Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH

Last updated
Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH
Category Le Mans Hypercar
Constructor Aston Martin (Multimatic)
Predecessor Aston Martin AMR-One
Technical specifications
Engine Aston Martin-Cosworth RA 6,499 cc (396.6 cu in) 65° V12
Tyres Michelin slicks
Competition history
Notable entrants Aston Martin THOR Team

The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH [1] is an upcoming sports prototype developed by Aston Martin Racing and Multimatic to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship in the Hypercar category and the IMSA SportsCar Championship in the GTP category respectively. [2] [3] The car is a heavily modified racing version fitted to Le Mans Hypercar regulations based on Aston Martin's Valkyrie AMR Pro track car. [4]

Contents

The Valkyrie AMR-LMH is set to make its debut at the 2025 Qatar 1812 km. [5] [6]

History

Initial plans

The Valkyrie AMR-LMH is based on the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro. Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro.jpg
The Valkyrie AMR-LMH is based on the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro.

Aston Martin was one of the first manufacturers to commit to the Le Mans Hypercar class in 2019, with plans to start competition with at least two factory cars in the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship. The car was planned to compete without a hybrid system, despite the road car containing one. [7] Alongside the factory entries, two further cars were planned to be fielded by R-Motorsport. [8]

In February of 2020, Aston Martin announced that they would be cancelling the project, following the decision of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest to allow LMDh vehicles to participate in the Hypercar project. The brand also joined Formula One around this time, meaning they had limited finances to support their Hypercar programme. The manufacturer stated to still be open to joining in the future. [9]

2023 revival

In October of 2023, Aston Martin officially announced the return of the Valkyrie Le Mans Hypercar project. They planned to enter at least one car in both the FIA WEC and the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2025, run by The Heart of Racing. [2] [3] This would make Aston Martin the first Le Mans Hypercar manufacturer to enter the IMSA series, which up to that point only had LMDh cars participate. [10]

The car, now recognized as the Valkyrie AMR-LMH, [1] was rolled out in the summer of 2024, ahead of an extensive testing program by Aston Martin and The Heart of Racing at Silverstone Circuit and Donington Park, alongside drivers Darren Turner, Harry Tincknell, and Mario Farnbacher. [11] [12] The Heart of Racing participated in sanctioned tests with the Valkyrie AMR-LMH later that year, testing at Bahrain International Circuit and Daytona respectively. [13]

On the 21st of November, Aston Martin announced that the Valkyrie AMR-LMH would make its global racing debut at the 2025 Qatar 1812 km, opting to skip the 2025 24 Hours of Daytona to perform further testing and development. [6] They also announced that both cars that would be racing in the FIA WEC would be using numbers #007 and #009, both taken from their Le Mans-winning Aston Martin DBR9. Tincknell and Alex Riberas were also announced as the first two drivers to race the car, driving the #007 and #009 respectively. [14]

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Multimatic Inc. is a privately held Canadian corporation that supplies components, systems and engineering services to the global automotive industry. Headquartered in Markham, Ontario, Multimatic has manufacturing divisions and engineering facilities in North America, Europe and Asia. Multimatic was ranked 93 on the Automotive News 2019 Top 100 Global OEM Parts Suppliers list and 56 in their list of the largest suppliers to North America, ranked by sales of original equipment parts in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FIA World Endurance Championship</span> Auto racing championship held worldwide

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jota Sport</span> British sports car racing team

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aston Martin Valkyrie</span> Hybrid sports car

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References

  1. 1 2 "Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH hypercar hits the track | Aston Martin". www.astonmartin.com. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  2. 1 2 Dagys, John (2024-06-14). "Heart of Racing Set for Two-Car Valkyrie Hypercar Effort – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  3. 1 2 "Heart Of Racing Confirms GTP Aston Martin Valkyrie For 2025 IMSA Season". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
  4. ↑ "Aston Martin returns to Le Mans to fight for overall victory with Valkyrie hypercar". media.astonmartin.com. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  5. ↑ "Aston Martin names first drivers for Valkyrie LMH race car". Motor Authority. 2024-11-21. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  6. 1 2 Dagys, John (2024-11-21). "Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH Set for Qatar Race Debut – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  7. ↑ "Aston Martin To Bring Valkyrie Hypercar To FIA WEC & Le Mans". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  8. ↑ "Hypercar/ DPi 2.0/ Class One & All That". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  9. ↑ "Aston Martin Has Cancelled Its Valkyrie-Based WEC Entry | News | CarThrottle". www.carthrottle.com. 2020-02-19. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  10. ↑ "Aston Martin to return to Le Mans 24 Hours in 2025 with Valkyrie LMH". www.autosport.com. 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  11. ↑ "Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH Completes First Shakedown Runs". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  12. ↑ Euwema, Davey (2024-07-22). "Valkyrie AMR-LMH's First Runs an "Immensely Proud" Moment – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  13. ↑ Grace, Jonathan (2024-11-15). "James: Heart of Racing 'Hitting Milestones' With Valkyrie Testing – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  14. ↑ "Aston Martin THOR Team confirms Riberas and Tincknell for 2025 Valkyrie world title assault". media.astonmartin.com. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
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