Aston Martin heads for Le Mans with Valkyrie racer

Aston Martin is about to embark on a new chapter in endurance racing with the reveal of its Valkyrie hypercar. 

The racer based on the road car will return the British performance car brand “to the pinnacle of endurance motor sport”. It will be vying for victory at the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans. The event takes place on 14/15 June this year. Aston Martin last competed there in 1959.

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

The hypercar will make its world debut when the works Aston Martin THOR Team enters two Valkyries in the opening round of the 2025 WEC. It is contesting the Qatar 1812km event on 28 February.  

Adrian Hallmark, CEO 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. 

“It 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. It is one that has defined the brand for more than a century.” 

Adam Carter, Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance Motorsport, said: “The Aston Martin Valkyrie is not just a hypercar; it is a revolution in automotive engineering history representing the pinnacle of performance, design and innovation. By fusing  F1 technology and road car mastery, Valkyrie is built for racing. Its participation in the highest level of world endurance racing will only further cement its technological achievement. 

“By adhering to the Hypercar rules, the race car shares many strands of DNA with the road car, with the same 6.5L V12 power unit at its heart.” 

Powering the Valkyrie is a lean-burn 500kW V12 with dry sump lubrication and a race-optimised exhaust system. Drive is sent to the rear wheels via an Xtrac seven-speed sequential transmission. AP Racing provides the carbon multiplate clutch. 

Other gear includes a mechanical limited slip differential, semi-automatic paddle shift gear change, and a pit-lane pull-away motor. There’s also Alcon six-piston front calipers acting on AP Racing carbon discs and pads, a carbon monocoque survival cell and a quick release CF steering wheel. 

Double wishbone suspension features front and rear with pushrod-actuated torsion bar springs at both ends. Forged 18-inch aluminium rims are shod with Michelin Pilot Sport rubber. There’s a CF race seat inside with a six-point safety harness. 

All up the race car weighs 1030kg before driver and fuel. That is the minimum permissible weight. 

Le Mans drivers include Marco Sørensen, Tom Gamble, Alex Riberas and Harry Tincknell. Ross Gunn and Roman de Angelis will compete in the IMSA GTP class, and will join the others for Le Mans.