Valkyrie back to Le Mans for new overall victory

WECHyperCarIMSA

Feb 5

Written By Car Racing Reporter

📷 © courtesy of Aston Martin. WEC Aston Martin Valkyrie and the last 1959 Le Mans winning Aston Martin.

Alpine Endurance Team unveils the new livery and the lineups of its A424 Hypercars.

New livery

📷 © courtesy of Aston Martin. WEC Aston Martin Valkyrie and its road-legal version.

The new car, developed by Aston Martin Performance Technologies and THOR, is unique in the top Hypercar division of global endurance motorsport in that it is the only one among its contemporaries to derive its roots from an existing production-based extreme performance car – Aston Martin Valkyrie, the ultimate hypercar.

Valkyrie is the only hypercar to contest both the world’s greatest sportscar series, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2025. The Valkyrie is the first racing car built to the FIA’s ‘Hypercar’ regulations that is derived from a road-legal hypercar.

The race-optimised carbon fibre chassis Valkyrie is powered by a modified, lean-burn version of the sensational Cosworth-built 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine, which in standard road-going form revs to 11,000rpm and develops over 1000bhp.

Aston Martin THOR Team with 3 Hypercars

📷 © courtesy of Aston Martin. #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie entry in FIA WEC.

The Heart of Racing works team will run the dual race programme and develop the car in alliance with Aston Martin Performance Technologies. It will make its world competition debut when the works Aston Martin THOR Team enters two Valkyries in the opening round of the 2025 WEC, at the Qatar 1812Km on 28 February.

📷 © courtesy of Aston Martin. #23 Aston Martin Valkyrie entry in IMSA.

A single Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie will compete in IMSA, running in a special version of the distinctive THOR blue livery, starting from the Sebring 12 Hours on 12-15 March.

The two WEC Valkyrie hypercars will bid for overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with an all-British partnership for the race on 14-15 June

All-British driver line-up for Le Mans

📷 © courtesy of Aston Martin. Tincknell and Gamble with #007 Valkyrie in WEC

Harry Tincknell, Aston Martin’s most recent British 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner, will be joined by countryman and rising endurance star Tom Gamble in the #007 Valkyrie for the full WEC season, while the sister #009 car will be driven by triple FIA GT World Champion Marco Sørensen and WEC LMGT3 class race winner Alex Riberas.

📷 © courtesy of Aston Martin. Gunn and De Angelis with #23 Valkyrie in IMSA.

In IMSA, 2024 IMSA GTD Pro championship contender Ross Gunn and 2022 GTD class champion Roman De Angelis will drive the single Aston Martin THOR Team #23 entry in the GTP class. Both Gunn and De Angelis will also join the WEC contenders to complete the three-driver line-ups at Le Mans. Gunn will drive the #007 Valkyrie with Tincknell and Gamble to complete an all-British partnership for the race on 14-15 June.

The factory Valkyrie racing campaign is masterminded in both WEC and IMSA by The Heart of Racing [THOR], which has previously run Aston Martin’s Vantage GT3 in both series. “For anybody that’s been involved in sportscar racing, to be running a car at the premier level with Aston Martin, and a car which is widely accepted as one of the most beautiful in the world – the only one that is the genuine progeny of a road car – is a real honour,” says team principal Ian James. “To be entrusted with this programme is most definitely a career highlight.” Source: Aston Martin

Preparations for a dual race programme

Since the Valkyrie hypercar’s first test runs in July 2024, The Heart of Racing has embarked on an extensive evaluation programme, which has topped 15,000km. Testing began in the UK at Donington Park and Silverstone, then moved on to Vallelunga and Jerez, before continuing in Bahrain, Qatar, Road Atlanta, Sebring and Daytona to ensure a cross-section of tracks appropriate to the dual race programme.

“You can always be further up the road, but I'm happy with how the programme has progressed and with the reliability we have shown,” says Ian James. “The whole team, from design to AMPT, from the manufacturing element to the race team, I couldn't be happier in terms with how everything is integrated.”

Season starts February 28.

The 2025 WEC season again features eight races, starting in Qatar on 28 February and concluding on 8 November in Bahrain. The 93rd Le Mans 24 Hours takes place on 14-15 June.