Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro tested by Dirk Muller
Ian James, the representative of Heart of Racing, informed Motorsportweek.com that Aston Martin intends to begin testing the new Valkyrie hypercar in the third quarter of this year, with plans for its debut in 2025.
James stated: “We anticipate having a car ready for track testing by the third quarter. Currently, we are conducting off-track tests, focusing on components and simulation. We have been using an AMR Pro mule car to test specific parts, so we are looking forward to the opportunity to test the actual vehicle on the track. However, everything seems to be progressing according to schedule.”
The team has been conducting tests for the car in the United States, where Heart of Racing is mainly located, and also at the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal.
The car will participate in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Heart of Racing will simultaneously manage two factory-supported programs in both series.
“The race car design is derived from the road car. It follows LMH regulations and utilizes the lightweight features of the road car. So, you will definitely recognize the familiar appearance of the road car in the race car,” explained the British-American representative.
The Valkyrie LMH will be equipped with an Aston Martin V12 engine and will not have a hybrid system. This potentially makes it the only non-hybrid hypercar in both WEC and IMSA next year.
“By not being hybrid, we are not burdened with the weight of a battery. This offsets the weight of the engine itself. The car packaging is compact and efficient. Listening to the engine in the mule car and on the dynamometer, it is truly impressive,” James commented.
Although Heart of Racing manages the car in both championships, the development process is overseen by Aston Martin and their partner Multimatic. Multimatic has extensive involvement in various sports car projects in both WEC and IMSA, including the Ford Mustang GT3 program and the Porsche 963.
“The decision to exclude a hybrid system was based on packaging considerations, as well as on philosophy and overall design. However, Aston Martin would be better prepared to answer that question,” James concluded.
