year, and we will look to improve and hopefully be in a position to challenge for overall victory. Aston Martin last won this race in 1959, it's time we did it again!"

For the first time in sixty years a privately-entered Ferrari was triumphant in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 1965 a NART-entered Ferrari 250LM driven by Jochen Rindt and Masten Gregory won the Grand Prix d'Endurance, and last weekend it was the turn of an AF Corse Ferrari 499P driven by Robert Kubica, Phil Hanson and Yifei Ye to win the famous event.

At the end of the twice round the clock race the number 83 Ferrari 499P was at the head of the field - just fourteen seconds clear of the hard-charging number 6 Porsche Penske Racing 963 of Matt Campbell, Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor. The number 51 works-entered Ferrari 499P of James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi and Alessandro Pier Guidi was placed third to complete the podium.

The Heart of Racing team were also active in the LMGT3 division of the race, with their number 27 Aston Martin Vantage driven by Mattia Drudi, Zach Robichon and Heart of Racing team boss, Ian James. The car was qualified on class pole by Drudi, with the Italian leading the class during the opening hour. At the end of the race, the Aston was placed fourth in class - on the same lap as the podium finishing trio of cars headed by the Porsche 911 GT3R of Richard Leitz, Ryan Hardwick and Riccardo Pera.

Ian James said, "This has been a remarkable experience for the team, and we really appreciate the strong following from all the fans. The team entered three cars into this great race, and all three cars reached the finish. For the two Valkyries this was very much a learning experience and both cars ran well, the drivers were superb, and we know there is much more to come from this project."

*The north of the region will echo to the sounds of the FIA F1 World Championship and Silverstone's British Grand Prix in just over two week's time. So, it was somewhat fitting for British racer George Russell to score a well-deserved victory in Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. Fastest in qualifying, Russell raced to the chequered flag, his fourth F1 success, to finish ahead of reigning world champion, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Mercedes team-mate, Kimi Antonelli. Russell's victory comes as a boost ahead of Silverstone's big race, with the local venue ready for a record-breaking capacity sell-out crowd.