Aston Martin has unveiled ambitious plans to take its V-12-powered Valkyrie hypercar into the realm of endurance Racing, competing in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship.
The British automaker intends to create a Valkyrie that complies with LMH (Le Mans Hypercar) regulations, rendering the car eligible for participation in the Hypercar class of the World Endurance Championship and the GTP (Grand Touring Prototype) class of the SportsCar Championship, both of which represent the pinnacle of their respective series.
Aston Martin's racing campaign is scheduled to commence in 2025, featuring one car in each of the two prestigious championships. The automaker will collaborate with its existing endurance racing partner, Heart of Racing, to support fundraising efforts for the Seattle Children's Cardiology Research Fund.
This announcement fulfills a commitment made by Aston Martin back in 2019, marking the Valkyrie's quest for overall victory at renowned events like the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Notably, Aston Martin previously clinched an outright win at Le Mans in 1959 with drivers Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby behind the wheel of an Aston Martin DBR1.
Significantly, much of the development work for the Valkyrie LMH has already been completed, as the Valkyrie AMR Pro track car launched in 2021 was originally conceived as the LMH race car. Presently, Aston Martin is focused on refining the car's aerodynamics and performance attributes to ensure it is competitive against rival LMH cars and LMDh (Le Mans Daytona h) cars, both eligible for the Hypercar and GTP classes.
While Ferrari, Glickenhaus, Peugeot, and Toyota also participate in LMH racing, Aston Martin's entry stands out as the only one that originated from a road car. The Valkyrie LMH, while sharing the 6.5-liter V-12 engine with the road-going model, will feature specific modifications to restrict power output and ensure engine durability throughout demanding 24-hour races.
Come 2025, Aston Martin is set to become the exclusive automaker competing at the pinnacle of Formula 1, the World Endurance Championship, and the SportsCar Championship. The company has further disclosed its intention to continue its GT racing program, with the development of new GT3 and GT4 race cars based on the upcoming redesigned Vantage sports car slated for release later this year.
