Aston Martin and Heart of Racing to Compete in 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans
Friday, June 14, 2024, Le Mans, France: Aston Martin, in partnership with Heart of Racing, has announced a significant return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2025, fielding two Valkyrie AMR-LMH hypercars. This marks a historic move as the British automaker aims for its first overall win since 1959.
The participation of these two Valkyrie AMR-LMH hypercars will also extend to the full 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), pending entry acceptance. This announcement follows recent regulatory changes by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), requiring manufacturers to enter at least two cars in the Hypercar class from 2025 onward. The new regulation was disclosed earlier today at the official press conference preceding this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Aston Martin and Heart of Racing have expressed their support for these regulatory changes, emphasizing the benefits for the overall sporting environment. Adam Carter, Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance Motorsport, highlighted the brand’s longstanding association with Le Mans, noting, “We first raced at Le Mans over 95 years ago. We are committed to WEC’s hypercar concept and bringing our famous Wings back to the forefront of international sportscar racing.”
The Valkyrie AMR-LMH will feature a race-optimized carbon-fiber chassis and a modified Cosworth-built 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine, originally designed for the Valkyrie road car. This engine, capable of revving up to 11,000rpm and producing over 1000bhp in standard form, will be enhanced to meet the Balance of Performance requirements of the Hypercar class and endure the demands of long-distance competition. Notably, the race car will not include the battery-electric hybrid system found in the road version.
Development of the Valkyrie AMR-LMH is progressing well, with recent system evaluations conducted at Silverstone and the Portimao circuit in Portugal. Heart of Racing has also established a UK headquarters for its WEC program near Silverstone, where the racing cars are being developed in collaboration with Aston Martin Performance Technologies.
Additionally, Aston Martin and Heart of Racing are planning an IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship program for the Valkyrie AMR-LMH in the US-based endurance series’ GTP class. This program will operate from Heart of Racing’s Phoenix HQ in North America.
Heart of Racing Team Principal Ian James remarked on the upcoming challenge, “With the new WEC rules, we’ve had to accelerate our plans to run multiple cars. We’re excited to join this competitive class and look forward to the journey ahead.”
Aston Martin’s entry into the Hypercar class reaffirms its commitment to endurance racing, from gentleman racers to the pinnacle of the sport. By 2025, Aston Martin will be the only manufacturer competing across all levels of sportscar and GT racing, as well as the FIA Formula 1® World Championship. Over the past 95 years, more than 240 drivers have raced Aston Martins at Le Mans, solidifying the brand’s legacy in endurance racing.
