The Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar has achieved a notable milestone by qualifying third overall for the prestigious 6 Hours of Fuji, marking a significant moment in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season.
On September 27, 2025, at Fuji Speedway, Aston Martin’s #009 Valkyrie, driven by Marco Sørensen and Alex Riberas, demonstrated remarkable performance, securing the best qualifying position of the season for the Aston Martin THOR Team.
This accomplishment signifies the highest starting position for the British ultra-luxury brand since its WEC debut during the Qatar 1812km in February 2025.
Throughout practice sessions, the two Valkyries exhibited impressive pace, with the #007 Valkyrie led by Harry Tincknell finishing free practice in first place, raising hopes for a strong qualifying performance.
However, in the ‘Hyperpole’ session, where the top ten qualifiers compete for position, Sørensen’s fast lap time of 1m28.705s placed the car third, a mere 0.030 seconds shy of the front row.
Sørensen expressed mixed feelings about the result, stating, “The first objective was to get into Hyperpole. Then when we did that I was like, ‘I really want pole’. So, when we ended up only third, I was a little bit disappointed!”
Despite this, he remained optimistic about the upcoming race strategy, emphasizing the team’s recent progress.
Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance, Adam Carter, also highlighted the significance of the occasion.
Carter remarked, “While we must remember this is only qualifying, and that we still have a six-hour race to complete tomorrow, this remains a stand-out moment for the programme.
Valkyrie has made steady but significant progress through its debut season, and qualifying third in Fuji demonstrates its growing potential in an ultra-competitive Hypercar Class.”
The Valkyrie’s sporting momentum has shown gradual improvement since its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where both Valkyries completed the challenging race without issue, securing Aston Martin’s first Manufacturer’s World Championship points in the Hypercar Class.
Recently, the Valkyrie also performed admirably at the Lone Star Le Mans in Austin, suggesting a strong development trajectory for the car.
The Valkyrie’s remarkable design blends a race-optimized carbon fiber chassis with a modified 6.5-litre V12 powerplant, yielding over 1000bhp while adhering to a 500kw (680bhp) power limit per regulations.
Tincknell commented on the qualifying performance, stating, “I don’t think we quite got the most out of today, but it’s a long race and the race pace looks very strong. The main thing is that it’s a great result for Aston Martin.”
In the LMGT3 class, the Aston Martin Vantage also marked a significant achievement by securing pole position for the 100th FIA WEC race.
The Racing Spirit of Léman team, with drivers Eduardo Barrichello and Anthony McIntosh, clinched the second top spot in class pole positions.
This pole reflects the Vantage’s impressive history, having achieved ten-class poles at Fuji and numerous victories since its introduction.
Barrichello praised the teamwork within the Aston Martin squad, indicating that they had to be strategic due to some challenges with straight-line speed.
The #27 Heart of Racing Vantage also qualified in a strong position, beginning the race from fourth on the grid.
The allure of the Aston Martin Vantage in various classes has been showcased through its victories in LMGTE Pro, LMGTE Am, and LMGT3 classes in WEC.
The engineering excellence of the Vantage GT3, built with a bonded aluminium chassis and powered by a dynamic twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine, has contributed to its celebrated legacy.
As the team prepares for the six-hour race, both the Valkyrie and Vantage demonstrate the potential for strong performances amid intense competition.
Fans can follow the race, scheduled to begin at 1100 local time on September 28, 2025, through live broadcasts on FIA WEC TV and national broadcasters.
This weekend marks a historic point for Aston Martin as they celebrate their enduring presence in the WEC since its inception, with the Valkyrie ambitious for a maiden podium finish.
Aston Martin continues to solidify its reputation as a key player in the hypercar world, and with the ongoing development of its racing programs, the team looks forward to capitalizing on their successes in Fuji.
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