The prototype of Gaydon's brand is inevitably the attraction of these three days of testing across the Atlantic, since this is its first official outing four months after its debugging at Silverstone.
If it is so long awaited, it is in particular for its non-hybrid atmospheric V12, an anomaly in the world of sports-proto in the era of LMDh and hybrid Hypercars. It is also the very first LMH entered in the North American Endurance Championship.
Also expected in the World Endurance Championship, the Valkyrie LMH is a modified version of the AMR Pro. The cars will be raced by The Heart of Racing Team.
Founded by American businessman Gabe Newell (whose fortune is approximately $9.5 billion), known as co-founder and president of Valve and Steam, two major gaming companies video, The Heart of Racing is a charitable organization that raises funds for Seattle Children's Cardiology Research, among other important causes. The US-based THOR team was established in 2020 and partnered with Aston Martin, competing primarily with the Vantage GT3 in IMSA's two GTD classes.
After bringing Aston Martin its first championship title in the IMSA GTD category, Canadian Roman De Angelis, a graduate of the AMR Academy in 2022, won the brand's first victory in this same class at the 24 Hours. of Daytona in January 2023 with team boss Ian James (Great Britain), Darren Turner (Great Britain) and double WEC GT champion Marco Sørensen (DAN).
Roman De Angelis is also one of the three drivers present at Daytona to carry out the tests. He is associated with two other team regulars: Alex Riberas, who already tested the car in Bahrain during Michelin's tests for the 2026 tire range, and Ross Gunn, with whom De Angelis finished runner-up. in the IMSA GTD Pro category this season, behind Laurin Heinrich (AO Racing).
« Ct's a very proud moment for everyone at Heart of Racing and Aston Martin to see the car here for the first time on an official IMSA session, said Ian James, Heart of Racing team principal and also a gentleman driver. Just seeing her pass at the top of the banking at Daytona made me smile. It took a lot of work, I won't deny that, but it's a dream come true. Thanks to Gabe Newell's vision, we are here today. We couldn't be more excited to move into 2025, not only continuing to be part of IMSA, but also in the top category. »
Despite its presence at Daytona, the date of the Valkyrie's competitive debut is not known. It could be present in the race at the 24 Hours of Daytona on January 25 and 26 or at the 1812 km of Qatar on February 28 for the opening of the WEC season.
« We have carried out reliability and development tests, added James about Friday. We are now also trying to integrate all specific IMSA requirements regarding systems. We will start looking for a little more speed over these two days and as the season progresses. »
The Aston Martin Valkyrie completed 96 laps during the day, including 65 during the afternoon session. The car's lap times generally improved by a tenth or two with each afternoon lap, finishing with a cumulative gain of 1.1 seconds compared to the morning session. Ross Gunn set the car's best time of 1:37.715. A time which places the Valkyrie just under two seconds (1.810) from the reference lap of the day established by Tom Blomqvist at the wheel of the Acura ARX-06 of the Meyer Shank Racing team (1:35.905). The important thing is not yet there.
« It's important to be here with everyone and get traffic for the first time, explains Ian James. The GTs will be racing with us on Saturday (today), this will allow us to learn more about what we need to work on. »
Although the Gunn-De Angelis-Riberas trio has not been officially confirmed for next season, it is highly likely that we will see these drivers starting in the IMSA GTP category in 2025. Harry Tincknell and Mario Farnbacher, who have already tested the car, should also drive the car in competition. Note also that this is not the same car that ran in Bahrain during the Michelin tests, but a new chassis.
VIDEO – The Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH on track at Daytona
