Aston Martin To Compete In Le Mans 2025 With Valkyrie Hypercars
Aston Martin, in collaboration with the Heart of Racing team, has announced its ambitious plan to conquer the 24 Hours of Le Mans by entering two Valkyrie AMR-LMH hypercars in the race's top class in 2025. This marks a significant return for the British ultra-luxury sportscar brand, aiming for an outright win at the iconic event for the first time since 1959.
The commitment extends to participating in all rounds of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), pending acceptance of their entry. This decision aligns with a recent regulatory update by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), mandating that manufacturers in the Hypercar class enter a minimum of two cars from 2025. The regulation change was announced at a press conference ahead of this year's Le Mans race.
Adam Carter, Head of Endurance Motorsport at Aston Martin, expressed pride in the brand's enduring legacy at Le Mans, which spans over 95 years. The entry of the Valkyrie AMR-LMH hypercars symbolizes Aston Martin's commitment to leading in international sportscar racing and showcases the advanced development stage of the Valkyrie AMR-LMH program. The program is on track, with the car set to make its track debut later this summer, followed by an intensive testing and homologation phase in the autumn.
The Valkyrie AMR-LMH features a race-optimised carbon-fibre chassis and a modified version of the Cosworth-built 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine, originally designed for the road car. This engine, capable of revving to 11,000rpm and delivering over 1000bhp, is being further enhanced to meet the Hypercar class's Balance of Performance requirements. Unlike the road-specification Valkyrie, the race car will not feature the battery-electric hybrid system.
Development efforts for the Valkyrie AMR-LMH have progressed significantly, with recent testing at Aston Martin's Silverstone facility and the Portimao circuit in Portugal. Additionally, Heart of Racing has established a UK team headquarters near Silverstone to support the WEC programme, highlighting the collaborative effort with Aston Martin Performance Technologies.
Moreover, an IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Programme for the Valkyrie AMR-LMH is in the works, with plans to compete in the series' GTP class from Heart of Racing's Phoenix headquarters in North America.
Heart of Racing Team Principal Ian James acknowledged the challenges and excitement surrounding the accelerated timeline for entering multiple cars in the WEC Hypercar class. This move underscores the brand's commitment to endurance racing at every level, aiming to provide thrilling competition and enhanced fan engagement.
From 2025, Aston Martin will uniquely position itself as the only manufacturer competing across the entire spectrum of endurance racing, from Hypercar to GT4, as well as the FIA Formula 1® World Championship. This broad engagement underscores Aston Martin's rich legacy at Le Mans, with over 240 drivers representing the brand in 27 different chassis and engine combinations over the past 95 years, demonstrating a deep-seated tradition of competition and success.
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