2025 Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH - Images, Specifications and Information

Since the Valkyrie hypercar’s first test runs in July 2024, The Heart of Racing has embarked on an extensive evaluation programme, which has topped 15,000km. Testing began in the UK at Donington Park and Silverstone, then moved on to Vallelunga and Jerez, before continuing in Bahrain, Qatar, Road Atlanta, Sebring and Daytona to ensure a cross-section of tracks appropriate to the dual race programme.

“You can always be further up the road, but I'm happy with how the programme has progressed and with the reliability we have shown,” says Ian James. “The whole team, from design to AMPT, from the manufacturing element to the race team, I couldn't be happier in terms with how everything is integrated.”

Two Valkyries have been entered for the WEC season, emblazoned in a stunning green livery synonymous with many of the great British motorsport glories at Le Mans, run from The Heart of Racing’s British base in Brackley. On the driver line-up, James says: “Harry Tincknell was heavily involved in the development of the Valkyrie, so we wanted to incorporate him early on into the test programme, plus he has other GTP experience.” Tincknell is the last British driver to win his class at Le Mans with Aston Martin, in 2020, but is also the most experienced Hypercar driver in the group having raced for Proton Porsche through the 2024 WEC season. “He very quickly identified himself as a good team player, and his track record speaks for itself,” adds James.

Tom Gamble is a former winner of the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award who has both LMP2 and GT experience, including with The Heart of Racing, having driven for the team in IMSA’s endurance races at Daytona, Sebring and Road Atlanta in 2022. “I rate him very highly as a natural talent and he deserves a chance in the spotlight at the highest level of sports car racing,” says James.

Marco Sørensen is Aston Martin’s most successful active racing driver, as a three-time WEC GT class champion and a class winner at Le Mans in 2022. “He's among the most experienced and successful drivers to ever race for Aston Martin and he’s waited a long time for his chance at the top class,” says James. “Having worked with him, having seen his ability and how cool he is under pressure, I think he's a perfect fit for this programme.

“Alex Riberas has been proving himself in GTD Pro in IMSA the past couple of years, is an established race winner in IMSA and WEC, and excelled throughout the whole of WEC with us last year. He's definitely part of the fabric of The Heart of Racing and deserves his seat.”

A single Valkyrie will compete in IMSA, running in a special version of the distinctive THOR blue livery, starting from the Sebring 12 Hours on 12-15 March and will be run from the team’s US base in Phoenix, Arizona. Multiple IMSA GTD Pro class race winner Gunn (GBR) and 2022 IMSA GTD champion De Angelis (CDN) are both previous AMR Driver Academy winners.

“Ross has been with us for the past four years and has become, without doubt, one of the best GT drivers in the world,” says James. “He proved it last year in the GTD Pro title race, just narrowly missing out. He’s a team player, is naturally gifted and has a feel for a race car that not many drivers have. As for Roman, I first drove with him in 2018 and he's gone from strength to strength. He’s won the AMR Academy and the GTD championship, which is a unique achievement, and he's become an out-and-out performer. He's also a key ingredient in our sim programme in Phoenix.”

Expectations for the dual Valkyrie race programme match high ambition with the reality of competing against seasoned rivals. “Of course, we only do it because we want to win,” says Carter. “However, we respect the challenge of the events and the competition. They are at a high level, and that’s why we want to compete against them. Fundamentally, it is only worth winning if it’s against strong competition. We acknowledge that we will be joining them when they are already established.

“It's a great time to be joining the pinnacle of sports car racing. The ACO, IMSA and the FIA have collectively created championships of growing popularity through working collaboratively. We are fully supportive of this process. They have done a great job of establishing the format and promoting the series to make this a golden era of sports car racing. It’s an opportunity compete on the global stage in a fair and competitive environment.”

The WEC season is made up of eight rounds. Following the season opener in Qatar, the championship includes European races at Imola and Spa-Francorchamps, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, then Interlagos in Brazil, COTA in Austin, Texas, Fuji in Japan and the finale in Bahrain on November 8.

The IMSA schedule is made up of 11 rounds, including the Sebring 12 Hours and Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, plus other major US venues such as Long Beach, Laguna Seca, Watkins Glen and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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