Aston Martin targets 2025 Le Mans win in two Valkyrie hypercars
Aston Martin and works team Heart of Racing will attempt to claim victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2025 using two Valkyrie AMR-LMH hypercars.
The British brand hasn’t won the famous race outright since 1959 and will enter the two hypercars in all rounds of next year’s FIA World Endurance Championship. This follows a regulation change that was announced by the FIA in the lead up to this weekend’s showpiece event at Le Mans stating that each manufacturer participating must enter at least two cars in the hypercar class from 2025.
The Valkyrie AMR-LMH will be powered by a Cosworth built 6.5 litre V12 engine seen also on the road car version. Developing over 1000bhp, the power unit is also being worked on to prepare it for the rigours of endurance racing and will go without the battery electric hybrid system as was the case with the Valkyrie AMR track car.
The development ahead of 2025 is well underway and testing has taken place at Silverstone and the Portimao circuit in Portugal. Heart of Racing has also set up base at Silverstone, close to where the racing cars are being built.
From 2025, Aston Martin will be the only manufacturer competing at all levels of sportscar and GT racing, as well as F1. It continues a history that has seen over 240 drivers racing for the British marque at Le Mans across the past 95 years.
Words: Mike Booth
pictures: Aston Martin