Eppestone’s Tom Gamble ready for FIA World Endurance Championship debut in Qatar

By Paul Horton

Tom Gamble has spent the last week in Qatar waiting for his debut and attack on this season’s FIA World Endurance Championship.

The 23-year-old from Epperstone arrived at Lusail International Circuit for the WEC’s Official Prologue, the official pre-season testing, and now eagerly awaits the season to start fully tomorrow (Friday).

Sharing an all-British endurance racing entry with Harry Tincknell, Ross Gunn in the #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercar and run by the manufacturer’s works backed The Heart of Racing team, they have made their mark in testing with plenty of media coverage of the new car and driver line-up.

The car with its trio of drivers has made an outstanding debut, with its unmistakable growl courtesy of its naturally aspirated V12 engine, turning heads all week.

In terms of speed, the #007 logged the 15th fastest time (1:41.089), 2.1 seconds off the fastest spot.

“Two days of solid testing here in Qatar with the Valkyrie in the books,” said Gamble.

“Big steps forward, and now it’s time to gear up for FP1. Let’s keep learning and pushing forward.”

Aston Martin THOR Racing’s long-term goal is to see the Valkyrie fighting for victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June and in the FIA WEC.

For now, however, the learning process continues. The British team will face its first true competitive test at the 1,812 km Qatar race, the 2025 FIA WEC season opener.

In the days leading up to the event, the team have been tweaking its settings in the practice and qualifying sessions.

A huge challenge lies ahead, but Aston Martin’s ambitions are a worthy match for the legend of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.