Sports · Motorsport · 37 mins ago
Aston Martin’s Monza fuel gamble misses podium by three seconds
At the six-hour World Endurance Championship race at Monza, Aston Martin’s #007 Valkyrie tried a risky fuel strategy in the closing stages.
Tom Gamble moved the car from ninth to third by pushing hard, hoping a safety intervention would shorten the race and help save energy.
No such intervention came, and the gamble fell short by about three seconds as Gamble tried to reach the finish within the car’s energy allowance.
The team also received a 145-second penalty for exceeding that allowance, while a separate 20-second penalty for low tyre pressures would have cost it the podium anyway.
Those penalties dropped the Valkyrie to 12th place.
The race was won by Cadillac’s #38, while Toyota’s #8 crew secured the drivers’ championship despite finishing outside the points.
The Monza race ended the 2026 WEC season, and the sources give no next step for Aston Martin.
Aston Martin’s #007 Valkyrie missed a potential podium by about three seconds in the 2026 World Endurance Championship race at Monza.
Driver Tom Gamble climbed from ninth to third in the final stint after the team gambled on a late safety intervention.
No Full Course Yellow or Safety Car arrived, leaving Gamble to push on while using the car’s permitted energy.
Two penalties ultimately dropped the car to 12th: a 145-second penalty for exceeding its energy allowance and a separate 20-second penalty for low tyre pressures.
The six-hour race was won by the #38 Cadillac, while Toyota’s #8 crew secured the drivers’ championship.
- Who
- Aston Martin’s #007 Valkyrie, driven by Tom Gamble and Harry Tincknell.
- What
- The team’s late fuel-and-energy gamble nearly produced a podium, but the car finished 12th after two penalties.
- When
- 8 November 2026, during the six-hour race.
- Where
- Monza, Italy.
- Why
- The team hoped a late Full Course Yellow or Safety Car would reduce fuel use and race distance, but neither occurred.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The #007 Aston Martin started 14th among the 17 Hypercar entrants.
Gamble moved from ninth to third while the team pursued its high-risk strategy.
A late accident involving Alex Lynn’s Cadillac did not lead to a Full Course Yellow or Safety Car.
The #38 Cadillac won, while penalties later left the #007 Aston Martin in 12th.
- Aston Martin entry
- #007 Valkyrie
- Drivers
- Tom Gamble and Harry Tincknell
- Starting position
- 14th among 17 Hypercar entrants
- Energy penalty
- 145 seconds, including the loss of one lap
- Tyre-pressure penalty
- 20 seconds
- Race winner
- #38 Cadillac V-Series.R
5 sources
Ferrari explains tyre pressure mistake in Monza WEC
Hartley clinches fifth WEC crown as Bamber wins Monza finale
Cadillac wins at Monza as Toyota #8 claims fifth driver’s crown
Quiet WEC title clinches taste just as sweet for Toyota, TF Sport
What people are saying
Our decision meant we were not going to make it unless the race would have been one lap shorter.
It was kind of a, 'why not take a bit of a gamble?'