The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH has embarked on its development journey, marking the beginning of Aston Martin’s ambitious plan to return to the top class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2025. The Valkyrie AMR-LMH, developed by Aston Martin Performance Technologies in collaboration with The Heart of Racing, aims to become the first Hypercar to compete in both the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA) simultaneously.
This week, the new Hypercar underwent shakedown and initial evaluation tests in the UK. The test drivers included Aston Martin High Performance development driver Darren Turner, The Heart of Racing’s Mario Farnbacher, and Harry Tincknell, who previously secured a class win at the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans with Aston Martin.
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The Valkyrie AMR-LMH stands out as the only Hypercar in competition rooted in a road-going counterpart, the Aston Martin Valkyrie. The race-optimized Valkyrie AMR-LMH features a modified Cosworth-built 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine, capable of over 1000bhp and designed to meet the demands of endurance racing.
Adam Carter, Head of Endurance Motorsport at Aston Martin, remarked, “The Valkyrie AMR-LMH sets its own standard as a thoroughbred endurance competition car. It is a pure, leading-edge racing machine, and while it is very early in the testing cycle, we are satisfied that it is achieving the targets and criteria we have set out for it to accomplish.”
The comprehensive testing program will see the Valkyrie AMR-LMH transition from UK circuits to European tracks throughout the summer, focusing on performance evaluation. The car is scheduled for FIA homologation in the autumn, ahead of its competitive debut in early 2025.
Ian James, Team Principal of The Heart of Racing, expressed pride in the project’s progress, stating, “The first runs for the Valkyrie AMR-LMH have been an immensely proud moment in the programme. The birth of this project has been a couple of years in the making, so to get it to the track and to see it going around in the flesh feels momentous for The Heart of Racing. We know we are going up against the best, so we intend to represent Aston Martin at the same level.”
The Heart of Racing has established a UK headquarters for its WEC program near Silverstone, where the Valkyrie AMR-LMH is being constructed. Additionally, the team plans to contest the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTP class, operating from their Phoenix headquarters in North America.
Aston Martin’s entry into the Hypercar class will make it the only manufacturer competing across all levels of sportscar and GT racing, from Hypercar to GT4, as well as the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, starting in 2025. Over the past 95 years, more than 240 drivers have raced Aston Martins at Le Mans, making the venue integral to the brand’s legacy.
The new Valkyrie AMR-LMH heralds Aston Martin’s return to endurance racing’s pinnacle, aiming for a historic victory at Le Mans, a feat the brand has not achieved since 1959.
Source: Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH Hypercar Makes Thrilling Track Debut
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