Aston Martin’s extremely anticipated return to endurance racing takes a daring step ahead because the Valkyrie prepares for its North American competitors debut within the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on the legendary 12 Hours of Sebring this weekend. It marks a pivotal second for the British automaker and America’s prime sportscar collection, because it brings revolutionary high-revving V12-powered Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) expertise to one of many hardest endurance races on this planet.
The IMSA 12 Hours of Sebring, recognized for its punishing monitor floor, intense multi-class racing, and unpredictable climate situations, will function the proper proving floor for the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH. The hypercar is ready to compete in IMSA’s top-tier GTP (Grand Touring Prototype) class, the place it would go head-to-head with the likes of Porsche, Cadillac, Acura, Lamborghini and BMW within the battle for general victory. All of its class rivals run automobiles constructed to IMSA’s LMDh platform, however the Valkyrie is the primary true road-based hypercar chassis to race within the GTP class, and is the one automobile within the class to not characteristic a high-voltage hybrid electrical system.
Run by the works Aston Martin THOR workforce, its entry into IMSA’s endurance racing scene aligns with the model’s push to cement itself as a pacesetter in hypercar efficiency. The AMR-LMH is derived from the road-going Valkyrie however engineered particularly for top-level endurance racing, that includes a naturally aspirated V12 engine, that revs to 11,000rpm, developed in collaboration with Cosworth and a light-weight carbon-fiber monocoque chassis.
“With Aston Martin returning to top-flight endurance competitors within the US with such a wide ranging hypercar, the primary of its type to race in IMSA and the one one developed from a street automobile, that is clearly a landmark step for the Valkyrie programme,” stated Adam Carter, Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance Motorsport. “Everyone knows the challenges Sebring affords, each as a venue and as a race, however these are necessary exams for Valkyrie and each mile builds knowledge and understanding. The automobile cuts a placing silhouette in its blue livery, and with its distinctive sound from the V12, 6.5-litre engine, I’m sure this automobile will win the hearts and minds of the American racing followers.”
The 12 Hours of Sebring is without doubt one of the most difficult races on the IMSA calendar, held on a former WWII-era airfield circuit that’s well-known for its bumpy floor, tight corners, and high-speed sections. The monitor pushes each drivers and machines to their absolute limits, making it a real check of endurance for any race automobile. For Aston Martin, competing in Sebring is greater than only a debut—it’s an announcement of intent. The race will showcase the Valkyrie AMR-LMH’s capabilities, offering essential knowledge and expertise for its 2025 IMSA and World Endurance Championship campaigns.
Driver Ross Gunn stated: “Sebring this yr is a vital occasion for us, much more than regular, and it will likely be the primary IMSA race for Valkyrie, which is extremely thrilling. After all we’re on a really steep studying trajectory proper now, however everyone seems to be working super-hard to convey as a lot efficiency as doable to the automobile. It’s very thrilling to have the V12 engine going round Sebring. It’s going to be an unbelievable weekend.”
Aston Martin has a storied historical past in endurance racing, however the 12 Hours of Sebring holds particular significance. The British marque has beforehand seen success in GT competitors, however the arrival of the Valkyrie alerts a return to prototype racing on American soil for the primary time in over a decade.
With IMSA’s rising worldwide attraction and an more and more aggressive GTP class, the Valkyrie’s entry into the 12 Hours of Sebring units the stage for an thrilling new period in hypercar endurance racing. Because the countdown to Sebring 2025 begins, all eyes might be on Aston Martin and the Valkyrie AMR-LMH as they goal to make historical past in North America’s premier endurance collection, earlier than taking up the problem of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
Picture Supply: Aston Martin
