Aston Martin WEC/IMSA Valkyrie unveiled 

Aston Martin has revealed its first Valkyrie Hypercar images and driver line-up that will contest the opening round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship, paving the way for the UK manufacturer to return to the Le Mans 24.

This season will see the RA 6.5-litre V12 engined LMH spec hypercar contest the WEC as well as some IMSA Sportscar Championship rounds (events to be determined) in North America.

The Valkyrie will be the only competing hypercar that is derived from a road-legal machine when it makes its debut at the Qatar 1812Km on February 28 with its #007 and #009, with its testing program having racked up more than 15,000 km in the lead up user the leadership of the Aston Martin Heart of racing Team (THOR).

The all-British pairing in the aptly named #007 will feature Harry Tincknell and Tom Gamble for the opener, with Ross Gunn to step in for the Le Mans 24, whilst its second #009 machine (a manufacturer has to have two machines to qualify for a spot in WEC from 2025) will feature Marco Sorensen and Alex Riberas.

The blue/black IMSA livery of the Aston Martin Valkyrie

“This is a proud moment for Aston Martin,” Adrian Hallmark, Chief Executive Officer of Aston Martin Lagonda said.

“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 a century.”

The Valkyrie was initially meant to be one of the original entrants into the new LMH hypercar era, but problems arose when the FIA and ACO introduced the LMDh spec machine to allow for more manufacturers to throw their hat into a ring – a ruleset that has since proved the saviour of top-tier sportscar racing for the new WEC/IMSA era.

It also came at a time when the racing arm of the company was experiencing some financial turmoil when it was focused on growing its Formula 1 program.

The AM Heart of Racing team will contest the entire WEC season at the top-tier for the first time since 2011

“By adhering to the Hypercar rules, the race car shares many strands of DNA with the road car, with the same V12 power unit at its heart,” Adam Carter, Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance Motorsport described.

The carbon fibre chassis is powered by a modified and lean-burning version of the Cosworth-built 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine (of which the standard road-going version revs to 11,000rpm and develops over 1000bhp).

“Running lean to reduce the amount of fuel you are carrying to deliver the required stint energy is important,” Carter said of the efficiency. 

“We operate the engine slower than it’s capable of because we require less power. The lower power limit within the regulations creates an opportunity for us to revisit the torque curve and reduce frictional losses by reducing engine speed to increase fuel efficiency.”

The Valkyrie will be the first LMH hypercar to be based off a road-going counterpart (on the right)

The racing suspension configuration features double wishbones front and rear, with pushrod actuated torsion bar springs with adjustable side and central dampers, whilst it operates with a Xtrac seven-speed sequential transmission and runs on 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport tyres that are mandatory under the Hypercar regulations.

The machine also has the input of F1 genius Adrian Newey, who will also be a massive part of the F1 program in 2025, whilst Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman has served a longer role in the project.

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