The spectacular new Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar reaches another historic milestone in its pioneering inaugural global racing season as all three Aston Martin THOR Team cars contesting the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship (IMSA) compete on different sides of the Atlantic Ocean for the first time over the same weekend.
The first ‘Le Mans Hypercar’ (LMH) produced by Aston Martin, Valkyrie is the only car in IMSA’s premier GTP category derived from a road-legal hypercar. The British contender is also the first LMH car of any kind to compete in IMSA, and the only one contesting both IMSA and the WEC simultaneously, having made its debut in the Qatar 1812km in February.
The Aston Martin THOR Team will enter its two regular WEC Valkyries, the #007 for Tom Gamble (GBR) and Harry Tincknell (GBR) and the #009 for Alex Riberas (ESP) and Marco Sørensen (DEN) in the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa in Belgium on 10 May. Meanwhile, Roman De Angelis (CDN) and Ross Gunn (GBR) will compete in the fourth round of IMSA, at Laguna Seca, CA, in the blue #23 Valkyrie on 11 May.
Photo: Drew Gibson
For Aston Martin THOR Team’s IMSA crew, Laguna Seca presents an opportunity to extend its outstanding points scoring run with Valkyrie, after producing an encouraging ninth place on its series debut at Sebring, then improving on that with eighth in last month’s 100-minute Long Beach sprint race. These are the first points finishes to be recorded by an Aston Martin in IMSA’s top GTP class since the series’ modern era began in 2014. They are also the only results earned by a car built to LMH regulations and one derived from a road-legal car.
To achieve another top-ten result at Laguna Seca, Valkyrie must complete 160 minutes of hard racing on the devilishly challenging 2.2-mile Monterey circuit, with its blind apexes, dusty aprons, and world-famous Corkscrew section.
Spa represents an equally fierce challenge for the crew of Aston Martin THOR Team’s WEC contingent, coming off the back of its first double-finish in round two – the 6 Hours of Imola – where both cars ran faultlessly to finish 17th and 18th. It also offers a final opportunity for the team to hone its race preparation ahead of Aston Martin’s return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where it last recorded overall victory in 1959 when Carroll Shelby (USA) and Roy Salvadori (GBR) triumphed in the Aston Martin DBR1.
Developed from the Valkyrie production car by Aston Martin and THOR, the competition version blends a race-optimized carbon fiber chassis with a modified 6.5-litre V12 powerplant that revs to 11,000 rpm and produces over 1000 bhp in standard form, but adheres to a strict 500 kW (680 bhp) power limit as per hypercar regulations.
Tom Gamble, driver #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie: “I can’t wait to race the Valkyrie at one of my favorite racing circuits – Spa! We had a really positive race at Imola with both cars making the finish and we’ll be looking to build on that and move closer to the front. It’s the last one before the biggest race of the season, Le Mans, so we’ll be hoping to put ourselves in the best possible shape for that.”
Harry Tincknell, driver #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie: “Spa is one of the most iconic tracks in the world so it is always a privilege to drive there, especially with the Valkyrie in the WEC. I’m hoping we can start on the front foot a little more than at Imola. Certainly, I think the car will suit the track a little bit more than Imola. It’s not going to be easy, but clearly even Imola was a big step forward for us. It was the first time the #007 has finished and, in qualifying, the car felt really good. But, of course, at this moment we need to stay grounded and remember we are still learning so much as a team.”
Alex Riberas, driver #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie: “I’m very excited to be back at Spa, which is one of the most fun tracks on the calendar for us. Undoubtedly, it’s a track that will be unique to drive with such a special car like the Valkyrie. Going through Eau Rouge and Blanchimont is something that one can only dream of doing at such speeds. I cannot wait to be able to go there and use everything we learned in Italy and build upon the foundations that we have created with the team. I’m looking forward to making another step forward towards where we want to be as we prepare for Le Mans, which obviously is the highlight of the year.”
Marco Sørensen, driver #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie: “Spa-Francorchamps is one of the most legendary circuits in the world, and to race here in front of so many fans is something truly special. You feel the history, the atmosphere and the energy all around you. Driving Valkyrie around this place is an incredible experience – it’s a proper challenge, and one we’re ready for.”
Ross Gunn, driver #23 Aston Martin Valkyrie: “I cannot wait to get in the Valkyrie this weekend at Laguna Seca. It’s always been one of my favorites with the famous Corkscrew, an exhilarating part of the track. To have the honor of taking Valkyrie through that section is going to be something to remember for a long time. I feel like we made solid progress in Long Beach and the aim is to try and get closer to the pace, have a clean race and not make any mistakes. The team has done a terrific job of executing in the races so far in the IMSA series, and it’s going to be another exciting weekend.”
Roman De Angelis, driver #23 Aston Martin Valkyrie: “I’m very much looking forward to racing at Laguna Seca. I feel like it is the first of the ‘normal’ events we race at during the season. Sebring was obviously the first race for the program, while Long Beach is such a diverse and difficult street track. Now we head to a historic and amazing circuit, and one I look forward to on the IMSA calendar every year. I feel like the program is making massive progress every time out and I look forward to continuing that momentum into Laguna Seca.”
Ian James, Team Principal, Aston Martin THOR Team: “The momentum continues to build within the program and each lap completed is another step forward towards our goals. Spa will test the car in new ways, which is important to understand how Valkyrie operates in traffic and race conditions on a track with some very high-speed sections. In Laguna Seca, we can cement what we have delivered so far in IMSA and produce another solid points scoring performance. The targets, as ever, are to focus on execution, minimize mistakes and produce the optimum results within the package we have at the moment. For the team, it is a chance to rise to the challenge of operating Valkyrie on both sides of the Atlantic during the same weekend.”
Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport: “This weekend marks another big test for Valkyrie as it faces both the challenge of Spa-Francorchamps and Laguna Seca. Diverse as these two circuits are, they will offer new data points for us to learn more about the car’s performance potential in different circumstances, which ahead of Le Mans is all useful information. Spa is a circuit closer in character to that we will race on in the middle weekend of June and it will be interesting to see how much progress we have made since Imola. In IMSA, THOR has maximized its opportunities so far and two top-ten finishes from two starts is a satisfactory return at this stage of the program. All the elements are in place for this to continue at Laguna Seca.”
Above content © 2025 Aston-Martin, reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee
