Alex Riberas led Aston Martin to its historic 10th class win at the Circuit of the Americas, marking a triumphant return for the British marque at the sixth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The #27 Heart of Racing team clinched the LMGT3 class victory at the Lone Star Le Mans, securing Aston Martin’s 123rd podium in WEC history with a flawless performance.

After a four-year absence, COTA welcomed back the WEC circus, treating fans to one of the hottest races of the season. It was a first for the LMGT3 class at the iconic Texan track, and the blistering heat tested both drivers and machines to their limits, with several cars succumbing to heat-related electrical gremlins.

From the get-go, drama unfolded. The #54 AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3 missed the start after a last-minute clutch replacement and soon became the first retirement. Meanwhile, Ian James, team principal and pole-sitter in the #27 Aston Martin AMR Vantage LMGT3, made a clean getaway to hold the lead, fending off early pressure from rivals.

Behind him, the action was relentless. Francois Heriau in the #55 AF Corse Ferrari grabbed second off Sarah Bovy’s #85 Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracan LMGT3 EVO2, but the tables quickly turned when Heriau ran wide at Turn 1, allowing Bovy to reclaim her spot. Heriau’s troubles continued as Tom Van Rompuy’s #81 TF Sport Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R muscled past him, and local hero Ben Keating charged from eighth to fourth in his #88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang LMGT3.

While James built a comfortable lead in his opening stint, a slightly sluggish pit stop cost him five seconds, closing the gap to Bovy in second. As the Bronze drivers aimed to complete their double stints, the battle up front remained tense. Maxime Martin in the #46 WRT BMW M4 LMGT3 chased down the Lamborghini, but when Ahmed Al Harthy took over the BMW, he was soon passed by Rahel Frey in the Iron Dames machine. This was just before Rui Andrade’s Corvette snuck through, sparking a fierce midfield tussle.

Approaching the halfway mark, Frey’s Iron Dames entry made contact with Andrade’s Corvette, damaging the suspension and forcing an unscheduled pit stop. The Corvette, meanwhile, soldiered on with loose front-left bodywork, prompting a full-course yellow to clear debris. Frey’s pace, once repaired, was a testament to the resilience of the Iron Dames, while the Andrade crew continued, taped up and battered but still in contention.

As the race wore on, the Manthey Porsches began to shine. The #91 and #92 cars climbed from the back of the grid to mix it up with the leaders, with MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi joining the fray in the #46 BMW. Rossi put on a show, hounding Gregoire Saucy in the #95 McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo as the two cars battled wheel-to-wheel through COTA’s technical sectors and long straights. Despite Rossi’s relentless pressure, Saucy held firm, though not without a few knocks along the way that earned Rossi a five-second penalty at his next stop.

The drama wasn’t just confined to the midfield. The #777 D’station Racing Aston Martin was sidelined by a starter motor issue and later became the second class retirement due to electronics failures. Meanwhile, the #81 Corvette, promising so much early on, eventually succumbed to its previous damage, exiting the race in the final hours.

With just 20 minutes to go, Riberas brought the #27 Aston Martin in for its final pit stop, holding a commanding 20-second lead over Klaus Bachler’s #92 Porsche. But heartbreak hit the #46 BMW as power steering issues forced it out of the race from eighth place, robbing Rossi and his team of a well-earned finish.

After 164 laps and six intense hours, Riberas, James, and Daniel Mancinelli sealed the victory for Aston Martin, with Manthey rounding out the podium. The #92 PureRxing Porsche crew of Alex Malykhin, Joel Sturm, and Klaus Bachler took second, followed by the #91 EMA Porsche driven by Yasser Shahin, Morris Schuring, and Richard Lietz.

Fourth went to United Autosports’ #59 McLaren of James Cottingham, Nico Costa, and Gregoire Saucy, with Team WRT’s #31 BMW of Darren Leung, Sean Gelael, and Augusto Farfus rounding out the top five. Proton’s #77 Ford and United’s #95 McLaren finished sixth and seventh, respectively, followed by TF Sport’s #82 Corvette, Akkodis ASP’s Lexus, and the #55 AF Corse Ferrari in tenth.

It was a scorching, thrilling race filled with battles, heartbreaks, and a historic win for Aston Martin—just the kind of spectacle that makes the WEC so compelling.