Two Aston Martin Valkyries will race at Le Mans in 2025

14th June 2024

Ethan Jupp

Aston Martin and Heart of Racing have confirmed that two Valkyrie AMR-LMH hypercars will be taking to the grid during the 2025 World Endurance Championship.

This is in accordance with the new mandate that each participating marque should enter two cars at minimum in the hypercar class to gain entry. The ACO announced the new rule for next year at a press conference at the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours.

“In 2025, with our works team the Heart of Racing, we intend to put two Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH hypercars on the grid, to compete alongside a fantastic array of the world’s best sportscar manufacturers,” said Adam Carter, Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance Motorsport.

“We are doing all we can to ensure that we can fight at the front of that space.”

Valkyrie AMR-LMH development is ongoing and on schedule according to Carter, with the car set to debut on track ahead of an intensive testing program later in the summer. Homologation is set for the autumn.

As has been confirmed, the car will use a significant development of the 6.5-litre Cosworth-developed V12 engine, which in standard form produces over 1,000PS (735kW) and revs to 11,000rpm. For the purposes of endurance racing and to comply with the Hypercar rule set, power will be significantly reduced. The car will also do without the road-going Valkyrie’s hybrid system.

The two cars will be joining pairs of cars from BMW, Peugeot, Alpine, Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Cadillac, and more in the World Endurance Championship in 2025. It’s set to be the largest, most varied top-flight sportscar grid since Group C was at the height of its powers in the 1980s.

The WEC Valkyries will run alongside a separate car that’s set to take part in the American IMSA sportscar championship, which will begin with the 2025 Daytona 24 Hours in January. Expect the car to be revealed in full ahead of homologation in the autumn.