Aston Martin Valkyrie’s Transatlantic WEC & IMSA Charge
Aston Martin Valkyrie, the British hypercar rewriting endurance‑racing history, simultaneously tackles Spa‑Francorchamps and Laguna Seca this weekend, marking the first time three Valkyries from the Aston Martin THOR Team contest both the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on opposite sides of the Atlantic. As the sole road‑derived Le Mans Hypercar in IMSA’s premier GTP class and the only LMH competing in both series, Valkyrie underlines Aston Martin’s commitment to pushing technological and sporting boundaries.
The team fields two Valkyries in the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa on 10 May: the #007 for Tom Gamble and Harry Tincknell and the #009 for Alex Riberas and Marco Sørensen. One day later Roman De Angelis and Ross Gunn steer the #23 blue Valkyrie around Laguna Seca in IMSA’s fourth round, aiming to extend the car’s impressive points‑scoring streak that began with ninth at Sebring and improved to eighth at Long Beach—Aston Martin’s first top‑class IMSA points since 2014 and the only results achieved by an LMH machine derived from a street‑legal car.
Laguna Seca’s 2.2‑mile layout, dominated by the legendary Corkscrew, demands 160 minutes of relentless pace and precision on its blind apexes and dusty surface. Across the ocean, Spa‑Francorchamps offers an equally stern examination, yet the team approaches Belgium buoyed by a flawless double finish at Imola. Spa provides a crucial final dress rehearsal before Aston Martin returns to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, scene of its famous 1959 overall victory with Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori in the DBR1.
Engineers developed the competition Valkyrie from the production variant, merging a race‑optimised carbon‑fibre chassis with a re‑engineered 6.5‑litre V12 that spins to 11,000 rpm. Although capable of more than 1,000 bhp, the powertrain respects the Hypercar class’s 500 kW (680 bhp) cap, showcasing efficiency as much as raw power.
“I can’t wait to race the Valkyrie at one of my favourite racing circuits – Spa! We had a positive race at Imola with both cars making the finish, and we’ll be looking to build on that and move closer to the front. It’s the last one before the biggest race of the season, Le Mans, so we’ll be hoping to put ourselves in the best possible shape for that,” said Tom Gamble.
Harry Tincknell added: “Spa is one of the world's most iconic tracks, so driving there is always a privilege, especially with the Valkyrie in the WEC. I hope we can start on the front foot more than at Imola. Certainly, I think the car will suit the track slightly more than Imola. It won’t be easy, but even Imola was a big step forward for us. It was the first time the #007 had finished and, in qualifying, the car felt excellent. But, of course, at this moment we need to stay grounded and remember we are still learning so much as a team.”
Alex Riberas commented: “I’m very excited to be back at Spa, which is one of the most fun tracks on the calendar for us. Undoubtedly, it’s a track that will be unique to drive with such a special car like the Valkyrie. One can only dream of going through Eau Rouge and Blanchimont at such speeds. I cannot wait
to go there, use everything we learned in Italy, and build upon the foundations we created with the team. I’m looking forward to moving towards where we want to be as we prepare for Le Mans, which is the year's highlight.”
Marco Sørensen echoed the excitement: “Spa‑Francorchamps is one of the most legendary circuits in the world, and to race here in front of so many fans is something truly special. You feel the history, the atmosphere and the energy all around you. Driving Valkyrie around this place is an incredible experience – it’s a proper challenge, and one we’re ready for.”
Ross Gunn anticipates Laguna Seca’s challenge: “I cannot wait to get in the Valkyrie this weekend at Laguna Seca. It’s always been one of my favourites, along with the famous Corkscrew, an exhilarating part of the track. Having the honour of taking Valkyrie through that section will be something I will remember for a long time. I feel like we made solid progress in Long Beach, and the aim is to try to get closer to the pace, have a clean race, and not make any mistakes. The team has done a terrific job of executing in the races so far in the IMSA series, and it will be another exciting weekend.”
Roman De Angelis added, “I’m looking forward to racing at Laguna Seca. It is the first of the ‘normal’ events we race at during the season. Sebring was the first race for the programme, while Long Beach is such a diverse and difficult street track. Now we head to a historic and amazing circuit, which I look forward to on the IMSA calendar every year. I feel like the programme is making massive progress every time, and I look forward to continuing that momentum into Laguna Seca.”
Team Principal Ian James highlighted the dual‑circuit challenge: “The momentum continues to build within the programme, and each lap completed is another step towards our goals. Spa will test the car in new ways, which is important to understand how Valkyrie operates in traffic and race conditions on a track with some very high-speed sections. In Laguna Seca, we can cement what we have delivered in IMSA and produce another solid points scoring performance. The targets, as ever, are to focus on execution, minimise mistakes and produce the optimum results within the package we currently have. For the team, it is a chance to rise to the challenge of operating Valkyrie on both sides of the Atlantic during the same weekend.”
Adam Carter, Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance Motorsport, concluded: “This weekend marks another big test for Valkyrie as it faces both the challenge of Spa‑Francorchamps and Laguna Seca. Diverse as these two circuits are, they will offer new data points for us to learn more about the car’s performance potential in different circumstances, which is all useful information ahead of Le Mans. Spa is a circuit closer in character to that we will race on the middle weekend of June, and it will be interesting to see how much progress we have made since Imola. In IMSA, THOR has maximised its opportunities so far, and two top‑ten finishes from two starts are a satisfactory return at this programme stage. All the elements are in place for this to continue at Laguna Seca.”
With every transatlantic kilometre, Aston Martin demonstrates that Valkyrie’s blend of road‑born innovation and race‑honed engineering can thrive on the world’s most demanding circuits, forging momentum towards Le Mans and redefining what a hypercar can achieve in modern endurance racing.
