Aston Martin will be debuting its first Le Mans Hypercar, the Valkyrie in the opening round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Qatar 1812km at Lusail International Circuit.
The only car in the WEC's premier category that is derived from a road-legal hypercar, the competition version of the Valkyrie blends a race-optimised carbon fibre chassis with a modified 6.5-litre Cosworth-developed V12 naturally aspirated engine. This special engine revs to 11,000rpm and produces over 1,000bhp in standard form, but it has to be restricted to 680bhp to meet the WEC hypercar regulations.
"The Valkyrie Hypercar is a moment in time in automotive history, and as part of that, it should race to underline and cement its place in history and its technological achievement," says Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport.
With the introduction of the Valkyrie, Aston Martin is poised to compete in the top class of world championship sportscar racing for the first time since 1989. This also opens up the opportunity for the brand to challenge for a first outright victory at the world's greatest endurance race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 1959.
Battling alongside the Valkyrie Hypercar in the FIA WEC LMGT3 category, are the latest versions of the Aston Martin Vantage GT3, which will be fielded by 2024 FIA WEC race winner The Heart of Racing (THOR) and series newcomer Racing Spirit of Leman.
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 powerful twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine.
The Qatar 1812km Qatar will begin at 1400 local time (+3 Hours GMT) on Friday, 28 February 2025. Final practice, qualifying and the race will be broadcast live on FIA WEC
TV online.
