In 2025, the big news of the World Championship ofEndurance will of course be the arrival ofAston Martin in the premier class, in Hypercar. Six years after launching the project – first stopped at the beginning of 2020 then relaunched in 2023 – the Gaydon brand will finally be able to launch the incredible Valkyrie LMH and its melodious naturally aspirated V12 in competition. Two months before their first official meeting, at the 1812km of Qatar on February 28, Aston Martin and the Heart of Racing team are fine-tuning their preparation behind the scenes with their first two official pilots, Harry Tincknell and Alex Riberas.
“We are reaching a critical point in the development of the Aston Martin Valkyrie and, to date, the car has achieved all the targets and benchmarks we set for it, says Adam Carter, Head of Endurance Motorsport at Aston Martin. Testing is one thing, racing is another, and we do not underestimate the formidable field of world-class competitors in the FIA Hypercar category. WEC. Harry [Tincknell] and Alex [Riberas] both deserve their place in the 2025 team, and we look forward to seeing how they progress next season. We are also delighted to see the return of the famous racing numbers 007 and 009, which have already been synonymous with Le Mans success for the brand.”
“R"Getting Aston Martin's wings where they belong"
In order to arrive in Qatar as well prepared as possible, Aston Martin and Heart of Racing have decided not to participate in the 24 Hours of Daytona, in IMSA, in order to give themselves maximum time to optimize their mount. The British firm expects a huge challenge for its arrival in Hypercar against manufacturers already well established in the discipline, a new challenge that Aston Martin THOR takes with humility. “We are very excited about next season, especially considering all the work that has been done so far, "emphasizes Ian James, the director of the Heart of Racing team. There is still a long way to go, and I think I speak for everyone when I say we are looking forward to racing this incredible car. It is a special honour to lead a team with this iconic brand, and to bring the Aston Martin wings back where they belong, at the pinnacle of endurance racing.”
The Valkyrie LMH is nearing the end of its testing and development programme, having completed over 12 kilometres of test driving to date. The Aston Martin THOR team is now focused on improving the Valkyrie’s performance in preparation for its homologation for the next season, which will begin in Losail on 500 February.
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