Aston Martin Valkyrie primed for European debut as FIA World Endurance Championship returns to Imola
• Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar set for European race debut as FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) continues in Italy
• Valkyrie is the only hypercar to contest the world's two premier sportscar series, the WEC and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, in 2025
• The Aston Martin THOR Team continues preparations to take the Wings back to the 24 Hours of Le Mans to fight for its first overall victory since 1959
• All-British line-up, Harry Tincknell and Tom Gamble will race Valkyrie #007
• Three-time FIA WEC GT champion Marco Sørensen and Alex Riberas will drive Valkyrie #009
The latest thrilling chapter in Aston Martin's great sporting story continues this weekend, as the British ultra-luxury sportscar brand'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.
The first 'Le Mans Hypercar' (LMH) to be produced by Aston Martin, Valkyrie is the only car in the WEC's premier category derived from a road-legal hypercar. Its global debut, masterminded by the works Aston Martin THOR team in at the Qatar 1812km of Qatar in February, began an historic season for the British machine. Valkyrie is the only LMH to compete in both the FIA WEC and in North America's IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and scored a top-10 finish on its US debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring – renowned as North America's toughest endurance race – in March.
Developed by Aston Martin and THOR from the Valkyrie production model, the LMH version blends a race-optimised carbon fibre chassis with a modified 6.5-litre, V12 powerplant that revs to 11,000rpm and produces over 1000bhp in standard form, but adheres to a strict 500kw (680bhp) regulation power limit.
Valkyrie positions Aston Martin – present in the FIA WEC every year since the series' inception in 2012 and one of its most successful manufacturers with 11 championship titles – in contention to challenge for a first outright victory at the world's greatest race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since Carroll Shelby (USA) and Roy Salvadori (GBR) triumphed in the Aston Martin DBR1 in 1959.
As Imola's race lasts six hours – the traditional length for an FIA WEC event – rather than the 10 of the Qatar event, both the #007 and #009 Valkyries will feature two-driver line-ups rather than the trios that competed at the opener.
The #007 Valkyrie comprises an all-British line-up as Harry Tincknell, the 2016 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) overall champion and 2020 Le Mans LMGT3 winner, is joined by rising star Tom Gamble, the ELMS LMP3 title-winner in 2020. Tincknell's first sportscar victory came in the ELMS at Imola in 2014, while Gamble was a podium-finisher there in the same series in 2022.
Marco Sørensen (DEN), three times an FIA WEC title-winner in GT classes, is joined in the sister #009 Valkyrie by long-time THOR racer Alex Riberas (ESP); part of the team's FIA WEC LMGT3-winning line-up at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) last year and of the crew that finished fourth in the class at last year's Imola race.
Harry Tincknell, driver #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie: 'I'm looking forward to Imola. It's an iconic track and one at which I've had some good successes – including my first sportscar win. It's been a steep learning curve since Qatar, as we knew it would be with a brand-new programme, but we've had some good tests since, learned a lot and the car finishing where it did at Sebring on its IMSA debut was really encouraging. Testing has shown that we've improved our processes and I'm sure that if we can have a good, reliable race then we'll learn even more and put ourselves in an improved situation for the run-in to Le Mans.'
Tom Gamble, driver #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie:
'I can't wait for the second round of WEC at Imola, we had many positives from the opening round and I'm looking forward to continuing our progress with the Valkyrie. The team has put in a lot of hard work so fingers crossed we can get a strong result.'
Marco Sørensen, driver #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie:
'Imola is an iconic place for a race and has a lot of atmosphere, plus the characterstics of the circuit and the challenges they create means it will be a good test for the car. The target is to improve on what we achieved in Qatar and during this first year for Valkyrie, that will always be the case. We aim to continue in the right direction and I'm really looking forward to getting on track.'
Alex Riberas, driver #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie:
'Imola is one of the most special tracks in the world history-wise and in terms of what it means to motorsport fans. I'm looking forward to making another step with Valkyrie. Everybody's been working so hard since Qatar and I have all the confidencee that we can continue to make strides forward. We have to remember though that Imola is a very different type of circuit to Qatar so we will see how the Valkyrie fits the layout and how we deal with potential weather changes like we experienced last year. I cannot wait to get on track.'
Ian James, Team Principal, Aston Martin THOR Team:
'Valkyrie has now completed three race weekends and each session we have run has given us more valuable information about the car and how it behaves. Of course, as a team, we are learning all the time about the car and operationally, so the objective this weekend is to minimize mistakes, maximise potential and come away with both cars finishing the race. Imola is a very different track to the ones we have raced on so far, and it offers new challenges, which at this stage of the programme is most welcome as we begin to build towards Le Mans.'
Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport: 'Valkyrie has already made a huge impression on the world of sportscar racing. There has been global interest in seeing an iconic motorsport brand returning to the top level of endurance competition in the Hypercar class – not to mention the sound of the V12 power unit. The car's global debut in Qatar was a learning exercise, as we always knew it would be, but we gained a huge amount of knowledge that we then put into practice at Sebring to claim a top-10 finish in IMSA. Imola presents another set of challenges, but the lessons we learn there will fuel our progress as we prepare for our return to Le Mans in June.'
Partner team news – Vantage GT3 fighting for WEC supremacy
• Vantage continues fight for 12th FIA WEC crown at Imola
• The Heart of Racing aims to build on top-six finish in Qatar season-opener
• Aston Martin works driver Mattia Drudi prepares for home WEC event
• Racing Spirit of Leman ready for European FIA WEC debut
Aston Martin will also battle for victory in the LMGT3 category as the latest version of the Vantage GT3 will be fielded by 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) race winner The Heart of Racing (THOR) and by Racing Spirit of Leman, which made its series debut at Lusail in February.
Sharing the mechanical architecture of the ultra-luxury Vantage road car, the Vantage GT3, which triumphed at last year's 24 Hours of Spa – the world's most prestigious GT3-only event, is built around Aston Martin's proven bonded aluminium chassis and powered by its fearsome twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine.
Having finished sixth at the season-opening 10-hour race in Qatar, the US-based THOR team prepares to use that encouraging start as a strong platform from which to challlenge for victory in Italy.
Team Principal Ian James (GBR) is the only returning member of a driver line-up that finished fourth in LMGT3 in a rain-affected Imola race a year ago. The multiple US sportscar champion, who also won the LMGT3 class at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) last year – will be partnered by 2021 IMSA GTD title winner and 2023 European Le Mans Series (ELMS GTE champion Zacharie Robichon (CDN) and by Aston Martin works driver Mattia Drudi (ITA), the 2023 GT World Challenge Europe Sprint champion and a member of last year's 24 Hours of Spa-winning line-up.
For Drudi, who will be racing on home soil in a WEC event for the first time, Imola has special significance as it was the scene of his first car-racing win in 2014.
Joining THOR in running a Vantage GT3 is Racing Spirit of Leman, which recorded a points finish in Qatar after stepping up from the ELMS last year. The Aston Martin works driver Valentin Hasse Clot (FRA) anchors the Swiss team's line-up alongside Derek DeBoer (USA) and Brazilian Eduardo Barrichello. Hasse Clot and DeBoer have fond memories of Imola as the duo finished second in the LMGT3 class last year in the ELMS with Vantage.
Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport:
'Vantage is Aston Martin's most successful racing car across its various forms, and now the newest iteration is ready to contend for championship wins in its second year of competition. Imola is a demanding and narrow circuit, where the weather is often unpredictable – as we saw last year – adding to the challenge for LMGT3 teams. Having two partners that are as strong operationally as The Heart of Racing and Racing Spirit of Leman, allied to their experienced driver line-ups means we have all we need to fight for more success at Imola.'
How to watch
The 6 Hours of Imola will begin at 1300 local time (+2 Hours GMT) on Sunday, 20 April, 2025. Final practice, qualifying and the race will be broadcast live on FIA WEC TV online with a choice of English or French-language commentary and via selected broadcasters at a national level.
posted on conceptcarz.com
