Aston Martin prepares to break new ground with its Valkyrie hypercar
Aston Martin’s return to the premier class of endurance racing is getting closer, and we now have all the details on the cars and drivers that will contest both the World Endurance Championship and IMSA Sportscar Championship ahead of the marque’s Hypercar debut at the Qatar 1,812km on 28th February. It’s a bold strategy in many ways, not least the decision to run with four relatively unknown quantities behind the wheel, but does Aston Martin know something we don’t?
The Valkyrie breaks new ground for the Hypercar class, which races alongside LMDh machinery in both the WEC and IMSA’s GTP class, and enters its third season as the pinnacle of endurance racing in 2025. It’s the first time an entrant has based its machine on an existing production model, so the design team at Aston Martin has faced a very different set of challenges to its competitors.
Firstly with the engine, a naturally-aspirated 6.5-litre V12 also distinct in the Hypercar class for its lack of either a turbocharger or a hybrid system. It's been fundamentally reworked from its original state to meet sporting regulations.
That Cosworth engine, capable of developing in excess of 1,000PS (735kW) at up to 11,000rpm, has been stifled to a relatively meagre 680PS (500kW). This may actually serve the Valkyrie well, allowing the engine to run within its engineered limits, leaner on fuel and lower on revs, opening up new possibilities for the team to optimise the torque curve and overall efficiency.
Alongside relentless efforts to maximise reliability and durability, which will also be crucial to Aston Martin’s hopes at Le Mans, this development cycle has necessitated some 15,000km of testing mileage since its first runs back in July 2024. Each and every one of those miles will be crucial in determining how quickly the Valkyrie will get up to speed in Qatar.
Aston even chose to forgo the opening round of the IMSA Championship at Daytona in favour of additional testing. Certainly it makes sense for the team to make sure it’s as ready as it can be before turning a wheel in anger, and underlines where the focus is for 2025.
But Aston Martin has another ace up its sleeve, that being the penmanship of Adrian Newey. Newey designed the Valkyrie long before the introduction of the Hypercar regulations, so the car that will race in WEC and IMSA will be fundamentally different from his creation. That said, developing a Hypercar from the basis of a car designed by the world’s most renowned designer sounds like a pretty good place to start.
“It would be almost unimaginable for Adrian, one of the greatest car designers in history, to design a car and not think about it going racing at some point,” said Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance Motorsport, Adam Carter.
He told us that the goal in 2025 was simply to be “competitive” but he also recognised that the team will be two years behind in the development cycle, so early struggles are possible. “Of course, we only do it because we want to win,” he says. “However we respect the challenge of the events and the competition.”
“Fundamentally, it’s only worth winning if it’s against strong competition. We acknowledge that we’ll be joining them when they’re already established.” But he added that this is ultimately where Aston Martin belongs, racing sportscars against the likes of Porsche and Ferrari.
The central goal in all of this is success at Le Mans. Aston’s heritage in the 24-hour race is pivotal in this return to the premier class, and you have to imagine that scoring another win there for the first time since 1959 is the ultimate end game.
Back then, it was the DBR1s of Salvadori, Shelby, Trintignant and Frere that saw off the challenge of Ferrari’s fleet of 250 GTs. Aston Martin would need to once again topple the reign of Maranello if it wants to return to the top of the rostrum.
But endurance racing has transformed since the last time Aston won the Le Mans 24 Hours, Carter said: “Le Mans is a 24-Hour sprint race. It’s pit stops and driver changes, then you’re right back on it.” So, a potential victory in 2025 or beyond will look very different to those earlier triumphs.
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