The Aston Martin THOR Team’s #009 Valkyrie, driven by triple FIA WEC title-winner Marco Sørensen (DEN), LM GT3 and IMSA GTD Pro winner Alex Riberas (ESP) and former IMSA GTD champion Roman De Angelis (CDN), completed 295 laps on its way to an eventual 17th position.
The debut event for Valkyrie was always going to provide a steep learning curve in a grueling 10-hour race. But while a points finish eluded Valkyrie on its maiden competitive outing, the British-built hypercar showed encouraging race-pace during several stints completed by the #009 car and sister #007 entry, providing strong clues to its future potential in the world’s most prestigious endurance competition.
“We knew this was going to be a ‘learning weekend’ for Valkyrie,” said Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance Adam Carter. “And we’ve encountered some of the ‘teething issues’ you would associate with a new racing programme. That said, we have been encouraged by the race pace both cars showed during their stints. We saw plenty of indications throughout our time during the Qatar Prologue and the opening race that give us cause to believe we can be competitive as the season matures. We’ve learned a huge amount over this past week, gathered considerable data, and this gives us plenty to build on as we look ahead to Valkyrie’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut at Sebring in two weeks’ time.”
The two Valkyries comfortably tracked the pace of the Hypercar class in the early stages of the event and settled into an accomplished rhythm. And while the #009 was forced to pit to replace a missing door in the second hour, and the #007, driven by British trio Tom Gamble, Ross Gunn and Harry Tincknell was eventually forced to withdraw from the race with a transmission issue, when on-track, both cars were able to deliver lap times comparable with competitors running at the front of the pack.
Aston Martin THOR Team Principal Ian James said: “We knew this first race was going to be tough. But the team has gelled so well, worked so hard, and we saw real evidence of what the car is capable of as we start to apply the lessons we learn on this exciting journey. It was amazing to see how we measured against the competition already with our race pace, and I think inside the team we really have the feeling that we can fight with our rival teams and manufacturers who are well established in the championship. We also know we have the most learning to do and the most to come from our package, which is right at the beginning of its development curve and understanding. There is much to be excited about.”
The first ‘Le Mans Hypercar’ (LMH) to be produced by Aston Martin, Valkyrie is the only car in the WEC’s premier category derived from a road-legal hypercar. Its global debut, masterminded by the works Aston Martin THOR team in Qatar, begins an historic season for the British challenger, which will be the only LMH to compete in both the FIA WEC and in North America’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
