Aston Martin’s IMSA GTP and FIA WEC Hypercar-bound Valkyrie AMR-LMH has completed its first shakedown tests in the UK ahead of a full development program over the summer.
The new Hypercar, which is being developed by Aston Martin Performance Technologies and U.S.-flagged works team The Heart of Racing, has completed shakedown runs and initial evaluation testing in the UK at Silverstone and Donington Park.
At this early stage, the V12-powered prototype has been driven by Aston Martin development driver Darren Turner, Heart of Racing regular Mario Farnbacher and Multimatic driver Harry Tincknell, who won the LMGTE class of the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans with Aston Martin. (No drivers have yet been named for Heart of Racing’s IMSA or WEC efforts.)
Aston Martin with Heart of Racing will now commence a full development program to prepare the car ahead of its FIA homologation in the autumn. The development and test program is set to include track time on multiple circuits in the UK and continental Europe over the summer, with Heart of Racing overseeing the running every step of the way.
The car’s competitive debut will then follow next year and is expected to come in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January. In IMSA will become the first LMH-spec prototype to compete in GTP, and race against the current crop of LMDh prototypes from Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Porsche and Lamborghini.
It will also become the first non-hybrid prototype to compete in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s current top class. The Valkyrie AMR-LMH is powered by a modified, lean-burning version of a Cosworth-built 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12, which in standard form revs to 11,000rpm and produces over 1000hp.
“The Valkyrie AMR-LMH sets its own standard as a thoroughbred endurance competition car. It is a pure, leading-edge racing machine, and while it is very early in the testing cycle, from what we have witnessed so far, we are satisfied that it is achieving the targets and criteria we have set out for it to accomplish,” said Adam Carter, Aston Martin’s head of endurance motorsport.
For its WEC effort, Heart of Racing recently established a UK team headquarters located in Brackley next to Multimatic Motorsports Europe, which is collaborating on the project. According to Heart of Racing team principal Ian James, Multimatic has been tasked with building the Valkyrie. The IMSA GTP effort, meanwhile, will be run out of a shop in Phoenix, Ariz.
“The first runs for the Valkyrie AMR-LMH have been an immensely proud moment in the program,” said Heart of Racing’s James. “The birth of this project has been a couple of years in the making, so to get it to the track and to see it going around in the flesh, feels momentous for The Heart of Racing. We’re looking forward to the journey ahead — it’s a steep hill to climb for everyone involved in this project.
“We are at the pinnacle of sports car racing, the competitors are formidable, and they have been doing it a long time. Some of them have endless resources. We know we are going up against the best, so we intend to represent Aston Martin at the same level.
“I believe, from what we have seen so far, and with the DNA of where this car came from, I think we have the right tools to be able to do this successfully.”
