LONDON: The only competitor that is derived from a road-legal hypercar, the Aston Martin Valkyrie is the first racing car built to the FIA’s "Hypercar" regulations that will contest both the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the US-based IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship (IMSA).
It will make its world competition debut when the works Aston Martin THOR Team enters two Valkyries in the opening round of the 2025 WEC, at the Qatar 1812Km on Feb 28.
The race-optimised carbon fibre chassis Valkyrie is powered by a modified, lean-burn version of the Cosworth-built 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine, which in standard road-going form revs to 11,000rpm and develops over 1,000bhp.
The power unit is enhanced and adapted to meet the performance window of the Hypercar class and developed to withstand the rigours of top-level long-distance competition.
On reliability and durability, the hypercar regulations, including a power limit of 500kW (680bhp), offer advantages for a V12 that had robustness built in from its inception to match its high duty-cycle as a road car.
To meet the challenges of racing, including rapid driver and tyre changes and live refuelling at pitstops, plus the possibility of car-to-car contact, developments include quick-change front and rear bodywork, a single-point rapid refuelling coupling, a high-speed pneumatic jack system incorporated into the chassis and a driver cockpit optimised for safety, quick access and visibility.
The racing suspension configuration features double wishbones front and rear, with pushrod actuated torsion bar springs with adjustable side and central dampers.
The Valkyrie runs on 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport tyres that are mandatory under the Hypercar regulations.
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.
“As the only hypercar born from the road to challenge at the top of sports car racing in both the WEC and IMSA, the Valkyrie is an embodiment of our enduring sporting ethos, one that has defined the brand for more than century,” said Aston Martin Lagonda CEO Adrian Hallmark.
