Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercar Set for European Race Debut at the 6 Hours of Imola
The captivating new chapter in Aston Martin’s storied sporting heritage continues this weekend as the British ultra-luxury sports car marque’s Valkyrie hypercar makes its European race debut at the second round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the 6 Hours of Imola.
Aston Martin’s first Le Mans Hypercar (LMH), the Valkyrie, stands alone in the WEC’s premier category as the only entry derived from a road-legal hypercar. Overseen by the Aston Martin THOR works team, its global launch at February’s Qatar 1812km marked the beginning of a historic season for this British machine. Not only does Valkyrie compete in the FIA WEC, but it also competes in North America’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, where it secured a top-10 finish on its US debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March, renowned as North America’s most gruelling endurance event.
Co-developed by Aston Martin and THOR, the Valkyrie LMH builds on the production model’s carbon fibre chassis and boasts a modified 6.5-litre V12 power unit. While it can naturally produce over 1000 bhp at up to 11,000 rpm, it complies with the strict 500 kw (680 bhp) regulatory power limit. This cutting-edge platform underlines Aston Martin’s ongoing presence in the FIA WEC—where it has competed every year since the championship’s inception in 2012 and collected 11 championship titles—and positions the brand to pursue its first outright triumph at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since Carroll Shelby (USA) and Roy Salvadori (GBR) clinched victory in the DBR1 in 1959.
Because the Imola round runs for six hours—the traditional duration of a WEC event—instead of the 10-hour Qatar distance, both the #007 and #009 Valkyries feature two-driver rosters rather than the three-driver line-ups used in the season opener.
The all-British #007 Valkyrie crew unites 2016 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) champion and 2020 Le Mans LMGT3 victor Harry Tincknell with rising talent Tom Gamble, the 2020 ELMS LMP3 title-holder. Tincknell won his first sports car at Imola in 2014, while Gamble secured a podium finish in 2022.
Meanwhile, the #009 Valkyrie partners three-time FIA WEC GT champion Marco Sørensen (DEN) with long-serving THOR racer Alex Riberas (ESP), who contributed to the team’s FIA WEC LMGT3 class victory at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) last year and claimed fourth in class at Imola in the previous season.
Harry Tincknell, driver #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie: “I’m excited to return to Imola, an iconic circuit where I’ve enjoyed past successes, including my first sports car win. We expected a steep learning curve since Qatar, and it has indeed been challenging with a brand-new programme, but our tests have provided invaluable insights. Our top-10 finish at Sebring was promising, and we’ve refined our processes since then. A reliable run here should help us learn even more and improve our outlook before Le Mans.”
Tom Gamble, driver #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie: “I can’t wait for round two of the WEC at Imola. The opening round gave us plenty of positives, and I’m looking forward to building on that with the Valkyrie. The team has worked tirelessly, and I’m hopeful we can secure a strong result.”
Marco Sørensen, driver #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie: “Imola is a legendary venue with a wonderful atmosphere, and its unique features will test the car effectively. Our goal is to build on what we achieved in Qatar. In this first year for the Valkyrie, we want to keep progressing, and I can’t wait to get on track.”
Alex Riberas, driver #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie: “Imola holds a special place in motorsport, historically and for fans. I’m eager to help Valkyrie take another step forward. Everyone has worked extremely hard since Qatar, and I’m confident we can continue advancing. We must remember that Imola is quite different from Qatar, and the weather can be unpredictable, as we saw last year. I can’t wait to drive this iconic circuit.”
Ian James, Team Principal, Aston Martin THOR Team: “Valkyrie has completed three race weekends, and each session has taught us more about its behaviour. Our team is also learning operationally, so this weekend's goal is to limit errors, maximise our potential, and bring both cars home. Imola is a departure from the circuits we’ve raced so far, offering fresh challenges that will ultimately help our preparation for Le Mans.”
Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport: “Valkyrie has already profoundly impacted sports car racing, attracting global attention for returning an iconic motorsport brand to top-level endurance competition in the Hypercar class—especially with its V12 soundtrack. Our global debut in Qatar would always be a learning exercise, and we applied those lessons at Sebring to achieve a top-10 IMSA finish. Imola presents new challenges, but everything we learn will strengthen our programme as we gear up for our Le Mans return in June.”
