In a groundbreaking move for the automotive and racing industry, Aston Martin announced plans to return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2025. This return positions the luxury car manufacturer to compete in all forms of global endurance racing as well as Formula One. Spearheading this effort is the Valkyrie, an innovative hypercar that will lead Aston Martin's campaign in the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
"Performance is the lifeblood of everything that we do at Aston Martin, and motorsport is the ultimate expression of this pursuit of excellence," said Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman of Aston Martin Lagonda.
The Valkyrie is poised to be the first hypercar derived from a road car to compete simultaneously in both of endurance racing's premier series. The prototype will vie for overall victory in some of motorsport's most prestigious events: the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and the 12 Hours of Sebring.
This marks a significant milestone for the company, returning to the top tier of endurance racing 66 years after its last outright victory at Le Mans with the DBR1, driven by Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby.
At its AMR Technology Campus, Aston Martin Performance Technologies (AMPT) has initiated the development of a competition prototype of the Valkyrie. Building on its previous work in creating the Valkyrie AMR Pro, AMPT aims to incorporate lessons learned from Formula One into the project. "The complex knowledge-base we are building through our F1 team is data that Aston Martin Performance Technologies can harness to further enhance the capabilities of the Valkyrie racecar at Le Mans, in WEC and IMSA," Stroll explained.
Notably, the Valkyrie will race with the backing of Heart of Racing, a team founded in 2014 by businessman and philanthropist Gabe Newell to support children's cardiology research. Since partnering with Aston Martin in 2020, Heart of Racing has seen success in the IMSA series, winning the championship in 2022.
"In addition to our presence in the FIA Formula One World Championship, Aston Martin's return to the pinnacle of endurance racing will allow us to build a deeper connection with our customers and community," added Stroll.
The racing version of the Valkyrie will feature a modified 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine designed to meet the Hypercar class's Balance of Performance standards, enhancing both power and efficiency. However, the Valkyrie racecar will not include the hybrid system seen in its roadgoing counterpart, instead emphasizing raw performance.
This announcement also includes plans for Aston Martin to develop new GT3 and GT4 cars based on the existing Vantage platform. These new GT challengers are expected to compete in the WEC, IMSA, and GT World Challenge Series among others, underlining Aston Martin's commitment to endurance racing.
Adam Carter, Aston Martin's Head of Endurance Motorsport, mentioned, "Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for Aston Martin in endurance racing... Valkyrie takes us back into the top tier of sportscar racing, and we aim to build on our rich heritage of success."
Reflecting on the legacy of Aston Martin's racing history, the company aims to blend its storied past with modern advancements to forge a competitive future. As the Valkyrie prepares for its mission in 2025 at Le Mans, the motorsport world eagerly anticipates what this next chapter will bring.
