A year on from its first appearance at Le Mans, and 67 years (to the week) after the iconic Aston Martin DBR1 achieved its famed overall victory for the British ultra-luxury performance brand in the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans with drivers Roy Salvardori (GBR) and Carroll Shelby (USA), Valkyrie, born of the ultimate expression of a road-going hypercar, is back to challenge for overall victory in the premier class of the world’s most famous endurance motorsport event.
The 62-strong entry for the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans, which will be officially started at 16:00 (CEST) 13 June by Aston Martin High Performance Ambassador Sir Mark Cavendish (the former professional cyclist who holds the record for the most stage wins of the Tour de France), includes two specially-liveried works Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie Hypercars. Fresh from encouraging points-finishing performances in the opening rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship [WEC] at Imola (ITA) and Spa-Francorchamps (BEL), the British-built and engineered, 6.5-litre V12-powered machines have built hard-earned momentum heading into the most important race of the season.
“More than a year into Aston Martin’s hypercar endurance racing programme, we can say with certainty that Valkyrie has begun to realise its potential and is continuing to gain competitive impetus in the WEC,” said Aston Martin CEO, Adrian Hallmark. “Le Mans is perhaps the most important standalone race in global motorsport, and we are of course fiercely proud to carry British hopes of glory into this year’s 94th running of this prestigious event. Valkyrie wholly represents Aston Martin’s uncompromising approach to performance engineering, and the racing interpretation carries with it the very spirit of our founding principles. You could say that Le Mans is Valkyrie’s perfect natural habitat.
“Aston Martin’s pedigree at Le Mans remains a proud one across the classes we compete in. This brings with it a responsibility to the huge number of fans who travel far and wide to come and witness us race in France. Valkyrie is already adored for its sonorous V12 and stunning silhouette, but thanks to the excellent work and outstanding endeavor of our works partner The Heart of Racing, Aston Martin is steadily moving towards the legacy it truly deserves on the track. Long may this continue.”
Valkyrie’s 2026 Le Mans livery, which features a Union Flag on the front splitter, is a tribute to the great British racing heritage at Le Mans and demonstrates Aston Martin THOR’s pride associated with carrying British hopes in the top class of the great race.
“The pageantry and prestige of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is unique within motor racing, and it is only right that Aston Martin should line up shoulder to shoulder with the best sportscar manufacturers in the world; a breathtaking gathering of fierce competitors,” said Aston Martin Head of Endurance, Adam Carter. “We are proud to be carrying the hope of British fans, as well of those of Aston Martin all over the world, into this year’s race.
“Aston Martin’s DNA was forged in motorsport, and we have played a role in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, on and off, for nearly a century, so it’s only right that we take our place in the top class of the event. We are participating with the intention of winning because that is what we are here to try and do.
“But like we always say, it’s only worth racing if the competition is worthy, and it’s never been stronger than it is today. We understand that at Le Mans, just as in WEC and IMSA, we have much to learn compared to many of our key rivals – who in some cases have been racing here for more than a decade – and we do not underestimate that at all. For us, the learning process of the Hypercar class, and competing at Le Mans, continues perpetually, and as we develop as a team, we continue to uncover new ways to extract performance from our platform so that we can move forwards and fight at the front of the field.”
Masterminded by works team The Heart of Racing (THOR), the two Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyries are the first factory Aston Martin hypercars to compete in the top class (Hypercar) of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) – which includes the blue riband 24 Hours of Le Mans – since the series was founded in 2012.
Developed by Aston Martin and THOR from the Valkyrie production model, the Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) version is the only car in the WEC’s premier category derived from a road-legal hypercar and is also the only car built to Hypercar homologation that competes simultaneously in WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship.
The race-optimised Valkyrie Hypercar carbon-fibre chassis is powered by a modified lean-burn iteration of the sensational naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 Cosworth-developed engine, which in standard road-going form revs to 11,000rpm and develops more than 1000bhp. For competition purposes, the engine – which persists at the heart of the entire Valkyrie bloodline – adheres to a strict 500kw (680bhp) regulation power limit.
For Le Mans, the Aston Martin THOR Team returns to the three-driver line-ups for the first time this season following the postponement of the opening round, the Qatar 1812km (eight-hour) event, in March.
It means that IMSA Valkyrie racer and IMSA GTD Pro race winner Ross Gunn returns to the regular all-British line-up in the #007 entry for the first time in 2026. Harry Tincknell, the 2016 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) overall champion and 2020 Le Mans LMGTE winner (for Aston Martin) will also be joined in this car by rising endurance racing star Tom Gamble. For Tincknell and Gamble Le Mans represents an opportunity to string together a third WEC points finish in succession, having achieved the best series finish yet for Valkyrie at Spa with fourth place.
Aston Martin’s most successful works driver Marco Sørensen (DEN) makes his 12th start in the event in the #009 Valkyrie, having won the LMGTE class at Le Mans in an Aston Martin Vantage in 2022. The three-time WEC GT champion is joined, as always, by multiple WEC and IMSA GTD Pro race-winner Alex Riberas (ESP). The 2022 IMSA GTD champion Roman De Angelis (CDN) rejoins the crew for Le Mans for his third Le Mans start.
Valkyrie and Aston Martin THOR return to Le Mans with happy memories having recorded a trouble-free double-finish on their debut in 2025. Moreover, last year’s event marked the first points-finish for the programme, earning Manufacturers’ world championship points with the #009 finishing 12th overall ahead of the #007 in 14th.
“We’re excited to be going back to Le Mans,” said Ian James, Aston Martin THOR Team principal. “The position the team is in now, in terms of experience and understanding, processes and methodology, and how to find performance in Valkyrie, is a step in magnitude away from where we were last year. That said Le Mans is unique, and among the sternest challenges we face all season long, and our experience is therefore less than some of our competitors when it comes to racing there.
“We will approach this race the same way we do any other, by focusing on execution, minimising errors and being ready to take advantage of opportunities presented to us. There has never been a more competitive field in the top class at Le Mans, and while we do not underestimate the challenge in front of us, we are as ready as we can be to carry the fight to the opposition.”
Aston Martin’s endurance racing legacy is indelibly linked to Le Mans. A mere 15 years after the marque was formed by Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin, it was racing at la Sarthe; its debut coming in 1928 with a pair of AM415 ‘Internationals’. Three years later it claimed its first victory when Augustus Cesare Bertelli and Maurice Harvey won the 1.5-litre class in an International. It took class honours in 1932 and ’33 as well. Two more wins in the ’30s for the Ulster meant that Aston Martin ended the pre-war era as one of Le Mans pre-eminent manufacturers.
The race wasn’t held between 1940-1948 with Europe affected by the second World War, but once it returned in 1949, Aston Martin did too, making the 3-litre class its own through the 1950s. It won the class six times, finishing first, second and third with the DB2 in 1951. This halcyon era culminated in a glorious overall victory for Shelby and Salvadori in 1959. It was also in this period that Aston Martin became known as a haven for legendary racing stars. Among the many aces to have raced Aston Martins at Le Mans are Jim Clark, Sir Stirling Moss, Peter Collins, Sir Jack Brabham, Shelby, Salvadori, Tony Brooks, Phil Hill, John Surtees, Innes Ireland, Paul Frére, Graham Hill and Bruce McLaren.
This century Aston Martin has come to the fore once again as one of the truly great GT manufacturers. Returning to the race with a GT1 class podium in 2006, Darren Turner, Rickard Rydell and David Brabham recorded a famous victory over Corvette with the mighty V12-powered DBR9 in 2007, heralding the beginning of a long run of success with engineering partner Prodrive, which celebrates 25 years at La Sarthe this week. Aston Martin Racing repeated the victory the following year. In the WEC era, which began in 2012, Aston Martin has added five more class victories with Vantage, the most recent in 2022.
Valkyrie marks the 29th different Aston Martin chassis/engine combination to compete at Le Mans. No venue has given Aston Martin so much success, or more steadfastly proven that its DNA is forged out of the very essence of competition, than Le Mans.
DRIVER QUOTES
Ross Gunn #007 Valkyrie: “This is the biggest event for any driver, team or manufacturer in endurance motorsport. The progress that Aston Martin and The Heart of Racing have made with our Valkyrie has been incredible in the last year and a half. We go into Le Mans with realistic expectations, but we are focusing, hoping, and aiming to be much closer to the front pace. Last year was an incredible achievement to get both cars to the finish, even with one in the points. For sure the aim is to go even better than that, but most of all to enjoy ourselves. It will be a long testing week, but that’s why we love it, and I can’t wait.”
Harry Tincknell #007 Valkyrie: “Le Mans is the Blue Riband race and we arrive in a very positive mindset after taking Valkyrie’s best result in the WEC last time out with fourth place at Spa. Looking at everything since, we’ve taken some learnings that will continue to help us improve. It was great to get both cars to the finish at Le Mans last year and that gives us confidence we can do it again. We know we’ll have fantastic support from the British fans there and from WEC fans in general, who have given us so many nice comments about how we’ve improved the performance of the car. I’m looking forward to it.”
Tom Gamble #007 Valkyrie: “This is the biggest race of the season! We’re riding high off the back of a great result at Spa, so I’m looking forward to seeing how much of that momentum we can carry into Le Mans. Le Mans was an important milestone for the entire programme last year, getting both cars to the finish, and I believe we can build on that result and improve this year, hopefully coming away with a bag full of points.”
Alex Riberas #009 Valkyrie: “I’m extremely excited to race at Le Mans. On one side it’s going to be incredible to race Valkyrie around such an iconic racetrack and in probably the biggest motorsport event in the world. To do so after finishing the race last year gives us so much optimism and confidence to go back and deliver another strong performance. Since Imola we’ve seen an evolution in Valkyrie’s performance. To see both cars fighting for a podium finish at Spa gives us all confidence that we can do something special at Le Mans. We’ll give it everything we have.”
Marco Sørensen #009 Valkyrie: “We’re ready for the challenge of the 24 Hours of Le Mans once again. Last year gave us valuable experience as a team, and we’ve worked extremely hard since then to come back stronger in every area. Le Mans is one of the toughest races in the world, so preparation and consistency are everything. The goal this year is clear - to build on what we learned, stay competitive throughout the race, and hopefully come away with a much stronger result.”
Roman De Angelis #009 Valkyrie: “As a driver Le Mans is an event you think about at some point throughout the day, every single day of the year. It’s hard to describe what this event means to us drivers, the team members and anyone involved in sports car and endurance racing. It’s an honour to be able to go back and compete at such a special event for an overall win with the Aston Martin THOR Team, and my #009 teammates. It’s a bit different having Le Mans as my first WEC event this season with the change of schedule, but I’m as prepared as ever and cannot wait to get on track at Le Mans and try to build on last year’s successful points finish.”
Vantage aiming to build on legacy as one of the all-time great GT Le Mans racers
Aston Martin Vantage fighting for sixth class victory in 24 Hours of Le Mans
Vantage, the most successful racing car in the history of Aston Martin, returns to the 24 Hours of Le Mans chasing its sixth category victory in the world’s most famous endurance motor race with partner teams the Heart of Racing Team (THOR) and Racing Spirit of Léman (RSL) this weekend.
Three examples of the Vantage GT3, which shares its mechanical architecture with the ultra-luxury performance brand’s most focused sportscar built around Aston Martin’s proven bonded aluminium chassis and powered by its fearsome twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine, will go hunting for the manufacturer’s 20th class victory in the event.
Regular class frontrunners, THOR team principal Ian James (GBR), Zach Robichon (CDN) and Mattia Drudi (ITA) finished fourth last year with Drudi putting the #27 Vantage on LMGT3 pole position for what was his debut attempt at the world’s biggest motor race.
“We were in the hunt to win last year,” said team principal and driver James. “So, with the same line-up this time around in #27 and with the blend of youth and experience we have in #23, we have two chances to win. The Aston Martin Vantage has had so much success at Le Mans in the past, which means it’s clearly a great platform for this racetrack. Le Mans also counts for double points in the WEC so it’s even more vital than normal that we maximise what’s possible across both cars.”
For works driver Drudi, the 24 Hours of Le Mans holds some fantastic memories from his event debut last year, not least with the pole position he scored. With a 24 Hours of Spa win in 2024 plus podium finishes at this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona and Ravenol ADAC 24h Nürburgring, he has achieved strong results at the big races he has competed in with Vantage, while he was on the podium last time out in the WEC at Spa in May with team-mates James and Robichon.
“I’m really looking forward to doing it,” said Drudi. “Le Mans is the most important event on my calendar, and I have such great memories of my debut last year, both with taking pole position with Vantage and with the pace early in the race. We’re going into the weekend with the Spa podium behind us and I’m sure Vantage is going to fit well at Le Mans, as the number of victories and podiums there prove.”
For the first time, THOR will run a two-car team of Vantage GT3s at Le Mans. Joining James, Robichon and Drudi will be the #23 car featuring Gray Newell (USA), Dudu Barrichello (BRZ) and works driver Jonny Adam (GBR).
While this weekend represents WEC rookie Newell’s Le Mans debut, Barrichello returns for a second attempt, having first appeared in the race a year ago. It is Adam who is most heavily credentialed at La Sarthe, however, the Scottish driver having scored class wins with Vantage in both 2017 and 2020; the latter success coming on his fifth and most recent start at the event.
“Le Mans is the highlight of any sportscar driver’s season and I’m so happy to be back for the first time since 2020,” said the four-time British GT title winner. “The #27 car finished fourth last year and Dudu was fast, so to have him in the car alongside me and alongside Gray on his debut should make us a strong line-up. Le Mans is a race that requires consistency and no mistakes, so if we can do that, let’s see what we can achieve.”
THOR will be joined by Racing Spirit of Léman (RSL) trio Clement Mateu (FRA), Marius Fossard (FRA) and Aston Martin works driver Valentin Hasse Clot (FRA) in the #59 Aston Martin Vantage GT3, which usually competes in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS).
For works driver Hasse Clot, this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans marks his third appearance at his favourite race, having made his debut in the Vantage GTE in 2023. For his team-mates Mateu and Frossard – the latter a member of the Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy - this weekend’s race represents their Le Mans debut, although the latter has raced at the Circuit de la Sarthe in the Road to Le Mans support race for the past two seasons.
For Aston Martin engineering partner Prodrive, this year’s event marks its 25th Le Mans, during which time it has played a vital role in no less than seven class victories with first the V12-powered DB9 and then throughout the evolution of Vantage.
Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport, said: “Vantage has an extremely proud history at Le Mans with some incredible achievements. It is responsible for more than 25 per cent of all of Aston Martin’s class victories in this legendary event. We have always maintained relationships with high-quality partner teams in the WEC and this year is no different with THOR an outstanding organisation fielding both full-time entries in the series and RSL adding this event to what is turning out to be a successful campaign in the ELMS. We wish both teams well and look forward to seeing if Vantage can add to its Le Mans wins total in 2026. We would also like to congratulate Prodrive on 25 successful years of Le Mans – its consistent approach to innovation, competitiveness and engineering ingenuity has been central to Aston Martin’s success through Vantage’s time in competition.”
How to follow
Practice for the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans begins at 1400 CET (-1H BST), on Wednesday, 12 June. The race begins at 1600 CET, Saturday, 13 June. All practice and qualifying sessions, as well as the race will be broadcast live on FIA WEC TV online with a choice of English or French-language commentary and via selected broadcasters at a national level.
