Valkyrie’s quest for Le Mans Glory: Aston Martin unveils hypercar for WEC and IMSA

Aston Martin begins a thrilling new chapter in its illustrious competition history with the reveal of its Valkyrie hypercar – a pure racer bred from the road that will return the British ultra-luxury performance car brand to the pinnacle of endurance motor sport and allow it to bid for overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The only competitor that is derived from a road-legal hypercar, the Valkyrie is the first racing car built to the FIA’s ‘Hypercar’ regulations that will contest both the FIA World Endurance Championship [WEC] and the US-based IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship [IMSA]. 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.

Adrian Hallmark, Chief Executive Officer of Aston Martin Lagonda said: “This is a proud moment for Aston Martin. To be returning to the fight for overall honours at the 24 Hours of Le Mans exists at the very core of our values and marks a key milestone in our motor racing heritage. As the only hypercar born from the road to challenge at the top of sports car racing in both the WEC and IMSA, the Valkyrie is an embodiment of our enduring sporting ethos, one that has defined the brand for more than century.

All-British driver line-up for Le Mans

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 (DEN) and WEC LMGT3 class race winner Alex Riberas (ESP).

In IMSA, 2024 IMSA GTD Pro championship contender Ross Gunn (GBR) and 2022 GTD class champion Roman De Angelis (CDN) 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.

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.

Two Valkyries have been entered for the WEC season, emblazoned in a stunning green livery synonymous with many of the great British motorsport glories at Le Mans, run from The Heart of Racing’s British base in Brackley.

A single 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 and will be run from the team’s US base in Phoenix, Arizona.

The WEC season is made up of eight rounds. Following the season opener in Qatar, the championship includes European races at Imola and Spa-Francorchamps, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, then Interlagos in Brazil, COTA in Austin, Texas, Fuji in Japan and the finale in Bahrain on November 8.

The IMSA schedule is made up of 11 rounds, including the Sebring 12 Hours and Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, plus other major US venues such as Long Beach, Laguna Seca, Watkins Glen and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.