The 24 Hours of Le Mans holds a certain mystique and aura that no other race can come close to. The history, the heritage, the challenge, the build up, the level of competition, the fans: everything builds to create a true spectacle, and it was always going to be the highlight of my season. When the World Endurance Championship entry was confirmed, this was the one I was immediately excited by – returning to Le Mans. Whatever my expectations, this year surpassed them all.

The preceding week was fantastic, with so many fans and the activations going around the race and the paddock. Being part of everything with Heart of Racing and Aston Martin was a real privilege, and being back in this paddock is something I am hugely grateful for. It really is a special place.

On track, we looked in a good place from the outset. This circuit brings a whole new challenge for cars and drivers, and practice is critical for set-up and driver preparation. That said, nothing can really prepare you for what the race is like, especially as the sun sets. Our initial realistic target was a spot in the Hyperpole session, and Gray’s performances suggested a strong chance. The set-up was strong, the car felt in a good window, and our lap times looked competitive at the sharp end. The lap he pieced together was one of his best, putting us well inside the requirements for the pole position shootout – his best performance of the season, and a credit to the team’s set-up work, all fantastic progress as we keep pushing. Hyperpole delivered another great effort from both sides of the garage: a solid top-10 put us in a great place to start from, and a huge effort by the sister car to claim pole position – a massive achievement.

With every race, you make your own plan and try to keep out of trouble – whether that happens is often out of your control, but that’s always the aim. This year, given the size of the grid and the competitiveness across all classes, we largely managed it. We were in the thick of the fight from the start and held our own from the opening lap. Strategy kept us in the mix, but the pace across both sides of our garage put us near the front on merit. Each stint ran cleanly, each stop went without issue, and we chipped away, making steady progress up the order.

Caution periods, and the unique way Le Mans runs its slow zones and Safety Cars, add another roll of the dice to the strategy. As night fell, incidents caused brief interruptions, but we stuck to our plan. Just before daybreak, shortly after the midpoint of the race, we moved briefly into the lead. From there, as pit-stop cycles played out, we ran with the leaders alongside the #27 crew, rising and falling each hour as the group ran slightly different strategies.

Our pack kept this fight going until we lost our teammates in the final hours, after they had looked set for a strong result themselves. So, it was down to us. Gray and Dudu delivered in every stint, day and night – consistent, fast and decisive. The whole team ran faultlessly, and we were still in contention as I completed my last stint and handed over to Dudu to bring it home. Fuel strategy was always going to play a part, and we were chasing down the lead pair, with the final podium spot far from guaranteed. However, a clean final stint, as had been the case for the preceding 23 hours, kept everything in line, and we crossed the line after an exhausting 24 hours to secure P3.

Le Mans is special. As a fan, a driver, for a team, a manufacturer. It holds a special place, and I am hugely proud to have been a part of it again this year. To stand on that podium, to see all the fans, to fly the flag for Aston Martin, and to have achieved the result we did alongside Dudu and Gray, with the Heart of Racing crew, was something I will never forget.

Next up, we head to Sao Paulo, Brazil, which will be a whole new set of challenges, but after this weekend, with this crew, I think we could take on anything.

FIA World Endurance Championship

Team: The Heart of Racing

Car number: #23

Circuit: Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France

Race: P3

Drivers’ championship: P8

Teams’ championship: P6