Aston Martin Valkyrie Targets Historic Le Mans Victory
This weekend, Aston Martin writes motorsport history as it returns to the premier class of the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. Valkyrie, the breathtaking hypercar, finally tackles the race it was born for, giving the iconic Wings their first shot at outright victory since 1959.
The landmark moment elevates both the event and the legacy of the British ultra-luxury performance brand. Two striking green, specially liveried Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyries roar out of the storied pit lane and onto the Circuit de la Sarthe for their competitive debut, determined to seize endurance-racing glory.
“Valkyrie’s debut in the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a key milestone both in the development of the car and the sporting history of the brand,” said Aston Martin CEO Adrian Hallmark. “Le Mans is the pinnacle of endurance motorsport and, perhaps, the most famous standalone race on Earth. It is only right that the Hypercar class of the field contains an Aston Martin, and one that galvanises the legions of fans who come to watch this wonderful race, as well as the millions more who follow it from around the world. The sports fans have waited a long time to hear the Valkyrie’s V12 engine echo through the trees along the famous Mulsanne Straight, and Aston Martin is proud to bring this evocative soundtrack back to its natural habitat. Along with our outstanding partner, The Heart of Racing, we will do our utmost to ensure Valkyrie delivers on its promise with a performance worthy of all the work that has gone into the programme thus far.”
The fresh livery, complete with a Union Flag sweeping along the fin, honours Britain’s rich Le Mans heritage and supports Aston Martin’s wider celebrations on its return to the top class. The marque also confirmed a limited run of a non-homologated Valkyrie LM and an immersive driver development programme, offering select customers the ultimate contemporary endurance motorsport experience.
Works outfit The Heart of Racing masterminds the two Valkyries—the first factory Aston Martin Le Mans Hypercars to contest the FIA World Endurance Championship’s headline category since the series began in 2012. Their arrival puts one of endurance racing’s oldest competitors back in contention for an overall Le Mans win, 66 years after Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori triumphed in the legendary DBR1. Developed from the road-legal Valkyrie, the LMH version is the sole car in the premier class derived from a street hypercar and the only machine racing in both WEC and IMSA WeatherTech competition.
A race-optimised carbon-fibre chassis houses a modified lean-burn iteration of the naturally aspirated 6.5-litre Cosworth V12. The engine, which revs to 11,000 rpm in road trim, now delivers a regulated 500 kW (680 bhp) to satisfy Hypercar rules while retaining the visceral soundtrack that defines Valkyrie’s character.
For Le Mans, THOR restores its three-driver crews from February’s Qatar 1812 km. IMSA ace Ross Gunn rejoins Harry Tincknell—a former ELMS champion and Le Mans class winner—and rising star Tom Gamble in the #007 entry. All three drivers in the #009 make their first top-class start: Aston Martin’s most successful works driver, Marco Sørensen; multiple WEC and IMSA race-winner, Alex Riberas; and Canadian talent, Roman De Angelis.
Valkyrie arrives with impressive reliability, notching nine finishes from its first ten races. In WEC, the team gathered pace through Imola and Spa, where Tincknell and Gamble chased points on the lead lap against the most competitive Hypercar field yet. Across the Atlantic, Valkyrie became the first LMH-spec car to score IMSA points on debut at Sebring and has claimed top-ten results in every North American outing.
“While we have always kept our expectations in check, given the unique nature of Valkyrie and the fact that we are a new team at Hypercar level… we are hitting our targets consistently,” said team principal Ian James. “For Valkyrie’s debut at Le Mans, finishing with both cars, and with a points finish, would represent a supreme success for a programme in its infancy.” He added that the 24-hour marathon and the Circuit de la Sarthe’s singular demands will test every system, yet each lap will yield crucial data for future gains.
Aston Martin’s endurance-racing narrative intertwines with Le Mans. The marque first raced here in 1928, claimed its initial class win in 1931, and dominated the 1.5-litre category pre-war. Post-war, the DB2 swept the podium in 1951, and Shelby and Salvadori delivered overall victory eight years later. In the modern era, Aston Martin has secured multiple GT triumphs, including back-to-back GT1 wins with the DBR9 in 2007 and 2008, as well as five WEC class victories with the Vantage, the latest of which came in 2022. Valkyrie becomes the 29th Aston Martin chassis-engine combination to tackle Le Mans, underscoring the brand’s DNA of relentless competition.
“Aston Martin was born through a desire to compete, and that essence remains within the company’s very DNA to this day,” noted Head of Endurance Motorsport Adam Carter. “It could be argued that Valkyrie is the ultimate expression of that competitive mindset… We have realistic but challenging expectations of the car in its debut 24-hour race at Le Mans… That said, we are here to race, and we look forward to putting our best foot forward for the fans as we strive for our first points finish of the season in WEC on the biggest stage of them all.”
Ross Gunn said, “It is an honour to be part of the Valkyrie programme heading towards its first Le Mans… We’ll be pushing hard for a result, but the key for us is to finish.” Harry Tincknell added, “I’m looking forward to the Le Mans debut of Valkyrie… The first time we exit Tertre Rouge and blast down the Mulsanne Straight with the V12 on full song is going to be a surreal moment.” Tom Gamble declared, “The team has been working incredibly hard all season… Just seeing the finish line will be an achievement for us in our first 24-hour race with the car!”
Alex Riberas reflected, “I never imagined heading into Le Mans with the privilege of representing the Aston Martin THOR Team and driving such a unique and incredible car like the Valkyrie.” Marco Sørensen observed, “Le Mans is a demanding and legendary track… We are going to go full-gas to try to prove where we are with the car.” Roman De Angelis concluded, “For anyone who grew up watching endurance racing with a passion, this is the pinnacle… I’m looking forward to getting back in the WEC paddock and to competing on the biggest stage.”
Aston Martin now stands poised to let the Valkyrie’s V12 thunder along the Mulsanne once more, uniting heritage and innovation as it chases a historic return to the top step at Le Mans.
