Aston Martin has announced its plans to enter its V-12 powered Valkyrie hypercar into racing in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship. The British automaker will build a Valkyrie that meets LMH (Le Mans Hypercar) regulations, making it eligible for the Hypercar class of the World Endurance Championship and the GTP class of the SportsCar Championship.
The company aims to begin racing in 2025, with one car participating in each series. Aston Martin will partner with its current endurance racing partner, Heart of Racing, based in the United States. The team will also focus on raising funds for the Seattle Children’s Cardiology Research Fund, aligning the racing endeavor with a charitable cause.
This recent announcement fulfills Aston Martin’s promise made back in 2019, which stated that the Valkyrie would race for outright victory at prestigious events such as the 24 Hours of Daytona and 24 Hours of Le Mans. Aston Martin has a significant history at the world-famous Le Mans race, having previously secured an outright victory in 1959 with the Aston Martin DBR1 driven by Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby.
To compete in the LMH category, Aston Martin has already completed a significant portion of the development work for the Valkyrie LMH. The track version of the Valkyrie, known as the Valkyrie AMR Pro, was initially intended to be the LMH race car. The company is now focusing its efforts on refining the aerodynamics and performance window of the car to ensure it has parity with rival LMH cars and the fleet of LMDh (Le Mans Daytona h) cars that are also eligible for the Hypercar and GTP classes.
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Among the automakers competing in the LMH category are Ferrari, Glickenhaus, Peugeot, and Toyota. However, Aston Martin distinguishes itself as the only contender to originate from a road car. The Valkyrie LMH will feature a unique chassis that is longer and wider than the road car’s chassis. It will retain the Valkyrie’s 6.5-liter V-12 engine but will undergo modifications to limit its power output and ensure it can endure the length of a 24-hour race.
In addition to its entry into the World Endurance Championship and SportsCar Championship, Aston Martin will also remain active in Formula 1, making it the only automaker competing at the top level in all three racing disciplines. Aston Martin reaffirmed its commitment to its current GT racing program, stating its plans to develop new GT3 and GT4 race cars based on the redesigned Vantage sports car, set to debut later this year.
Overall, Aston Martin’s venture into the World Endurance Championship and SportsCar Championship with the Valkyrie LMH demonstrates the company’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of performance and technology in the world of motorsport. With its legacy at Le Mans and its presence in Formula 1, Aston Martin aims to establish itself as a formidable force in the racing world.
