Vantage, running at the top of the championship, takes the podium at the Watkins Glen 6 Hours

Car Blanche, making its IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut, achieves a superb podium finish with Vantage.

Works driver Valentin Hasse-Clot, AMR Driver Academy's Marius Fontanella, and Trenton Estep finish third in the GTD class at Watkins Glen.

Zachary Robichon secures a front-row start for The Heart of Racing (THOR), which fights back in a chaotic race to finish in the top 5.

Dudu Barrichello and THOR maintain their GTD class lead for drivers and team in the Watkins Glen 6 Hours.

Aston Martin takes the lead in the GTD Manufacturers' Championship as the IMSA season reaches its halfway point.

Watkins Glen, NY – 29 June 2026:

Aston Martin's most successful racing car, the Vantage, secured its fifth GTD class podium in five races in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on Sunday, finishing third in a dramatic six-hour race at the historic Watkins Glen International in New York State, USA.

Car Blanche, the debutant team run by YRB Racing, delivered a stunning performance with its driver line-up of Aston Martin works driver Valentin Hasse-Clot (France), Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy prospect Marius Fontanella (France) on his IMSA debut, and Trenton Estep (USA), who was racing the Vantage GT3 for the first time, to secure third place in the GTD class.

The Vantage GT3, which currently leads the GTD category at the IMSA halfway point, shares its mechanical architecture with Aston Martin's ultra-luxury high-performance road car, the Vantage, built around Aston Martin's proven bonded aluminum chassis and powered by a potent 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine. Car Blanche leveraged this superior technology to climb through the field from 18th on the grid, with Hasse-Clot taking third place with just 10 minutes remaining to secure the team's maiden podium in its series debut.

The success at Watkins Glen adds to Vantage's strong recent record at the circuit, which includes a double GTD Pro and GTD victory in 2022 and a GTD win in 2025. Car Blanche becomes the third AMR partner team to secure an IMSA podium in 2026. This season, The Heart of Racing (THOR) has already recorded three podiums in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and Laguna Seca, while Magnus Racing finished a close second in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in February.

Series champion Zachary Robichon (Canada) started from GTD pole position. The No. 27 Vantage, driven by Robichon and Dudu Barrichello (Brazil), took the lead in the second hour and held it past the halfway point of the race. Unfortunately, a series of full-course cautions hampered their progress, but Aston Martin works driver Tom Gamble (UK) fought back in the final third of the race to secure fifth place.

This means Barrichello retains his lead in the drivers' standings, THOR maintains its lead in the team points standings, and Aston Martin moves to the front of the Manufacturers' Championship at the halfway point of the season.

"Watkins Glen has always been a strong track for Vantage, and this weekend was no different," said Adam Carter, Head of Endurance Motorsport, Aston Martin.

"I am delighted that Aston Martin's podium record in GTD has now extended to five out of five races, and that this has been achieved by three different partner teams. YRB Racing has done a superb job to achieve a podium finish on their debut with Car Blanche. Congratulations on a strong start to their IMSA campaign. With The Heart of Racing team and Dudu Barrichello retaining their leads in drivers' and teams' standings respectively, and the result for YRB Racing, Aston Martin now leads the Manufacturers' Championship. We must now work to consolidate that position through the remainder of the season."

Vantage also competed on the other side of the Atlantic in the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa (2026 GT World Challenge Europe Round 3), the world's biggest GT3 race, held at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.

Two Vantages completed the chaotic and fiercely contested race. The No. 34 car from natural elements by Walkenhorst Motorsport was caught in a multi-car accident on lap one, suffering damage and a puncture that dropped it out of the top 60. However, 2024 AMR Driver Academy winner Jamie Day (UK), Aston Martin works drivers Henrique Chaves (Portugal) and Christian Krognes (Norway) fought back valiantly to finish seventh overall. They even led the race for a period during the final pit cycles. Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn, making its debut in the 24 Hours of Spa, finished sixth in the Bronze Cup with Giacomo Petrozzi (Italy), Lorcan Hanafin (UK), and 2022 AMR Driver Academy winner Romain Leroux (France).

Comtoyou Racing, which was briefly leading the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup points, maintained second place in the drivers' championship and third in the team standings despite not finishing. The No. 007 Vantage, driven by 2024 Spa 24 Hours winner Mattia Drudi (Italy), Marco Sørensen (Denmark), and Nicki Thiim (Denmark), climbed into the top 10 from 29th on the grid during the chaotic night, but was forced to retire when Thiim was running fifth at dawn.

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About Aston Martin Lagonda:

Makes the world's most passionate ultra-luxury British cars. Aston Martin Lagonda is a luxury car manufacturer that designs, builds and exports cars which are driven by its passion for performance, luxury and style. Founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, Aston Martin is synonymous with style, luxury, performance and exclusivity. The Aston Martin range comprises the Vantage, DB12, Vanquish and DBX707, alongside the company's first hypercar, the Valkyrie. Aston Martin is also developing alternative performance-enhancing powertrain technologies and plans to offer a range of electrified sports cars and SUVs. The company is headquartered in Gaydon, UK, and exports to more than 50 countries around the world. Aston Martin cars are manufactured in Gaydon and St Athan, Wales. Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

In 2020, Lawrence Stroll became Executive Chairman, investing in the future of the company and returning Aston Martin to the pinnacle of motorsport with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1® team, embarking on a new era for the iconic British brand.

Lagonda was founded in 1899 and acquired by the late Sir David Brown along with Aston Martin in 1947. Today, Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.